Friends invited us for the NIU football game down in DeKalb! It was a gorgeous day and we had great seats, right on the 50 yard line! The stadium was about 50% filled when we got there! By the start of the game, it was 90% full! The people sitting next to us were very friendly and we had a fabulous time! read more

See all

I transferred in so I only take classes at Barsema Hall. If you are looking to have professors who speak fluent English, do not take up a Finance or Business degree at NIU. Positives: Professor Doughty speaks fluent English and is a great professor. He teaches Business and has actually ran and sold his own highly successful business. I have learned more about public speaking and people skills in his class than my actual public speaking classes. Professor Benning speaks fluent English and is a great professor. He is enthusiastic and knows how to encourage class participation without making it feel forced. Highly engaging teaching style. Professor Kuhn is pretty funny and brings in some cool guest speakers. Field trips. The school goes up to Chicago for field trips, it's pretty nice. Bloomberg Terminal access. The school has access to the Bloomberg Terminal and opens up access to students which is pretty cool since otherwise I would have to pay about $32,000 per year for one of my own. There are a few impressive alumni (Robert Zemeckis, Dennis Barsema, The Nostalgia Critic, a handful of athletes and state legislators). The Huskies are also actually pretty good at football. Negatives: About half of the Finance/Business professors speak very poor English, and because most of the classes involve numbers, you're on your own. You will need a Chegg subscription. Main road to get to the campus has been blocked off for over a year now. Crime. Muggings, shootings, and rape. The closest gas station has a thick wall of bulletproof glass in front of the cash register. I don't want to act like it's as bad as Rockford or Chicago or something because nobody has given me any trouble but just be warned. Your typical DEI crap. Tampons in the men's bathroom. All College of Business students are forced to attend at least one DEI event before graduating. Here's an example of the title of one of these such events: "Conversations of the Heart: Valentine's Day Queered". Parents - keep in mind this is the kind of thing you're paying $30,000/year for. You are not guaranteed a decent job after all the money you pay. I'd say NIU sucks, but all of this stuff is unfortunately par for the course for higher education in the US at the moment. read more

Waaaaay different campus and attitude since the 30 years ago I completed my undergrad. Very unwelcoming to older students! Never got the class I wanted to take and was actively discouraged from attempting to take it! Signed up instead for a 1 credit grad class that was supposed to be a series of lectures by computer science profs. I waited 2 months and there were NO lectures so I dropped the class. They sent me a bill for the full amount. This in addition to paying $100 for a parking permit I will never use. Fees, fees and more fees is what this place is about. Find a better rated university! read more

Security at this school is ridiculous. They lie at orientation telling you they have a lot of Security and it's a safe campus. We were told students have to use their key cards when going into the dorm buildings when infact they never check and my daughter says random people are continuous hanging around. You don't need to show your one card to take the bus and they let anyone on. There are shootings all around the campus and on campus. Kids trying to sell drugs outside of dorm buildings. This school needs to step up Security on campus. I understand no college is 100% safe but Dekalb constantly has something going on. My daughter does not feel safe walking anywhere on campus at night. Including to her car in the parking lot. I'm hoping she will transfer out of NIU. Seriously need more Security to keep these kids safe!! read more

I love NIU. I've had the best professors who have all genuinely cared about me. I don't feel like I'm just a number here. NIU has also done a great job at updating the campus recently. The only thing that sucks is how cold it gets in the winters! read more

This place sucks from top to bottom. I got a degree here and my experience was terrible from academics to student life. I wouldn't send my child here even if it was free. Professors don't care, advisors don't care, and staff just does not care. Environment is ghetto and you have to worry about crime. The people running the school don't let clubs have any kind of fun. The bursar office is extremely shady. They don't try to explain anything and if you ask you're met with the biggest most rudest attitude. Those parasites sent my account to collections during the beginning of the pandemic adding a hefty balance to my account. I could go on about how much this place truly sucks but it would not fit on this post. If you're going thousands of dollars into debt this is not place you want to be. You'll well get a below mediocre experience and education. read more

