Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 61/100

National Louis University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Chicago, Illinois

About National Louis University

Thinking about National Louis University, a college in Illinois where more students graduate in Education than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

National Louis University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Chicago, Illinois. It enrolls 4,406 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
95.1%
Graduation
47.1%
Net Price
$12,641
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,799
Enrollment
4,406
Student : Faculty
17:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Quarter

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
61/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 6
Value 77
Affordability 87
Selectivity 10

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

National Louis University admits 95.1% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
95.1%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether National Louis University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↓ 4.5 pts since 2019
97.7%201997.5%202097%202192%202293.1%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $12,641 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$12,641
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
55%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
22%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$12,705
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,700
Books & Supplies
$0
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,490
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,154

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $12,462
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,567
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $12,996
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $15,447
  • Over $110,000
    $17,956

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,125
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$19,750
Median percentile
$23,084
75% percentile
$32,208
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $15,000 ↓ $4,750
No Pell $9,167 ↓ $10,583
Dependent students $7,500 ↓ $12,250
Independent students $15,042 ↓ $4,708
Female students $12,574 ↓ $7,176
Male students $9,166 ↓ $10,584
Pell recipients: 21.9% (4,328 students)No Pell: 13.4% (2,645 students)Dependent students: 11.0% (2,164 students)Independent students: 22.0% (4,340 students)Female students: 18.4% (3,628 students)Male students: 13.4% (2,645 students)Overall Median$19,750
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,954, less than completers ($19,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

47% of students who start here finish within six years, and 54% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
47%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
54%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,799 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,799
Earning > $25K
71%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$43,000$44,000$44,500$45,500$46,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$47,400

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$62,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$38,200

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$54,300

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$63,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $15,300, about 24% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 22.6 pts across 6 years
44.4%1yr50%3yr61.6%5yr67%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 67% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 4,406 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 50% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
4,406
Part-Time
35%
First-Generation
50%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 49.7% 2,191
Black 22.1% 973
White 14.0% 618
International 6.4% 282
Asian 2.1% 91
Other 2.0% 90
Hispanic: 49.7% (2,191 students)Black: 22.1% (973 students)White: 14.0% (618 students)International: 6.4% (282 students)Asian: 2.1% (91 students)Other: 2.0% (90 students)Total4,406

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at National Louis University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Chicago, Illinois
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
41% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarter scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Psychology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

National Louis University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 45 distinct programs across 12 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

9 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$105M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$60,477
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

198 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 18 9% $67,631
Associate Professors 55 28% $64,327
Assistant Professors 115 58% $57,838
Instructors 2 1% $61,931
Lecturers 8 4% $55,491

Pros & Cons of National Louis University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where National Louis University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
Best for: Based on the data, National Louis University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about National Louis University

The questions families ask most about National Louis University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is National Louis University hard to get into?
Not especially. National Louis University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 95.1%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at National Louis University?
95.1% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does National Louis University cost?
Budget around $12,641 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is National Louis University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,799 a year against a net price of $12,641, about 3.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is National Louis University known for?
Mostly Teacher Education (K-12), Teacher Education (K-12), Curriculum & Instruction. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do National Louis University graduates earn?
About $45,799 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is National Louis University accredited?
Yes. National Louis University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend National Louis University?
4,406 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at National Louis University?
47% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is National Louis University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is National Louis University located?
National Louis University is located in Chicago, Illinois.
What programs does National Louis University offer?
45 different programs, most commonly Teacher Education (K-12), Teacher Education (K-12), Curriculum & Instruction. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at National Louis University?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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