The student population at Northern Illinois University is 15,414 (11,348 undergraduate and 4,066 graduate students) . The number of students has decreased by 4,716 (23.43%) over the past decade.
- Class Level: The percentage of undergraduate students at Northern Illinois is 73.62% which is decreased by 3,679 over last 10 years. The graduate student population decreased by 1,037 and it has been decreasing.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 82 male students for every 100 female students, down from 99 in 2015.
- 2,197 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 387.14% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 17,054 where 15,414 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 1 year-over-year increase and 8 decreases. It peaked at 20,130 students in 2016 and was lowest at 15,414 in 2025. Overall, enrollment dropped from 20,130 to 15,414 students, a net loss of 4,716 (23.4%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Northern Illinois University since 2015.
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the last 11 years is 12,573 where 11,348 students are attending the Undergraduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Northern Illinois University since 2015.
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the last 11 years is 4,481 where 4,066 students are attending the Graduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Northern Illinois University since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 44.32% and the percentage of black students is 17.78% at Northern Illinois University. 5.98% of enrolled students is Asian. Hispanic students comprise 22.10% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 58.36% to 44.32%. Asian enrollment grew from 4.89% to 5.98%. Black student enrollment increased from 13.38% to 17.78%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 13.16% to 22.10%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.7192 which indicates that quite diverse. This increased from 0.6209 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Northern Illinois University over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
2,197 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 14% of total students. The number of online students has increased 387.14% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Northern Illinois University from 2015 to 2025.