Inexpensive quality education, particularly in business, with satellite campuses around the Chicago area. Great football team with a nice looking campus -- where there is a mix of historical and new buildings. Dekalb and Sycamore itself have more of a city/suburb feel respectively, giving students lots of choices for dining, entertainment, and shopping. For suburban students, the campus is also reasonably close enough to take weekend trips home when desired. read more

See all

NIU NIU NIU NIU! Academically NIU is a solid school that offers great opportunities for students to develop as leaders. As a business major, I've spent the recent years in the College of Business (COB)/Barsema Hall which is one of the nicest buildings on campus where classes are held. The faculty and staff can be very helpful especially when a professional relationship or mentorship is developed with them. Be sure to explore as many extracurricular activities tailored to major as possible. A lot of the hidden gems (real world experience opportunities) take some searching to find but the return is well worth it. Socially One of the big issues that may challenge the "traditional social college experience" for a student is the proximity of student-hometowns to the campus. Many students find it convenient to go home on the weekends which is noticed throughout DeKalb and NIU. However, this is improving little by little over the years and any student can make the most of their social college experience at NIU by taking the initiative to get out around town, explore extracurriculars and make friends in classes. read more

Best bang for your buck. I came to NIU after going to an expensive, out-of-state college and NIU was my saving grace. NIU allowed me to finally finish my bachelor's degree with zero debt, and I got my master's there too (MS.Ed.) which was a great experience. read more

My mom and I are both hard of hearing and have ADHD. She also has a condition similar to ALS. We are proud of our disabled, neurodivergent, and HH identities. I did not feel that I could be proud of these things at NIU. Other students who are teachers and want to be counselors would talk openly in class about how difficult their ADHD kids are, when I had been open about having ADHD. Hearing eboard members of "Deaf Pride," now the Signing Huskies, gossiped about actual deaf and HH students. Students are not given reasonable accommodations by the DRC, and are told that accommodations guaranteed by the ADA are not reasonable. Blackboard and HuskieLink are usable, not accessible. Much of the physical campus is just usable, not fully accessible. Accessible transportation through the university or city of DeKalb is underfunded, understaffed, and therefore unreliable. To have true diversity, equity, and inclusion, there should be disabled and deaf faculty and staff who listen to, support, and advocate with disabled and deaf students. Nothing is ever going to change if abled, hearing people keep deciding what's best for us and ignoring our real needs. read more

Awesome University offering great value to the student. Don't go out of state, when you can get a great education at NIU. Really important opportunity this fall for people that want to start college in a bigger campus, but may want to commute due to Pandemic issue. read more

