NIU’s Graduate and Professional School Fair, held Tuesday, attracted 40 percent more students than last year, said Employer Relations Specialist Jan Wylde.

More than 200 students signed in at the event, Wylde said. This is the third year NIU has held the fair.

“It is so convenient for our students to have this opportunity on our campus,” Wylde said.

Sixty schools were represented at the fair, which was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center.

Among these schools were NIU’s College of Law, Missouri University of College and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and others. About 25 percent of the universities were new to the event, Wylde said.

Students who signed up for the event also received a raffle ticket, which made them eligible to win free prizes in hourly drawings.

NIU invited schools to attend that have graduate school programs, Wylde said.

“We started by developing a list of schools from the Midwest,” she said.

NIU has a membership with the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), which is “the only professional organization devoted exclusively to the concerns of individuals working in the graduate admissions and recruitment environment,” according to its website.

NIU was able to promote the event through this organization, Wylde said.

Industries ranged from positions in government to engineering.

“We hope to grow this event as more graduate and professional programs, students and faculty become aware of this new Career Services event,” Wylde said.

Another Graduate and Professional School Fair will be next fall, Wylde said.