The Chicago School at Chicago vs. Northern Illinois

Deciding between The Chicago School at Chicago and Northern Illinois University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Northern Illinois University

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • The Chicago School at Chicago Chicago, IL
  • Northern Illinois Dekalb, IL
  • Setting
  • The Chicago School at Chicago Large City
  • Northern Illinois Small Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 1,100
  • Northern Illinois 15,414
  • Type
  • The Chicago School at Chicago Private 4 Year
  • Northern Illinois Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois #498
  • Religious Affiliation
  • The Chicago School at Chicago -
  • Northern Illinois -
  • Status
  • The Chicago School at Chicago Non-profit
  • Northern Illinois Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • The Chicago School at Chicago $21,780
  • Northern Illinois $13,248
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • The Chicago School at Chicago $21,780
  • Northern Illinois $13,248
  • Room & Board
  • The Chicago School at Chicago $18,536
  • Northern Illinois $14,160
  • Average Net Price
  • The Chicago School at Chicago -
  • Northern Illinois $14,243
  • Average Grant Aid
  • The Chicago School at Chicago $0
  • Northern Illinois $14,387
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 98%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 29
  • Northern Illinois 23,651
  • Admitted
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 10
  • Northern Illinois 16,505
  • Acceptance Rate
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 34.5%
  • Northern Illinois 69.8%
  • Enrolled
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 40%
  • Northern Illinois 12.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois 1060
  • Typical ACT score
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois 22
  • Average High School GPA
  • The Chicago School at Chicago -
  • Northern Illinois 3.3
  • Typical High School Grades
  • The Chicago School at Chicago -
  • Northern Illinois B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • The Chicago School at Chicago Unavailable
  • Northern Illinois Easy
  • Applicant Competition
  • The Chicago School at Chicago High
  • Northern Illinois Low
  • ACT Range
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois 19/25
  • SAT Range
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois 940/1170
  • Submit Test Scores
  • The Chicago School at Chicago Test optional
  • Northern Illinois Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois Aug 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 17:1
  • Northern Illinois 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois
    • Business (18%)
    • Health Professions (15%)
    • Social Sciences (11%)
    • Education (9%)
    • Communication (9%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • The Chicago School at Chicago -
  • Northern Illinois 56%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • The Chicago School at Chicago N/A
  • Northern Illinois $47,600
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • The Chicago School at Chicago -
  • Northern Illinois 61%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • The Chicago School at Chicago N/A
  • Northern Illinois $23,859
  • Median Loan Payment
  • The Chicago School at Chicago N/A
  • Northern Illinois $246

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 19%
  • Northern Illinois 45%
  • % Women
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 81%
  • Northern Illinois 55%
  • Racial Diversity
  • The Chicago School at Chicago -
  • Northern Illinois High
  • HBCU
  • The Chicago School at Chicago No
  • Northern Illinois No
  • % White
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 57%
  • % Asian
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 5%
  • % Black
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 16%
  • % Hispanic
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 15%
  • % Native American
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 3%
  • % International
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 2%
  • % Unknown Race
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 0%
  • Northern Illinois 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 75%
  • Northern Illinois 91%
  • % Out-of-State
  • The Chicago School at Chicago 25%
  • Northern Illinois 7%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • The Chicago School at Chicago No
  • Northern Illinois Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois No
  • Meal Plan
  • The Chicago School at Chicago No
  • Northern Illinois Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • The Chicago School at Chicago Yes
  • Northern Illinois No
  • Daycare Facility
  • The Chicago School at Chicago
  • Northern Illinois Yes
  • Learn More
  • The Chicago School at Chicago Details
  • Northern Illinois Details

Comparable Facts

Compare The Chicago School at Chicago in Chicago, IL with Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Northern Illinois University is larger than The Chicago School at Chicago based on total student enrollment (15,414 students vs. 1,100 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • The Chicago School at Chicago is located in Chicago, IL (Large City setting); Northern Illinois University is in Dekalb, IL (Small Suburban setting).
  • The Chicago School at Chicago is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Northern Illinois University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: The Chicago School at Chicago 17:1; Northern Illinois University 15:1.

The Chicago School at Chicago vs. Northern Illinois Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, The Chicago School at Chicago or Northern Illinois? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northern Illinois University are 23.6% lower than at The Chicago School at Chicago ($14,160 vs. $18,536).
  • The Chicago School at Chicago is 64.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than Northern Illinois (about $8,532 more per year; $21,780.00 vs. $13,248.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 64.4% higher at The Chicago School at Chicago than at Northern Illinois University (about $8,532 more per year; $21,780.00 vs. $13,248.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Northern Illinois University than at The Chicago School at Chicago (98% vs. 0%).

The Chicago School at Chicago vs. Northern Illinois Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, The Chicago School at Chicago or Northern Illinois? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Northern Illinois and The Chicago School at Chicago.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsNorthern Illinois University 940/1170.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsNorthern Illinois University 19/25.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: The Chicago School at Chicago - Test optional; Northern Illinois - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Northern Illinois Aug 1, 2027.
  • Northern Illinois has a higher acceptance rate (69.8%) than The Chicago School at Chicago (34.5%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 40% at The Chicago School at Chicago vs. 12.1% at Northern Illinois.

The Chicago School at Chicago vs. Northern Illinois Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for The Chicago School at Chicago and Northern Illinois? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.