My review is SPECIFICALLY for/about my GRADUATE (M.A.) experience and program in the COMMUNICATIONS DEPT. at NIU from Fall 2006-Spring 2009. I must stress my review is personally tailored. Each person and each department or program will obviously be different. Like another reviewer below, I ALSO attended NIU for my undergrad program, between Fall '03 and Spring '06. That experience for me was incredible, easily 5 stars. It was so fun and enriching that I would stay that age and do that for a career if it were possible! I cannot say the same for my M.A. degree. In hindsight, I would have chosen a different school to complete my Masters. Based on my overall experience from the inside, I would be hesitant to recommend THIS DEGREE EMPHASIS and the COMMUNICATIONS DEPT. Again, each department and people's experiences will be different - this is mine: - Starts with a GRE Test. In fairness, the GRE test is not "from NIU" and is probably universal across the state, at least when I took it in '06. Short and sweet, the GRE test is 60-70% mathematics. And by math, I don't mean simple, common-sense type math or even material such as algebra or geometry. ALL math on the GRE test is literally advanced trig and calculus. ** Now, UNLESS you were a math major OR had EXTENSIVE math in high school (OR your undergrad years), many others - arguably - will by default do poorly on this portion of the test. I only had geometry and very minor pre-trig in high school, which was years ago. Naturally, there is no way for people like me to be able to answer these extreme mathematical equations - you can't 'study' per se, nor is it possible to return to high school for several years to "learn" such material. - The director of the COMS Grad dept. approved my application, but basically berated me for not doing well on THIS (math) portion of the GRE test. This is despite the fact I had "4" letters of recommendation (only "2" are required) from HIS OWN COMS DEPT. COLLEAGUES, and a 3.2 GPA (only 2.8 is required). It also didn't matter to him that my past B.A. degree (from NIU mind you!) and the M.A. degree I was seeking had NOTHING to do with advanced mathematics, nor did he care that I did not have this type of mathematical background of which I had no feasible way to prepare for such on a test. I will not use the director's name, but he was very arrogant, snide, and judgmental towards the 'non-suck-ups', and we grew to dislike each other very quickly. - Relating to the above dept. director and MOST of the department itself: You will notice VERY QUICKLY the "internal politics" and brown-nosing that comes with grad school. This is most prevalent in the Graduate program, therefor many undergrads in this department (or other depts.) may not immediately pick up on this, or even care. - VERY LEFT WING. If you are male and anything other than liberal or dare to be articulate and engage in constructive dialogue against the 'PC' grain, good luck. I myself am a registered Independent, and I saw the liberal politics and borderline indoctrination run RAMPANT. Many classes REQUIRED "NY Times" newspaper subscriptions (NY Times is a far-left publication with almost 0 political objectivity). You'd also see 'certain students' be asked on committees, given preference for graduate assistant-ships, or simply preferential treatment due to their brown-nosing, gender/race, or sexual orientation. While I know this is now common, I find it absurd - there should be political diverseness as well as fairness to the mainstream folk (many of whom are traditional, but remain mute) at the upper collegiate level. - MOST professors in the department graded 'subjectively' (on THEIR liberal opinion of what's right/wrong, rather than an 'open to interpretation' mindset). Most of those SAME professors also have very negative reviews on certain 'professor rating sites' - which isn't science, but it all cannot be coincidence either. Students are generally very fair. I did like a very select few professors, who were gems. - One of the final things I did NOT like about the dept. is how almost each class required students to 'borrow' the main reading(s), to go make your own "Xerox copies" of, rather than charge a universal 'material fee' of say an extra $100 per semester to have this material provided to you. Much of the material was 40+ pages worth, which took literally an hour or more standing at xerox machines several times a week (you needed an NIU-one card to make copies, not free!) - of course many times the class master copy always got 'lost' (i.e. 'stolen') by somebody, too. Most of us went to Kinko's to make mass copies for all class members, but it would have been more REALISTIC for the department to do this and just charge a fee, IMO. - I could go on with the nitty gritty, but my main points have been made. NIU is a great school and I appreciate my degrees, but based on my GRADUATE experience, I would NOT recommend THE COMS DEPT. read more

NIU has its ups and major downs. All in all, I got a great nursing education- the program is tough to breed the best nurses! I keep up with all my former classmates and the are all very successful, and many have gone back for higher education! The nursing school has updated its simulation lab for more realistic practice, and has tons of hospitals it uses for clinicals. I passed my boards without issue, thanks to the prep I got here. Major upside of the school! As for the downside, ehhhh I didn't end up feeling very safe a lot of times. There is a fair amount of crime here, you know that if you read the news. But it's affordable and it does have good programs. The incidents that happen are pretty random, so just be safe and weigh your options carefully! read more

Just an aside: I never attended NIU. Moving on... My cousin chose to get married on a Friday in June last year. Great news except for one thing: she chose the Friday that landed on my finals week. I asked my professors during that quarter if I could take my finals early so that I could spend more time in Illinois with my family; however, my bio stats professor was a real stickler for protecting the integrity of the final. She also required that I take the final the same exact time that everyone would. 8 a.m. for my classmates, 10 a.m. for me. Win! NIU was the closest campus to my relatives' home that would be willing to proctor my final. Corresponding with NIU's testing services was easy and prompt. They charged $25 per hour that I needed to take the final. I wound up taking my two finals at NIU because they were so nice and accommodating. Their testing services made my life way less stressful. I thought it was neat that they had a little scale to weigh my exams before they were sent back to California. All I had to do was write them a check in the end. I wish it hadn't been pouring buckets the day I took my final. The torrent of rain and thunder highlighted the age of the building that I was in. I was in half-awe at how old it felt, half-terrified that it felt like the beginning of a scary movie. NIU's campus was a startling comparison to UC Irvine.I would've loved to have the opportunity to explore the campus more. read more

