How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
Northeastern Illinois University serves a student body defined by broad access and meaningful economic need. 55.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and 50.9% are first-generation college students — figures that place the university among the most accessible institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. Transfer students make up 57.3% of enrollment, reflecting the university's role as a destination for students who begin their academic path elsewhere and seek a supportive environment to complete their degrees. Azimuth ranks Northeastern Illinois University #147 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For students who enroll, the path to completion is real but not without friction. The freshman retention rate is 52.3%, and the six-year graduation rate is 21.6%, with 46.9% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $39,300 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 32.3 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northeastern Illinois University #291 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access-versus-outcomes dynamic here reflects a familiar pattern at broad-access urban institutions: the university opens its doors widely to students from lower-income and first-generation backgrounds, and the mobility ranking reflects both the scale of that commitment and the earnings outcomes those graduates achieve.
Northeastern Illinois University serves a student body defined by broad access and meaningful economic need. 55.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and 50.9% are first-generation college students — figures that place the university among the most accessible institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. Transfer students make up 57.3% of enrollment, reflecting the university's role as a destination for students who begin their academic path elsewhere and seek a supportive environment to complete their degrees. Azimuth ranks Northeastern Illinois University #147 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For students who enroll, the path to completion is real but not without friction. The freshman retention rate is 52.3%, and the six-year graduation rate is 21.6%, with 46.9% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $39,300 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 32.3 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northeastern Illinois University #291 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access-versus-outcomes dynamic here reflects a familiar pattern at broad-access urban institutions: the university opens its doors widely to students from lower-income and first-generation backgrounds, and the mobility ranking reflects both the scale of that commitment and the earnings outcomes those graduates achieve.
Northeastern Illinois University serves a student body defined by broad access and meaningful economic need. 55.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and 50.9% are first-generation college students — figures that place the university among the most accessible institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. Transfer students make up 57.3% of enrollment, reflecting the university's role as a destination for students who begin their academic path elsewhere and seek a supportive environment to complete their degrees. Azimuth ranks Northeastern Illinois University #147 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For students who enroll, the path to completion is real but not without friction. The freshman retention rate is 52.3%, and the six-year graduation rate is 21.6%, with 46.9% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $39,300 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 32.3 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northeastern Illinois University #291 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access-versus-outcomes dynamic here reflects a familiar pattern at broad-access urban institutions: the university opens its doors widely to students from lower-income and first-generation backgrounds, and the mobility ranking reflects both the scale of that commitment and the earnings outcomes those graduates achieve.
