Northern Illinois vs. VCM

Should I go to Northern Illinois University or VanderCook College of Music? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northern Illinois or VCM 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. VanderCook College of Music comparison
Northern Illinois University VanderCook College of Music College 3 College 4
Northern Illinois University
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Overview

Northern Illinois VCM
Location Dekalb, IL Chicago, IL
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 15,649 263
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #454
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website niu.edu vandercook.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northern Illinois VCM
Tuition (In State) $9,790 $27,670
Tuition (Out of State) $9,790 $27,670
Room & Board $11,420 $7,500
Avg Net Price $13,884 $12,436
Avg Grant Aid $12,552 $27,884
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

Northern Illinois VCM
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,961 22
Admitted 18,348 22
Acceptance Rate 70.7% 100%
Enrolled % 13.3% 50%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.1
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/25 15/20
SAT Range 940/1170 890/1160
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 Apr 1, 2025

Academics

Northern Illinois VCM
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 4:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Education (100%)

Outcomes

Northern Illinois VCM
Graduation Rate 56% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,600 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,859 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $246 $279

Diversity

Northern Illinois VCM
% Men 46% 43%
% Women 54% 57%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 57% 62%
% Black 16% 8%
% Hispanic 15% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Northern Illinois VCM
% In-State 93% 58%
% Out-of-State 5% 42%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Northern Illinois University is larger than than VCM based on total student enrollment (15,649 students vs. 263 students)

Northern Illinois vs. VCM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northern Illinois or VCM?

  • VanderCook College of Music is 182.6% more expensive to attend than Northern Illinois for in-state tuition ($27,670.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 182.6% higher at VCM than Northern Illinois University ($27,670.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at VanderCook College of Music than Northern Illinois ($12,436 vs. $13,884)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at VanderCook College of Music are 52.3% lower than costs at Northern Illinois University ($7,500 vs. $11,420)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at VanderCook College of Music than Northern Illinois University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by VanderCook College of Music students is 122.1% larger than aid received Northern Illinois University ($27,884 vs. $12,552)

Northern Illinois vs. VCM Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at VanderCook College of Music (1107) is 78 points higher than at Northern Illinois (1029)
  • Incoming VCM students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Northern Illinois (22)
  • Accepted freshman Northern Illinois students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at VCM (3.1)
  • VCM has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than Northern Illinois (70.7%)

Northern Illinois vs. VCM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northern Illinois or VCM? 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 VCM and Northern Illinois.

  • The graduation rate at Northern Illinois is higher than VanderCook College of Music (56% vs. 45%)
  • Northern Illinois University students graduate with a $3,141 lower median federal student loan debt than VCM graduates. ($23,859 vs. $27,000)
  • Northern Illinois graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than VCM graduates. ($246 vs. $279)
  • More VCM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northern Illinois students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 61%)

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