Do people actually consider checking yelp reviews when deciding on a college? If so, cool! I mean seriously... this is the place for some unbiased stuff! Of course EVERY college puts on a "show" for prospective students and picks those among the most HAPPY there to give campus tours, and post their thoughts on their website, social media, etc. I don't think there is a site that rates colleges this way...professors, yes, but I love that you can rate colleges on yelp, as I hope my review helps someone. By the way, I have over a decade of experience WORKING in higher education, I also teach part time at a college in Chicago, so I'd like to think I know my stuff. So I attended NIU for a year back in the 90s...I was a transfer student after attending two community colleges. At the time I was torn between ISU & NIU...a lot of my family went to NIU so I thought I'd carry on the family tradition, and well...my friends were going there too. Seeing I stopped talking to my friends who went there at the same time as me even before classes started, I figured I made the wrong decision. Also, ISU had a Criminal Justice-type program as NIU had Sociology/Criminology. Make note that this all took place a while ago, I'm not sure how much has changed. My advisor was a Sociology Graduate student...I also met with the department chair as I had questions about what I could do with such a degree and the woman pretty much had me in tears...in all of my college years I've never had a person talk down to me so much, it was horrible. I don't remember her name, but she helped my decision to later transfer out...not impressed, NIU...NOT impressed. Some of my classes had about 40 students and you could pretty much get to "know" the professor, but some of my classes had a LOT more students...the professor lectured and the TA did all the work. It was hard to figure out if I would know any professors here because I knew at some point I would need some grad school recommendations. Another con...someone told me this was a suitcase school, and as a transfer student I learned that right away. I lived on a 21 and older floor and yes, everyone on the weekends went home. I was 21 at the time, I wasn't looking for a party experience, but I didn't go away to school to come home every weekend...though, eventually that just happened, it was kind of weird, and that also influenced my decision to leave...why was I living out in the corn fields only to return home every weekend whether my mom picked me up, a friend drove me home...or I drove myself when I got a car that spring. I know a lot of the younger kids stuck around out there, so if you're going here straight out of High School, you may experience something different. One of the nice things is, I lived in Stevenson Tower North the fall after they renovated the place...our dorm was a suite with a bathroom, and that made for a much better experience than my friends in Grant (at the time) with their teeny tiny rooms and community bathroom. I'm sure by now they have all gone through renovations and probably need updating again! Other things I enjoyed were frozen custard from Ollies, walks through campus by the lagoons, beer nuggets, seeing bands and the big cups of beer from Ottos, and riding the rail at Mollys! :) I'm sure the education here is great...as every school has it's pros & cons. I have friends and family who have graduated from here. There is another state school which I won't mention and I know plenty of people who attended, few who finished! I will say I've visited the campus a few times recently, and guest lectured at a class last night. So much has changed!!! It's a lot better these days, they have made a lot of improvements...there are a lot of places to eat, shop, etc. I do like visiting this place once in a while, so this place didn't keep me away for good! I just went on to finish my education elsewhere... and at the time, I transferred to a private school in the city which gave me more financial aid. I didn't live there, but I was able to finish faster than staying at NIU while living there as well. When you're a college student, time is money...you have to weigh your options! read more

Northern Illinois University - Memorial outside Cole Hall - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Dekalb, Illinois

