Northern Illinois University (Public/Four-Year)
1425 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, Ill.
www.niu.edu
Since its founding in 1895 as a state teachers college, Northern Illinois University (NIU) has grown into a world-class university that attracts students from around the globe, while still serving one of the most dynamic regions in the country.
More than a century later, NIU is still dedicated to teachers, and much more. A research institute with nearly 24,000 students, the university still holds to its original mission of providing an excellent and affordable higher education to Illinois families. Students can choose from 62 undergraduate majors, 63 minors and 81 graduate programs, including 21 doctoral degrees in everything from education to law.
Students learn from the best and the brightest in their fields, and as a research institution, NIU engages students and faculty in a wide array of basic and applied research. From hands-on archaeological digs that study the Mayan civilization, to the lab where nanoscience unravels the mysteries of the universe by developing materials, electronics and machines 1,000 times smaller than a single strand of human hair, NIU research blazes new trails.
Important programs such as accountancy, engineering, business and public administration earn high awards and rankings as some of the nation’s top places to learn, and innovative programs like nanotechnology and political science offer new approaches to the world.
Students work side-by-side with faculty, often managing important projects and co-authoring papers. They graduate as accomplished, often published, researchers. Scholarship programs such as the Huskie Research Rookies and the Congressional Internship Program, allow students to study their fields in-depth and show the results of their work to the campus community.
By the time they graduate, students are ready to tackle the real world, and they accomplish big things. It’s where stars such as Dan Castellaneta and Joan Allen got their start, and where leaders like J. Dennis Hastert, former U.S. Speaker of the House, set their roots. It’s also where writers like Mark Brown of Chicago Sun-Times, and Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, better known as the Daily Kos, set the foundations of their success.
Students set their roots in and out of the classroom, joining more than 200 campus organizations and 36 Greek chapters that allow them to explore music, recreation, sports and volunteer work with hands-on practice. Many also enjoy the Study Abroad Program, which covers every major and takes students to some 75 countries for anywhere from a few days to a full year. On the field, Huskie athletes can choose from 16 NCAA Division I sports for men and women, including basketball, football, golf, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball.
Dream. Discover. Do. Experience the Power of Education. Experience the Power of NIU. ❚