Northern Illinois vs. Spalding

Should I go to Northern Illinois University or Spalding University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northern Illinois or Spalding is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Northern Illinois University vs. Spalding University comparison
Northern Illinois University Spalding University College 3 College 4
Northern Illinois University Spalding University
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Overview

Northern Illinois Spalding
Location Dekalb, IL Louisville, KY
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 15,649 1,532
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #454 #718
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website niu.edu spalding.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northern Illinois Spalding
Tuition (In State) $9,790 $26,900
Tuition (Out of State) $9,790 $26,900
Room & Board $11,420 $8,300
Avg Net Price $13,884 $26,539
Avg Grant Aid $12,552 $16,307
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 99%

Admission

Northern Illinois Spalding
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,961 720
Admitted 18,348 703
Acceptance Rate 70.7% 97.6%
Enrolled % 13.3% 18.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.87
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/25 16/22
SAT Range 940/1170 858/1105
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

Northern Illinois Spalding
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (41%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Human Services (6%)

Outcomes

Northern Illinois Spalding
Graduation Rate 56% 42%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,600 $45,300
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 44%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,859 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $246 $258

Diversity

Northern Illinois Spalding
% Men 46% 29%
% Women 54% 71%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 57% 67%
% Black 16% 20%
% Hispanic 15% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

Northern Illinois Spalding
% In-State 93% 51%
% Out-of-State 5% 40%

Campus

Northern Illinois Spalding
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northern Illinois University is larger than than Spalding based on total student enrollment (15,649 students vs. 1,532 students)

Northern Illinois vs. Spalding Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northern Illinois or Spalding?

  • Spalding University is 174.8% more expensive to attend than Northern Illinois for in-state tuition ($26,900.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 174.8% higher at Spalding than Northern Illinois University ($26,900.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northern Illinois University than Spalding ($13,884 vs. $26,539)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Spalding University are 37.6% lower than costs at Northern Illinois University ($8,300 vs. $11,420)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Northern Illinois University as Spalding University (99% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Spalding University students is 29.9% larger than aid received Northern Illinois University ($16,307 vs. $12,552)

Northern Illinois vs. Spalding Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Northern Illinois or Spalding? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Spalding or Northern Illinois .

  • The average SAT score at Northern Illinois University (1029) is 59 points higher than at Spalding (970)
  • Incoming Northern Illinois students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Spalding (21)
  • Accepted freshman Spalding students have a 0.57 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at Northern Illinois (3.3)
  • Spalding has a higher acceptance rate (97.6%) than Northern Illinois (70.7%)

Northern Illinois vs. Spalding Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northern Illinois or Spalding? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Spalding and Northern Illinois.

  • The graduation rate at Northern Illinois is higher than Spalding University (56% vs. 42%)
  • Graduates from Northern Illinois University earn on average $2,300 more per year than Spalding graduates after ten years. ($47,600 vs. $45,300)
  • Northern Illinois University students graduate with a $1,141 lower median federal student loan debt than Spalding graduates. ($23,859 vs. $25,000)
  • Northern Illinois graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than Spalding graduates. ($246 vs. $258)
  • More Northern Illinois graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Spalding students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 44%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/