Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state’s system for training college educated teachers. John G. Peters has been president since 2000.

The Northern Illinois University is composed of seven degree-granting colleges and has a student body of 25,000 with over 225,000 alumni. Many of NIU’s programs are nationally accredited for meeting high standards of academic quality, including business, engineering, nursing, visual and performing arts, and all teacher certification programs. It is one of two public universities in Illinois that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the highest levels of all sports, Division 1. NIU’s athletic teams are known as the Huskies and compete in the Mid-American Conference.

Northern Illinois University Rankings in 2011

• 2011-2012 TOP 200 COLLEGES IN UNITED STATES

Northern Illinois University Rankings in 2010

• TOP 200 UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS PROGRAM IN 2010
• TOP 100 FINE ARTS COLLEGE RANKING IN 2010
• TOP NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES RANKING BY HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR

Northern Illinois University Tuition and Fees

Schools and Colleges of Northern Illinois University

• College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
• College of Health and Human Sciences
• College of Law
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• College of Visual and Performing Arts

Northern Illinois University News

• Baseball rallies, falls to Ball State in extras - Fri, 18 May 2012
  Northern Illinois and Ball State went into extra innings Thursday afternoon with Mid-American Conference Tournament implications on the line. BSU scored one run in the top of the tenth to defeat the Huskies, 11-10 in 10 innings. Freshman Ben Neumann (Verona, Wis.) pitched 5.1 relief innings on the mound, surrendering three hits, zero walks and striking out a career-high nine batters. “Ben had a great outing for us today, they got to Rock (Taylor Nawrocki) early and we had to make a change,” said head coach Ed Mathey. “I was hoping to get an inning or two out of Ben, because we haven’t really stretched him much and he just kept getting outs. We had a chance to close it out today in the ninth but we got a couple of bad bounces. We did a good job of battling back, but we have to give credit to Ball State. They played a heck of a game.” Ball State scored four runs in the top of the first on a grand slam by pitch T.J. Weir and scored another three runs in the top of the second to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead early in the game. The Huskies bounced back with one [...]

• Golfer earns Academic All-District honors - Fri, 18 May 2012
  Northern Illinois men’s golf junior Paul Hammerschmidt (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) has been selected to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District At-Large team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). A 4.0 student majoring in mechanical engineering, Hammerschmidt finished the season with a 76.9 scoring average while posting three top-25 finishes in five tournaments this season. Hammerschmidt posted a season-best finish of 18th at the COG Mizzou Intercollegiate after firing a 54-hole total of 223. He finished the season with a 54-hole total 226 at the Mid-American Conference Championship, earning 20th-place. “This is a terrific honor, both for Paul and for the program,” said NIU head coach Tom Porten. “Paul is a brilliant mind and has all of the qualities you could ask for in a student-athlete. He had a very good spring on the golf course and his academic record speaks for itself, particularly in a major as demanding as mechanical engineering. I am very proud to see Paul recognized with his honor.” Hammerschmidt was the only Mid-American Conference representative on the District 5 At-Large Team, which is comprised of the NCAA Division I schools in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Hammerschmidt is also one of just two golfers on the [...]

• High school students invited to residential camp teaching global leadership, philanthropy skills - Thu, 17 May 2012
  NIU is looking for dedicated and motivated students interested in having fun this summer and learning about global leadership and philanthropy. A new opportunity this year – the Global Leadership and Philanthropy Camp – will provide a quality college learning experience to a select group of students. Scheduled from Sunday, July 15, through Friday, July 20, the camp is for students entering grades 9 to 12. The University Honors Program and the Division of International Programs have provided funding that will allow students to attend this camp for a fraction of the regular costs for NIU’s residential summer camps. Because of the camp’s limited enrollment, parents and students are encouraged to apply before the June 1 “early bird” deadline. Applications received before June 1 will require only a $150 registration fee, which goes up to $175 after June 1. “Today’s high school students are passionate and active in their schools and communities,” said Julie Ann Read, director of the Global Leadership and Philanthropy Camp. “The Global Leadership and Philanthropy Camp will give them the skills and experience to make a difference. Plus, they’ll have fun collaborating with other like-minded students while spending the week on NIU’s beautiful campus.” In addition to learning from business and community leaders, [...]

