![]() | This article contains wording that promotes the subject through exaggeration of unnoteworthy facts. (July 2023) |
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Former name | Northern Illinois State School (1895–1921) Northern Illinois State Teachers College (1921–1955) Northern Illinois State College (1955–1957) |
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Type | Public research university |
Established | May 22, 1895 |
Accreditation | HLC |
Academic affiliation | URA Space-grant |
Endowment | $99.8 million (2023)[1] |
President | Lisa Freeman |
Provost | Laurie Elish-Piper |
Students | 15,649 (Fall 2022)[2] |
Undergraduates | 11,429 (Fall 2022)[2] |
Postgraduates | 4,220 (Fall 2022)[2] |
Location | , , United States |
Campus | University town; 945.13 acres (382.5 ha)[3] |
Colors | Cardinal and Black[4] |
Nickname | Huskies |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I — MAC |
Website | www |
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with college-educated teachers. In addition to the main campus in DeKalb, it has satellite centers in Chicago, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon, Illinois.
The university is composed of seven degree-granting colleges and has a student body of approximately 16,000. NIU is one of seven public universities in Illinois that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's, Division I.[5] The athletic teams are known as the Huskies and compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).