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Admissions & selectivity

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# Northern Illinois University Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/northern-illinois-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/northern-illinois-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/northern-illinois-university/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/northern-illinois-university/similar/)

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## What is the acceptance rate at NIU?

NIU’s reported acceptance rate is 69.8%.

**Acceptance rate · Fall 2024**
69.8%

Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.

How to interpret the acceptance rate

Northern Illinois University admits 69.8% of applicants, a rate that sits below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

## What SAT and ACT scores do NIU students report?

SAT and ACT ranges are not available for NIU in the data shown here. Missing scores do not establish whether tests are required, optional or excluded from review.

Figures cover fall 2024.

## Who enrolls at NIU?

**Pell Grant recipients**
47.3%

**Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group**
42.7%

**First-year retention**
69.6%

Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.

About these student measures

The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.

47.3% of undergraduates are Pell Grant recipients, a share that places the university in the 94th percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The estimated transfer share of 42.7% means a large portion of the student body did not start at the university.

Pell recipients at Northern Illinois University complete at a higher rate than the entering cohort as a whole. Their six-year rate is 53.4%, 4.7 percentage points above the overall rate of 48.7%.

First-year retention stands at 69.6%, below the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) also trails the peer median of 65.0%.

Enrolled students can expect an institution where Pell students complete at a rate that exceeds the overall figure, though retention and graduation rates sit below the peer medians.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).