• Track’s Mitchell, Frye, 4×100 relay team qualify for NCAA West Preliminary Round in Austin - Thu, 17 May 2012
  The Northern Illinois track and field team will have a program-record four entries in the NCAA West Preliminary Round from Thursday, May 24, through Saturday, May 26, the NCAA announced Thursday. Janay Mitchell will compete in both the 100 meters and 200 meters, while Roneisha Frye runs in the 100 hurdles and the quartet of Chanel Kellyman, Mitchell, Frye and Rasheta Butler represent NIU in the 4�100 relay. “Our ladies have worked hard to achieve this opportunity to compete at the NCAA Preliminary Round,” said Huskie head coach Connie Teaberry. “The staff is proud of their efforts thus far and we are expecting to see continued improvements at the NCAAs. Their efforts have definitely given Northern Illinois exposure and now we are hungry to be recognized nationally.” Mitchell used strong performances at the Mid-American Conference Championships to vault herself into the 100 meter and 200 meter fields. The junior’s time of 11.61 in the 100 meters currently puts her in a tie for the 31st-fastest and her 24.02 clip in the 200 meters ranks in 40th in the region. Meanwhile, Frye solidified her spot among the 100 hurdles qualifiers with her 13.63 run at the MAC Championships and sits with the 32nd-best time in [...]

• Cross country team releases 2012 schedule - Thu, 17 May 2012
  The Northern Illinois cross country team unveiled its 2012 schedule Thursday. The eight-meet schedule features two meets in DeKalb and a total of five within the state of Illinois. “We have a great schedule that progresses toward and prepares us for our championships,” said Huskie head coach Greg Hipp. “While our schedule is very regional early on, we are excited about our post-season opportunities at the MAC meet in Buffalo and the regional meet at Missouri State.” The season kicks off on Labor Day weekend when the team heads to Palos Heights, Ill. on Saturday, Sept. 1 for the UIC Opener, hosted by Illinois-Chicago. The meet gets under way at 10 a.m. on the two-mile Horse Trail Lake course. NIU returns to DeKalb for the first of two home meets Friday, Sept. 7 when they host the fourth annual NIU Open on the North 40 course. For the first time in its current form, the meet will take place on a Friday night, with the first race beginning at 5:45 p.m. Among the teams scheduled to compete are Northwestern, Marquette, DePaul, UIC and Chicago State. Three weeks later, the team treks to the Windy City for the 40th running of the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational [...]

• Chinese educational delegation to visit NIU - Thu, 17 May 2012
  NIU’s international population will swell by 10 percent Monday, June 4, when 64 prominent Chinese university officials visit. The delegation, coordinated by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), includes representatives from 21 Chinese universities, CEAIE and the Ministry of Education. The visitors will tour campus and meet with a number of high-ranking NIU officials. The group is being jointly hosted by NIU and ELS Language Centers – which operates more than 60 English language centers throughout the United States, Canada and Australia – including the ELS/DeKalb Center at NIU. The purpose of the visit is to gather information for high-level Chinese dignitaries in higher education who are interested in learning more about NIU. Northern Illinois University hosts 638 international students from 75 countries.