I got my edjumucation here. ;0) Good ol' NIU... I loved it so much I didn't want to graduate and I ended up doing a double major and a minor. Any school is what you make of it. I liked Northern because a) I went to class and studied and stuff, and b) I met nice people and hung out with them. I think if you're missing one of these two things, you're bound to not have the best college experience, no matter where you go. Things I loved: -taking the 4 hour Husky bus tour to get out to Wal-mart and back. It was a whole evening's worth of entertainment -living in the foreign language residence program (FLRP) and meeting awesome polyglots (see... big words...edjumucation!) -participating in ROTC (even though they eventually kicked me out because I wasn't a U.S citizen, even though I'd had permanent residency for 17 years already, even though they said there were issues with my insurance not covering it even though my insurance was the same as everyone else's but I'm not bitter I swear) -joining ETS military and veteran's fraternity -walking across the stadium field to come back from Molly's at 1 a.m. -stopping by Lukulo's on the way home to fill up on beer nuggets -my French classes with those wacky, colorful teachers (I'm a wacky, colorful teacher myself, now) -working in the Douglas Hall cafeteria (okay, maybe not so much that part, but I think it was part of the dorm experience) -seeing what life was like in a school with boys and no uniforms.... heh, I was a Catholic School kid Good times, good times. I met some of my bestest friends there, and I'm still friends with them 16 years later (some thanks and credit must be issued to Facebook!). I always think of college with a smile on my face and a slightly nostalgic feeling. I wanna go back! (Post-script: I know, I know... if I actually DID go back, I'd be that slightly creepy person in their mid-thirties who thinks they're cool and hip and can hang out with 21 year olds but really everyone's laughing at them cuz, well, they're 30-something and dancing on the speakers in the bar that used to be called Amnesia, and well, that's just not cool so I guess I'll just live on the memories....) read more

Like every school, there are good things and bad things about it. I am a transfer student and this is my last semester. The two years I have been here, I have met some pretty cool people, including teachers and students. Some of my teachers have been there to help me with almost anything. BUT I have had a couple that have been @$$ O's as well. One in particular, no names will be mentioned, kept me from graduating in May. Now, I will be graduating in Dec. Also, the chair for the department I am in, is not that great. Nice guys I supposed, but it is almost as if he is afraid of some of the teachers under him. Therefore, not much gets resolved. It sucks. If I were just reviewing my department, I would give it 2 stars because I hate it! Unfortunately, there is only one counselor and she sometimes makes you feel like crap. Overall, she could be really nice when she wants to be. Back to the school, I like the campus a lot...the layout is very nice and they are improving on it all the time. The faculty members, outside of my department, are very nice and helpful. Overall, I like the school itself. BuT, I AM SO READY TO GET OUT OF THERE!! haha read more

Ok, I really fell in love with the lagoon when I came by in 1993 for a fall tour. Then remembering those fond autumnal hues, I tried to make the best of the following four years... through the three years of commute, and through the last year of living in Stevenson South without a cafeteria and through the west campus revival (deconstruction...) project. I eventually made it out alive and proud of all the cool people and great connections I was able to make... oh yea! and all the information that I squeezed in-between my ears. I miss the free movies in Watson... the odd color of Zulauf, the pr and language classes in DuSable... the decaying grandeur of Altgeld, and the fun meteorology and geography/geology classes in the science building... I never did make it upstairs to the observatory for one of the star gazing shows alas. The weird obligatory set of points earned participating in the psychology experiments for our class grade... the building of the campus life building, and the terror of my advanced international marketing presentation in front of *gasp* a real-life company representative. Good times. read more

The Accounting program is one of the best in the country. The CPA program they teach has one of the highest passing rates in the country. I went here to earn my Accounting degree and I enjoyed every minute of attending this school. I loved the campus and what it had to offer, the city of Dekalb itself has changed over time, but when I was there it still had lots to offer even though it was a rural city. Several restaurants, several fast food places, Walmart, little downtown, and shops, but obviously it was all centered around the college. There are several new buildings that make the campus a lot nicer and the lagoon is always a nice summertime hangout. read more

