Northern Illinois University Online

Jul 11, 2019 TBS Staff

Are you ready to discover your college program?

Search Colleges
TheBestSchools.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Highlights

Overview

Northern Illinois University, chartered in 1895, first opened its doors as the Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1899. Today, NIU has a growing alumni network of over 240,000 and has 17,000 plus students currently enrolled. Students can choose from 61 undergraduate majors and 62 graduate programs across seven degree-granting colleges on-campus. Over the last decade, NIU Online has rapidly expanded and has grown to encompass a variety of online options including seven undergraduate degree-completion programs, 11 master’s programs, two doctoral, and nine certificate programs. An online education with Northern Illinois University allows students to receive a quality degree that is delivered wherever they are from a reputable brick-and-mortar institution.

Online Program Rankings

STUDENT TESTIMONIAL
As a post-traditional student, I returned to school after many years working in industry. I graduated from the program at age 49, proving that it is never too late to go back to school. NIU provided the opportunity to advance my education and career without having to sacrifice my job. Although it was a lot of work, receiving my diploma was the best thing I’ve ever done. The tassel is definitely worth the hassle!
— John K., BS in Technology-Applied Manufacturing Technology, NIU

Northern Illinois University Online Degree Programs

NIU Online Accreditation, Approvals, Tuition & Admissions Information

Accreditation

Northern Illinois University and its online programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Programmatic Accreditation

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB): NIU College of Business.

Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH): Master of Public Health.

National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPA): Master of Public Administration-Local Government.

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE): all NIU undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

National Association of Schools of Art and Design: M.S. in Art Education.

Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET): M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering-Engineering Management.

State Authorization for Offering Online Programs

Illinois is a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) and NIU is an approved SARA institution.

Tuition

Admissions and Transfer Information

Eligibility and required application materials vary by program and degree level.

Students seeking admission to a bachelor’s degree-completion program:

Students seeking admission to a non-degree granting certificate program:

Students seeking admission to a graduate-level degree-granting program:

STUDENT TESTIMONIAL
I found that the online structure of the program was not too difficult to manage. I was able to complete the assignment when I had spare time, and I was able to work ahead when I knew there were going to be issues with my personal schedule. I have three kids and a full-time job, so it meant a lot of late nights and often losing my weekends, but it was worth the effort.
— Justin D., MS in Engineering Management, NIU

School Profile

Other Statistics

STUDENT TESTIMONIAL
The online NIU MPH program does not feel ‘online’ at all. The teachers make the classes interactive and even have collaborative class sessions. Schoolwork is able to be completed around my 40 hour-a-week work schedule. I am so thankful I chose the NIU program!
— Morgan M., Master of Public Health, NIU

Alumni

Alumni Association

The NIU Alumni Association is a supporting organization of Northern Illinois University. It is focused on building lifelong relationships with alumni, prospective students, corporate partners, and friends. The NIU Alumni Association offers programs, hosts special events, and partners with various departments and organizations. The Alumni Association serves about 150,000 NIU alumni in Illinois and 240,000 plus worldwide.

Alumni Network

Affinity Groups bring together NIU alumni with similar backgrounds and interests:

Black Alumni Council, Computer Science Alumni Council, Greek Alumni Council, Latino Alumni Council, NIU Huskie Marching Band Alumni Council, Engineering and Technology Alumni Society.

Geographic Networks consist of alumni interested in connecting to support NIU and their local community:

NIU Rockford Alumni Club.

The Travel Program allows NIU alumni and friends to reconnect with the university through exciting travel adventures around the world.

Alumni Support

Career Services offers programs and resources to all NIU alumni to assist in their transition to the professional world. Alumni who have graduated within the past three years have access to career counseling, Huskies Get Hired, résumé reviews, and participation in career fairs and events. Alumni who graduated over three years ago also have the ability to use Huskies Get Hired, attend NIU career fairs, and receive feedback on their résumés.

Huskies Get Hired: Current students and alumni have HGH accounts that connect them to employers that have open positions.

Online Bachelor’s Degree-Completion Programs

Online Master’s Programs

Online Doctorate Degrees

Online Undergraduate Certificates

Online Graduate Certificates

More from TheBestSchools.org

Image of young woman working on a laptop, seated at a bay window. Fall, winter, sweater. Text overlay: Best Online Colleges 2019
Map of US states with each state presented inside the state boundaries.
Eliot House at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Students Also Viewed These Schools

Popular with our students.

Highly informative resources to keep your education journey on track.

TBS Staff

The Best Online Colleges & Universities of 2020

Learn about the best online colleges and universities for 2020. Our rankings include programs students can only find online.

TBS Staff

Highest Paying Bachelor’s Degrees

TBS Staff

The Best Online Degrees

TBS Staff

Best Colleges By State

Take the next step toward your future with online learning.

Discover schools with the programs and courses you’re interested in, and start learning today.

Search Colleges
TheBestSchools.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Woman working at desk