Northern Illinois vs. St. Catharine

Should I go to Northern Illinois University or Saint Catharine College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northern Illinois or St. Catharine 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. Saint Catharine College comparison
Northern Illinois University Saint Catharine College College 3 College 4
Northern Illinois University
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Overview

Northern Illinois St. Catharine
Location Dekalb, IL Saint Catharine, KY
Setting Small Suburban Distant Rural
Enrollment 15,649 649
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #454
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website niu.edu sccky.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northern Illinois St. Catharine
Tuition (In State) $9,790 $19,732
Tuition (Out of State) $9,790 $19,732
Room & Board $11,420 $9,636
Avg Net Price $13,884 $24,513
Avg Grant Aid $12,552 $9,299
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

Northern Illinois St. Catharine
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,961 462
Admitted 18,348 359
Acceptance Rate 70.7% 77.7%Open
Enrolled % 13.3% 37.9%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.1
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/25 18/22
SAT Range 940/1170 880/1140
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not applicable
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2024

Academics

Northern Illinois St. Catharine
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 0:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (51%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

Northern Illinois St. Catharine
Graduation Rate 56% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,600 $33,000
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 49%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,859 $19,975
Median Loan Payment $246 $206

Diversity

Northern Illinois St. Catharine
% Men 46% 0%
% Women 54% 0%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 73%
% Black 16% 11%
% Hispanic 15% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Northern Illinois St. Catharine
% In-State 93% -
% Out-of-State 5% -

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

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

Northern Illinois vs. St. Catharine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northern Illinois or St. Catharine?

  • Saint Catharine College is 101.6% more expensive to attend than Northern Illinois for in-state tuition ($19,732.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 101.6% higher at St. Catharine than Northern Illinois University ($19,732.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northern Illinois University than St. Catharine ($13,884 vs. $24,513)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Catharine College are 18.5% lower than costs at Northern Illinois University ($9,636 vs. $11,420)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Catharine College than Northern Illinois University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northern Illinois University students is 35% larger than aid received Saint Catharine College ($12,552 vs. $9,299)

Northern Illinois vs. St. Catharine Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Northern Illinois University (1029) is 81 points higher than at St. Catharine (948)
  • Incoming Northern Illinois students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at St. Catharine (20)
  • Accepted freshman Northern Illinois students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at St. Catharine (3.1)
  • St. Catharine has a higher acceptance rate (77.7%) than Northern Illinois (70.7%)

Northern Illinois vs. St. Catharine Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northern Illinois or St. Catharine? 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 St. Catharine and Northern Illinois.

  • Graduates from Northern Illinois University earn on average $14,600 more per year than St. Catharine graduates after ten years. ($47,600 vs. $33,000)
  • Saint Catharine College students graduate with a $3,884 lower median federal student loan debt than Northern Illinois graduates. ($19,975 vs. $23,859)
  • St. Catharine graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Northern Illinois graduates. ($206 vs. $246)
  • More Northern Illinois graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Catharine students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 49%)

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