NIU has several factors that make it attractive to prospective students.

“For me, NIU was right down the street, literally,” said Artice Weston, junior communication disorders major and DeKalb resident. “NIU was my second choice after Andrews University in Michigan, but NIU was closer and more affordable.”

Many students find the location and cost of tuition play into the decision to attend. According to the Office of Institutional Research, tuition at NIU was more than $1,000 cheaper per semester than the average tuition for state schools in Illinois, and more than $1,200 cheaper than the average for state schools in the country.

“UW was too expensive for an out of state school,” said Chris Elsner, a junior transfer student and English major. “NIU was close and very affordable. Plus I knew people that were going here, and the English department came highly recommended.”

Robert Burk, director of the Office of Admissions, has a number of reasons why NIU is such an attractive campus. First, NIU is a comprehensive institution, meaning 75 percent of the most desired majors are offered. NIU also doesn’t impose surcharges on tuition for any majors, something other state schools have been known to do. He also cites the quality of the departments as a reason students attend NIU.

“Our communication, business and sciences departments are outstanding,” Burk said. “And if anyone wants to study music or physics anywhere in the state, they should come to NIU.”

Freshman undecided major Jon Bennett chose NIU because it was cheap and close to home.

“It’s a big school, but it doesn’t always feel like a big school,” Bennett said.

The friendly, intimate atmosphere is something else Burk says students are drawn to.

“People live here, work here, have fun here and get involved with the NIU atmosphere,” Burk said. “Academic option floors are things that make a large university into a smaller, user-friendly place while retaining the benefits of a big university.”

According to the Office of Institutional Research, 24,971 students were enrolled at the end of the fiscal year 2004, compared to 21,589 at Southern Illinois University and 13,977 at Illinois State University.

“President Peters wants to make this the premier regional school in the state,” Burk said. “Because of our location, we have strong ties with businesses, and as a result we have the largest internship program in Illinois and something like the 14th largest in the country. I think students see that our graduates get jobs right out of college, and that is a very attractive idea.”

Sophomore English major Emily Ericson said NIU was the only school she applied to. The application was free, the school was close to Chicago, and she received a scholarship. But perhaps Ericson says best why students select NIU over other state universities:

“Have you seen the other state schools?”