NIU is the perfect medium sized school. I am a business major and I love the program. The professors are wonderful, there are plenty of resources to aid your education such as tutors, computer labs, study rooms, and teacher assistants. Barsema Hall is one of the most beautiful buildings on campus and I am very happy to have gotten my education here. The campus is a great size, the are tons of restaurants and fun things to do. read more

Great times. I love northern Illinois university, awesome friends new experience and a lot of freedom

If you like large public schools then you probably will like NIU. It's certainly not very prestigious, but it can be nice place to get that piece of paper some people are so overly concerned about. The things I enjoyed about this university: small greek system (I wouldn't get near it with a stick and am glad there was no pressure to be a part of it), large student population, all sorts of people from a variety of backgrounds, CHEAP, easy drive if you don't want to live on campus, ... and more that I'm not thinking of right now. Things I didn't like: Dekalb is sooo boring, the classes were far from challenging (in Math and CS), and the CS department was a joke. Then again, I knew all that going in so it didn't really bother me. read more

This is a great state school. They are known for a lot of their really rigorous programs. The student body is definitely huge as is illustrated by the huge class size. But that does not hinder the quality of education of this school. At this school, you are bound to meet some great people and get a good education too! read more

Wonderful university! I worked on double majoring while there. One at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the other at the College of Business. Both provided me with all the tools I could need to get a job out of school. I have raving reviews on the College of Business. The work is intensive, but that is because you will be fully prepared for the business world once you have graduated. The staff is very helpful and the professors are very knowledgeable. read more

Arrogant. Not accommodating in the least. Will NOT work with you. Treats students with no respect. I went here and left because of administration's attitude. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! Sorry. I'm really bias on this one guys. This is my third college in three years, and I'm finally home. I'm in the School of Theatre and Dance, and it's fantastic. I can great everyone in the hallways, from faculty to grad students to undergrads, and they all know my name too! The campus is beautiful, and there are hidden places all over that you may never know are there, but make really good photoshoot locations. The quality of education is fantastic, and there is always something you can be doing. YAY Theatre School!!! read more

Do not attend this school if you're interested in public health. The online master's degree program is a joke. Many of the professors are not fluent in English which makes the learning very difficult and they do not provide any support within the program. read more

I have taken classes here some years ago. It is a massive campus, and I got a great deal of exercise walking everday which is always a good thing. Like other universitys of this kind there was almost no personal attention given to students from professors or teachers. I didn't care for some of the kids here at the time with their "I'm better than you because I'm from the burbs" attitude. I did meet some cool people however from other towns and states here. Well, with an over 25,000 student population, you will always find a number of cool people. Some of the classes were memorable, and some of these "cool" people I met hold a special place in my heart to this day. read more

Attended NIU for B.A., MsEd, and now working here. Great school and many competitive programs. Love my Alma Mater and that I work here now!

One of the best universities in Illinois. Surely a great place to learn and start your career

I miss NIU. I loved my time here and wish i could have done my masters here. They set me up for success in that as well though. During my undergrad they were so easy to deal with and the classes were wonderful. I had 1 professor who was an ass but his wife is cool. Whenever I need transcripts they are easy to deal with as well. My department isn't as much help with job prep as they could be but that is expected in liberal arts and sciences. Definitely a step up from the U of I system though. I was even awarded a scholarship while I was there, that was a nice surprise on my bill. I miss DeKalb as well, it is a unique place. read more

The best four years of my life so far was spent at NIU. I absolutely loved my college experience and would not change it for the world. Although there are not many things to do in DeKalb, if you are outgoing, friendly, and fun, you can fit in somewhere. The campus is large and the classes were somewhat educational, but the weekends and Thursday nights were what made my experience so memorable. Greek life is fun, the bars are fun (if people actually go), and football games are extremely fun. Overall, NIU is a great school, and I can't wait to go back to visit for Homecoming! GO HUSKIES! read more