• National Society of Black Engineers group finds secrets to success, wins pair of regional awards - Wed, 16 May 2012
  NIU’s National Society of Black Engineers student chapter recently won two awards that speak to the success of its organization. The first is the Region Chapter of the Year, which is awarded to a chapter that has excelled at the regional level. The award is given to the chapter that performed well in five categories of consideration. Those categories are performance on the Chapter Development Report, conference attendance, penetration rate, number of transcripts submitted and, most importantly, participation in regional and national activities.The NSBE student chapter at NIU exists to “stimulate and develop student interest in various engineering disciplines,” according to its Student Association website. Group members participate in innovative programs each semester, including company tours, engineering projects, group study sessions, community service, career workshops and social networking opportunities. Under the advice of David Grady, NSBE adviser and student diversity and recruitment director, “ … stuck to a few activities, and did them well.” Grady stressed that a combination of focus and teamwork is what makes this organization successful. NSBE is an organization where the students will make mistakes, he added, but it is also a place for them to grow and prepare for the professional world. “All of the things that these kids are [...]

• Wrestling adds three to 2012-13 recruiting class - Wed, 16 May 2012
  The Northern Illinois wrestling team announced the signing of three more athletes to the 2012-13 recruiting class. The newest additions bring the total count to eight newcomers for the upcoming season. “I am proud to announce the signing of these three additions to the Huskie family,” said head coach Ryan Ludwig. “They have passion for the sport and the will to accomplish their goals. These are young men of character that will mesh well with our philosophy here at Northern. My staff and I can’t wait to get them on campus to start working with them.” The three newest Huskies include NIU’s third signee from Michigan in Shawn Scott (Holly, Mich./Holly HS), along with Texan Braun Marquez (Amarillo, Texas/Randall HS) and New Jersey native Bryan Laughlin (East Rutherford, N.J./Becton Regional HS). All three signees earned high school All-American honors following the 2011-12 season. For more information on NIU wrestling and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.

• ‘Take a step … and breathe’ - Wed, 16 May 2012
  What do a mountain, a nonprofit organization and the Division of Public Administration at NIU all have in common? Kurt Thurmaier. The director of the division in the NIU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is planning to climb Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, in June. Tanzania Development Support (TDS), a nonprofit organization co-founded by Thurmaier and his wife, Jeanine, is raising money to build a modern library and multipurpose resource center for Nyegina schools and nearby Bukwaya communities. His fundraising goal is $19,341. Why isn’t the goal a round number? It matches the altitude of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Fifteen people are going on the climb, including Thurmaier, Jeanine and their oldest daughter, Anna. The climb will take five days. “There are no ropes or picks. When you get to about 18,000 feet on the last day of the ascent, you get up at about midnight. After eating, you take a step. Then you breathe. Then you take another step; and breathe. And you do that for about six hours. At dawn, you get to the summit where you can see the continent of Africa, which is supposed to be pretty cool,” he says. And, he adds with a laugh, “there’s really no air up there.” Thinking about his first [...]

• Baseball triumphs 10-4 amid Milwaukee rain - Wed, 16 May 2012
  Northern Illinois closed its road season Tuesday night with a 10-run, 12-hit outing against UW-Milwaukee at Henry Aaron Field. Despite a 94-minute rain delay, the Huskies were able to keep their foot on the throttle and defeated the Panthers, 10-4. Brett Frantini (Minooka, Ill.) finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a homerun and four RBI. Northern Illinois struck first blood, started by a Michael Kane (Chicago/Notre Dame Prep) walk with one out and continued by the UWM third baseman who allowed Chris Divarco (Long Grove, Ill./Carmel Catholic) to reach base on an error. Frantini hit his third homerun of the season over the left centerfield wall to give NIU its 3-0 lead. The Panthers scored one in the bottom of the half inning and tied the game up with two more runs in the bottom of the third on a ground-rule double by Sam Koenig and a sacrifice fly by Will Fadness. In the following inning, the Huskies took back the lead with a single by Frantini to make it a 4-3 game. Pitcher Eli Anderson (Glenview, Ill./New Trier), who entered in the third inning, shutdown the Panthers in the fourth inning including a strikeout to end the fourth. Jacob Goldenberg (Syracuse, Ind./Wawasee) took [...]