Northern Illinois vs. Carthage

Should I go to Northern Illinois University or Carthage College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northern Illinois or Carthage is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Northern Illinois University vs. Carthage College comparison
Northern Illinois University Carthage College College 3 College 4
Northern Illinois University Carthage College
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Overview

Northern Illinois Carthage
Location Dekalb, IL Kenosha, WI
Setting Small Suburban Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 15,649 2,667
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #454 #604
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website niu.edu carthage.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northern Illinois Carthage
Tuition (In State) $9,790 $34,500
Tuition (Out of State) $9,790 $34,500
Room & Board $11,420 $12,648
Avg Net Price $13,884 $26,209
Avg Grant Aid $12,552 $20,535
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

Northern Illinois Carthage
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,961 8,112
Admitted 18,348 6,638
Acceptance Rate 70.7% 81.8%
Enrolled % 13.3% 11%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/25 20/27
SAT Range 940/1170 980/1200
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2024

Academics

Northern Illinois Carthage
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Northern Illinois Carthage
Graduation Rate 56% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,600 $48,800
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,859 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $246 $279

Diversity

Northern Illinois Carthage
% Men 46% 44%
% Women 54% 56%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 75%
% Black 16% 4%
% Hispanic 15% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 11%

Students

Northern Illinois Carthage
% In-State 93% 34%
% Out-of-State 5% 64%

Campus

Northern Illinois Carthage
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northern Illinois University is larger than than Carthage based on total student enrollment (15,649 students vs. 2,667 students)

Northern Illinois vs. Carthage Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northern Illinois or Carthage?

  • Carthage College is 252.4% more expensive to attend than Northern Illinois for in-state tuition ($34,500.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 252.4% higher at Carthage than Northern Illinois University ($34,500.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northern Illinois University than Carthage ($13,884 vs. $26,209)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northern Illinois University are 10.8% lower than costs at Carthage College ($11,420 vs. $12,648)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Carthage College than Northern Illinois University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Carthage College students is 63.6% larger than aid received Northern Illinois University ($20,535 vs. $12,552)

Northern Illinois vs. Carthage Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Northern Illinois or Carthage? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Carthage or Northern Illinois .

  • The average SAT score at Carthage College (1145) is 116 points higher than at Northern Illinois (1029)
  • Incoming Carthage students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Northern Illinois (22)
  • Accepted freshman Carthage students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at Northern Illinois (3.3)
  • Carthage has a higher acceptance rate (81.8%) than Northern Illinois (70.7%)

Northern Illinois vs. Carthage Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northern Illinois or Carthage? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Carthage and Northern Illinois.

  • The graduation rate at Carthage is higher than Northern Illinois University (59% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from Carthage College earn on average $1,200 more per year than Northern Illinois graduates after ten years. ($48,800 vs. $47,600)
  • Northern Illinois University students graduate with a $3,141 lower median federal student loan debt than Carthage graduates. ($23,859 vs. $27,000)
  • Northern Illinois graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than Carthage graduates. ($246 vs. $279)
  • More Carthage graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northern Illinois students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 61%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/