I went there in 1985. Horrible decision for me personally. I left after 1.5 years and finished at a small christian school. To me, "small" is better. At NIU I saw vandalism on my floor, drugs, so so food, and not really a culture of study. It was a culture of the "world." Just not a great environment. Not thoughtful. Not caring. Think "opposite" of William and Mary - or IVY league - that's what this Kmart of a college is. I remember a professor telling us all to look to the person to our left and then our right and then say to us, "one of you won't be here next year." Oh my word - THANKS for the loving encouragement. Sure enough, he was right, I was gone 1.5 years later. Not because I was kicked out, but because I woke up and left that soulless misery. Then, you have to drive, walk, or take a bus MILES to and from classes on a ugly "average" at best campus. How enjoyable. Then, when you arrive at your 450 person class - it's often taught by someone you can hardly hear or understand. Will it give you a degree? Yes. And, the business degree is tough and good. For sure. But, for my money, I would rather spend a few more bucks and go to a smaller private school. Worth every penny. I know lots of people who "liked" NIU. But, nobody seems to LOVE having gone there. The professors can't hold a candle to those at a smaller University. The time, care and investment is 10 fold better at a smaller school. My .02 cents read more

The Academics is great, but that might just be because I am a student. The concerts are cool but nobody ever comes here that I really would like to see. Winters are tough and the bar seen is fun. Parties have died down a bit, but still a pretty cool place if you know where to go. House parties have declined a lot since I got here but still a good place to go to school. read more

I have many fond memories of my time here. it seems that a good portion of the students here are from the Chicago metro area. When I was attending, it was really considered a commuter school. Since most of the students lived so close they went home for the weekends. NIU has really done a lot to change this image in trying to keep students there on the weekend. The recent success of many of their athletic programs has helped out with that. The facilities are mostly well kept. The original building (Altgeld Hall) was built in the late 1800's and the newest academic building (Faraday Hall addition) was built in the late 1990's. A few years ago they just open the new Convocation Center that houses their basketball teams. This building replaces the aging Chick Evans Field House and also hosts concerts. The campus is rather sprawling so if you walk to classes you will get some good exercise. Their business and Nursing programs are always rated some of the better in the country read more

Average small-town college with a pretty wide array of programs and majors. The dorms are pretty nice except for Neptune, which has a bad reputation. Crime is a given in a college town, so I don't recommend being out at night anywhere north of Lucinda Avenue. I've had some issues with administrators and advisors though. One was friendly and helpful; one was bitchy and rude; one was straight up confusing. As an English major, I am so far enjoying my classes (with the help of ratemyprofessors.com). Sidewalks are usually paved and salted. Parking is a joke no matter which kind of pass you have. Parking Services is quick to issue tickets and they're definitely anal about timed parking lanes (I've personally seen them mark tires), but you can contest tickets. I think the tuition is fair at about 10-12k per semester (as a student who lives in the dorms). I personally didn't need financial aid but I have heard countless negative stories about that office from other students. read more

I'll have to update this review when I'm done with NIU. So far, so good. However, I do hate their schedule for final exams and I wish that they did more to help commuter students. read more

A female student created a false complaint against me. I chose to challenge it. A hearing was scheduled. At the hearing, one of the members of the Department of Student Affairs tried as hard as he possibly could to confuse the board that was present at my hearing, and influence them to expel me. At the end of the hearing, that same member recommended that I be expelled. He was also sighing audibly when I was trying to defend myself, and then he also said that my testimony was consistent, but also inconsistent. Consistent when it had aligned with what he said, and inconsistent when it did not align with what he said. A person's testimony can only be consistent or inconsistent. I tried pursuing the matter in court. I requested a transcript of the audio file of my hearing, which I was allowed to do. The Department of Student Affairs chose not to give it to me right away, and delayed it for over a month. When I had asked why they could not give to me right away, the female who I was speaking to, told me "I'm not telling you that." read more

