Northern Illinois University campus

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Northern Illinois Ratings and Reviews

  • 6/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Dekalb, IL
  • 3.2 5 reviews
#4 Best Public Universities in Illinois
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Northern Illinois Ratings and Reviews

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Ratings

Northern Illinois is rated within the top 46% of four-year colleges nationally and earns a CollegeSimply grade of 6 out of 10.

  • Overall Rating
    6 out of 10
  • Academics
    5 out of 10
  • Resources
    7 out of 10
  • Outcomes
    6 out of 10
  • Value
    8 out of 10
Learn how ratings are calculated

Student Review Summary

3.2

Approved reviews

5 student reviews

3 out of 5 (60%) reviewers rated 4 stars or higher

Students rate Professors / Faculty highest and Housing lowest.

Rating snapshot

  • 5 stars
    1
  • 4 stars
    2
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    1
  • 1 star
    1

Average by category

  • Overall Rating
    3.2
  • Academics
    3.2
  • Value for Money
    3.2
  • Professors / Faculty
    3.8
  • Campus Atmosphere
    3.2
  • Housing
    2.4
  • Campus Safety
    2.8
  • Student Life
    3.4
  • Party and Bar Scene
    3.4

Student and Parent Reviews

If you are a student, former student, faculty member or parent, please help guide other prospective students by sharing your personal experiences at this college. What is it really like to go to Northern Illinois University?

Sep 5, 2024
Rating 5 out of 5

NIU is a great school for a quality education in the classroom and a Quality education about life, race, and the world you are in and will face. Not like other schools. Come to NIU, get a Quality educ. and learn about the world today........

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Oct 25, 2023
Rating 4 out of 5

Great, classic college town, but we could drive to Chicago in an hour or so if you wanted a big city day.

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Oct 12, 2023
Rating 4 out of 5

Dekalb/NIU has a classic "college town" feel, but you're only 80 minutes away from Chicago if in need of big city fun once or twice a semester. Football game days are great, liked my classes and professors, liked campus and the office campus housing.

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Apr 14, 2022
Rating 2 out of 5

All people do here in 2021/2022 is go to class (if that) and go to the dining halls. No one attends events, no one cares about things like student government, and there is not much to do out here. The one saving grace of this school is the Greek life which I find to be very active. If you're not in greek life, don't have a gaming console, or don't have a car what are you doing at this school to have fun? The professors are okay but me being a freshman and only taking Gen Eds so far kind of makes sense why there aren't many good teachers. This is a safe school on the campus but off of the campus at night is not a place you want to be.

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Oct 27, 2021
Rating 1 out of 5

Urban slum. Hated it. Low standards even for Illinois. Not all teachers were bad but overall the education was substandard.

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Rate Northern Illinois University

Share your ratings for Northern Illinois across academics, campus life, and more to help prospective students understand what it's really like to attend.

Your Overall Experience *

If a friend asked whether Northern Illinois was worth it, what would your gut say?

Academics *

Did classes challenge you and leave you feeling like you actually learned something?

Value for Money *

Considering tuition, aid, and what you got out of it, did the cost feel justified?

Professors and Faculty *

Were instructors accessible, engaged, and invested in students or mostly going through the motions?

Campus Atmosphere *

Did the campus feel welcoming and full of energy, or more like a place you simply passed through?

Student Housing *

Were dorms and residence halls somewhere you'd want to live, or a constant source of frustration?

Campus Safety *

Did you feel comfortable walking around at night, or did safety ever weigh on your mind?

Student Life *

Was it easy to find your people, make friends, and stay socially connected?

Party and Bar Scene *

Do weekends have a pulse here, or does the social scene quiet down once classes end?

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Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=147703.

Last updated: August 2026