Northern Illinois University is among the nation’s premier regional public universities.

Located in one of the most dynamic regions of the country, NIU is a comprehensive teaching and research institution with a diverse and international student body of more than 25,000.

Focus Statement

Located in a region that includes the north and western Chicago suburbs and the city of Rockford, Northern Illinois University has become a major resource for this emerging metropolitan area. Once primarily rural and agricultural, the university’s service region is increasingly complex and cosmopolitan, experiencing rapid population and economic growth. The university’s undergraduate students are primarily traditional college-aged. While many students select a residential baccalaureate experience, others transfer to Northern from community colleges, and an increasing number commute for their entire academic program while maintaining employment and family obligations. At the graduate level, a substantial number of the university’s students are working adults who enroll on a part-time basis. In addition to pursuing statewide goals and priorities, Northern Illinois University:

• provides a full range of liberal arts and professional undergraduate programs;
• offers master’s, specialist, doctoral, and professional programs both on-campus and at selected off-campus sites through the region;
• strives to meet the region’s need for articulate and responsible citizens, a well-prepared workforce, and opportunities for continuing professional development;
• serves as a regional resource for new knowledge, cultural enrichment, and solutions to contemporary problems;
• responds to the changing needs of its region through appropriate instructional, research, and public service initiatives and cooperative interaction with other colleges and universities, business, industry, government, and human service agencies.