Northern Illinois Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Northern Illinois University Admission Requirements and Statistics

How hard is Northern Illinois to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Northern Illinois University (Northern Illinois)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Northern Illinois's acceptance rate is 69.79% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 23,651 students applied and 16,505 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is relatively high, making it somewhat easy to get into Northern Illinois.

To apply to Northern Illinois, it is required to submit high school GPA and record. The SAT and ACT score is not considered for admission at Northern Illinois University.

Northern Illinois's acceptance rate places 15th out of 59 Illinois colleges with competitive admission.
Northern Illinois's yield rate is 12.06%, which is significantly lower by 14.46 percentage points (approximately 54.5% lower) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 60% and 70% (average yield: 26.52%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to Northern Illinois at colleges with acceptance rates between 60% and 70%. Moreover, you can check only Illinois colleges with acceptance rates between 60% and 70%. This comparison helps contextualize Northern Illinois's yield rate within its selectivity range.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, Northern Illinois's acceptance rate is 69.79% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 12.06%. 10,235 men and 13,402 women applied to Northern Illinois and 6,791 men and 9,707 women students were accepted.

Among them, 923 men and 1,065 women were enrolled in Northern Illinois. You can explore the Northern Illinois's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Northern Illinois
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	23,651	10,235	13,402	0	0
Admitted	16,505	6,791	9,707	0	0
Enrolled	1,991	923	1,065	0	0
Acceptance Rate	69.79%	66.35%	72.43%	-	-
Yield	12.06%	13.59%	10.97%	-	-

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Northern Illinois University 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

First-year Enrollment by Gender and Enrolled Type

For the academic year 2024-25, total 1,991 first-year students enrolled in Northern Illinois. The proportion of full-time students is 99.40% and part-time students is 0.60%.

By gender, the proportion of men students is 46.36% and women students is 53.49%.

The following table shows the first-year students by gender and enrolled type at Northern Illinois.

First-Year Students by Gender and Enrolled Type at Northern Illinois
	Total	Men	Women
Total	1,991	923	1,065
Full-time	1,979	918	1,059
Part-time	12	5	6

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School GPA, High School Rank, High School Record (or Transcript), Completion of College Preparatory Program, and English Proficiency Test to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not considered in admission process at Northern Illinois. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Northern Illinois University.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

Northern Illinois Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Required
High School Rank	Required
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Required
Recommendations	Not Considered
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Not Considered
SAT / ACT	Not Considered
English Proficiency Test	Required
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Not Considered
Work experience	Not Considered
Personal statement or essay	Not Considered
Legacy status	Not Considered

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to Northern Illinois:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Graduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: www.niu.edu/Apply/index.shtml
Online Application: www.niu.edu/admissions/apply/index.shtml
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered: Bachelor, Master, Post-Master Certificate, Doctoral (Research), Doctoral (Professional Practice)

Get Admission Information

What is the acceptance rate at the Northern Illinois?

Northern Illinois is relatively easy to get into, with an acceptance rate of 69.79%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to Northern Illinois?

Northern Illinois does not require or recommend SAT or ACT scores for admission. However, some programs may have different requirements.

Does Northern Illinois require essays or personal statements?

Northern Illinois does not require or recommend a personal essay or statement for admission. However, they may be required for certain programs or scholarships.

Are recommendation letters required for Northern Illinois admission?

Northern Illinois does not require or recommend a recommendation letter for admission. However, it may be required for certain programs or scholarships.

Is there an application fee?

Northern Illinois does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, Northern Illinois requires applicants to submit high school GPA, high school rank, high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Yes, Northern Illinois requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

What is SAT code and ACT code for Northern Illinois?

The institutional SAT code for Northern Illinois is 1559 and 4-digit ACT code is 1102.