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Public university ยท DeKalb, Illinois
Northern Illinois University is a public university with graduate business programs in DeKalb, Illinois. Those programs run through the College of Business. The institution is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The business school holds AACSB accreditation. It is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States, and it covers the school as a whole rather than any one program - a floor, not a ranking. More on accreditation.
Federal reporting puts graduate enrollment at 4,066 students, alongside 11,301 undergraduates. Total enrollment is not MBA cohort size - ask the admissions office how many students are in the specific program you're considering, which is usually a far smaller number and the one that shapes your experience.
Based on MBA Lab's directory data, the school offers a graduate MBA path and an executive MBA (EMBA) format designed for experienced professionals. That puts it among the 4 of 10 schools in MBA Lab's Illinois directory listing an executive MBA. Format availability changes; confirm the current lineup with the school before planning around it.
It is the only school in DeKalb in this directory - the other 3 executive MBA options in Illinois are elsewhere in the state, so weigh travel time against fit before ruling them out.
These questions are picked from what MBA Lab's data already says about this school, so they're the ones most likely to surface a real difference between it and the next school on your list.
| Institution | Northern Illinois University |
|---|---|
| Business school | College of Business |
| Control | public |
| Location | DeKalb, Illinois |
| Campus setting | Small suburb |
| Carnegie class | Doctoral university, high research activity (R2) |
| MBA formats listed | MBA Executive MBA |
| Graduate enrollment | 4,066 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 11,301 |
| Business accreditation | AACSB — view listing |
| Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
| Official site | Visit website |
| Net price calculator | Estimate your cost |
| Federal data | College Scorecard profile |
School names, locations, and program formats are curated by MBA Lab and reviewed periodically (last data update: August 2026). Enrollment, accreditation, links, and any outcome figures come from U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Always verify formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. How this data works.
Details below come from Northern Illinois University's own program pages, not from a ranking service or an aggregator. Each card links to the page it was read from and the date it was last checked, so you can confirm anything before you plan around it.
| What that price is | Program total |
|---|---|
| Class schedule | In-person every other Saturday (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) at NIU Naperville, with an online synchronous session the corresponding Friday (3-6 p.m.), plus in-person residencies twice a semester on Friday evenings |
Among the 4 schools in MBA Lab's Illinois executive MBA programs directory that report a figure, Northern Illinois University ranks 4th by one-year earnings. Schools that report nothing are left out of that count rather than counted as zero.
What these numbers are. Figures cover graduates of master's-level programs in Business Administration, Management and Operations (CIP 52.02) who received federal financial aid. At some institutions that group includes business master's degrees other than the MBA, and it never includes graduates who took no federal aid - so these are a directional signal about a school's business master's programs, not an MBA salary report. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Check Northern Illinois University's Scorecard profile. Full methodology.
Want to see what these figures could mean for your own timeline? Try the free MBA ROI calculator, prefilled with Northern Illinois University's context.
| School | City | AACSB | Formats listed | Earnings, 1 yr out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Illinois University This page | DeKalb | Yes | MBA, Executive MBA | $85,140 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | Yes | MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA | $224,402 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | Yes | MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA | $194,606 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Yes | MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA | $101,612 |
"Not reported" means College Scorecard publishes no figure for that school - usually too few federally-aided graduates to release without identifying them. It is not a low number, and these schools are excluded from every average on this page rather than counted as zero. A dash under AACSB means the school isn't on AACSB's accredited list; it may hold ACBSP or IACBE accreditation instead, which this directory doesn't track.
MBA Lab's directory lists an executive MBA at Northern Illinois University, alongside the core MBA. Formats change - confirm the current lineup on the school's official site.
Northern Illinois University lists $60,000 for the Executive MBA. Program total. Checked against the school's own page on July 26, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.
The Executive MBA takes about 16 months and is delivered in a hybrid format. Classes meet: In-person every other Saturday (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) at NIU Naperville, with an online synchronous session the corresponding Friday (3-6 p.m.), plus in-person residencies twice a semester on Friday evenings
College Scorecard reports median earnings of $85,140 one year after completion for graduates of master's-level Business Administration programs at Northern Illinois University who received federal financial aid. Four years out the reported median is $119,872. That group can include business master's degrees other than the MBA, and excludes graduates who took no federal aid, so treat it as a directional signal rather than an MBA salary figure.
The reported median federal graduate debt is $32,950 for business master's graduates at Northern Illinois University. Against the reported one-year earnings median, that is about 0.39x a year of earnings. Federal loans are only part of the cost picture - it excludes private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings.
Yes - Northern Illinois University appears on AACSB's list of accredited institutions. AACSB, founded in 1916, is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States (the others are ACBSP and IACBE). Accreditation covers the school, not any individual program, so treat it as a quality floor rather than a ranking.
Northern Illinois University is a public university, and MBA Lab lists its graduate business programs in DeKalb, Illinois. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
MBA Lab lists 4 schools in its Illinois executive MBA programs directory. Use a consistent rubric across them: curriculum, recruiting outcomes, format fit, cost after aid, and location constraints.
Always confirm formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. MBA Lab is a planning directory, not an admissions authority, and does not endorse specific schools.
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