NIU wasn't by any means a bad school. However, I personally did not enjoy my experience. I found it really stressful and did not enjoy the experience overall. Academic Pros: NIU got me my degree and wasn't too expensive. The education quality was fine, and there are some amazing teachers. Cons: Teachers are also really hit or miss. Some teachers are amazing while others are terrible. I personally recommend doing research through ratemyprofessors.com to see which teachers are good and which ones to avoid. This can really change the classroom environment. Socially Pros: I made some goods friends because of my experience. There are some really cool people. Cons: There were also a lot of rude and just downright terrible students, but that's to be expected anywhere in all fairness. Set up Cons: I always felt rushed to class. You have to adjust your schedule accordingly, but there is only so much you can do. Overall, The school as a whole, I would give a 3/5. It's not bad, but it's not great. However, my complaint is with the Mental Health Counseling department. Their error and judgment about who is admitted and who is not admitted in their MS in Mental Health Counseling program was insulting and very unprofessional. They provide no direct feedback as to why you were not accepted, and despite professional colleagues, peers, friends, coworkers, and even faculty members all agreeing that I would be a good fit for the program, the counseling department claimed that I was not a "good fit." Mind you. When turning down potential candidates, they have two reasons as to why this person was not admitted. The first is along the lines of "Potential candidate doesn't have enough experience", and the second is, "this person is not a good fit for this program." I would understand if they wanted me to get more experience and if they turned me down because of that reason, but seeing as how they believed that I was not a "good fit", despite a faculty member assuring me that I was indeed a good fit and even told me that she had no doubts that I would be accepted and pass with flying colors (who is in the EXACT same department but couldn't review me personally for professional reasons), made absolutely no sense. It seemed extremely unprofessional and biased because I happened to be young regardless of my character. Frankly, don't waste your time even applying for the Mental Health Counseling program at this school. You're talents are better spent elsewhere than wasted here. This particular department is insulting, judgmental, and frankly, not getting accepted is the best thing that ever happened to me, as I want no part of this program. I was warmly accepted elsewhere shortly after this incident at an esteemed online Mental Health Counseling graduate program and am getting a 4.0 in the same program that I applied for at NIU (so what does that you about NIU's judgment?) Also, the counseling staff made absolutely no attempt to try to even help me understand the ways that I was not a good fit. All I wanted was to prove myself, grow, and to do whatever I could to reapply and better myself to be the best I could possibly be. I genuinely had my heart set on this program and was ready to fully apply myself. However, the staff made it more than obvious several times over that they didn't care about my admission or even reapplying. This to me says a lot about a program, especially since they had plenty of openings at the time I applied. You give 110% and they give you absolutely nothing in return. Again, I have some serious concerns regarding this program in particular, not the school as a whole. As a current graduate student who is now getting a 4.0, and who time and time again has been told that he will become an excellent counselor from a professional counseling faculty, coworkers, friends, colleagues, and even a professional LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor), and who also collaborated efficiently with doctoral students and got along with them swimmingly, I seriously question the Counseling Department's judgment and the quality of this program. Honestly, it would be like if Thomas Edison applied for a Inventor program and the program told him he would not be a "good fit." Take it from somebody who is down to earth. This is basically the school's professional way of saying "we don't want you, and we don't want anything to do with you" if they say you are not a good fit. Regardless, I am going to move on with my life, and intend to change and positively impact as many lives as I can through my career. I felt it necessary to share my story about the Mental Health Counseling Program at Northern Illinois University. From a professional and personal standpoint, I strongly advocate that students who are looking into this program should look into other schools. When I informed other people that I was not accepted, they couldn't believe the school's decision, and frankly, neither could I. read more

I love NIU. I think it is probably the best state school. Many people would say that U of I is actually the best but i beg to differ. NIU cost about half what U of I cost and some programs at NIU are better than the programs at big bad U of I. NIU has one of the best business and nursing programs in the country every year. As far as the guy saying that the math and computer sciences departments are really easy this is definately not true. Maybe he should have went to MIT if he wanted a top computer science program instead of bashing NIU for having at worst an average math and computer science program. Anyways I am done ranting, but if you are looking for a cheap university with a lot of diversity you should definatley check out NIU. read more