Quad

Head-to-head

Northern Illinois
U. Memphis

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Northern Illinois graduates 11 pts more of its students than U. Memphis (64% vs. 53%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    Northern Illinois's grants cover 48% of its full price on average, vs. 38% at U. Memphis

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    Northern Illinois grads earn $9.4K more ten years out than U. Memphis's ($57,808 vs. $48,458)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    Northern Illinois has 6 pts more Pell recipients than U. Memphis (47% vs. 41%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    U. Memphis's yield is 6 pts higher than Northern Illinois's

    Yield rate
  6. 6

    Northern Illinois costs about $2.3K less per year on average than U. Memphis ($15,527 vs. $17,826, all students)

    Average cost, all students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Northern Illinois admits 70%, U. Memphis 72%; U. Memphis's yield is higher, at 18%.

Acceptance rate
Northern Illinois70%
U. Memphis72%
Quad's selectivity
  • Northern IllinoisAccessible
  • U. MemphisAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
Northern IllinoisTest-blind
U. Memphis
915–1180
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Northern IllinoisGPA, school record, rank, and prep program required
  • U. MemphisGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

U. Memphis is a bit larger than Northern Illinois (12,701 vs. 11,301 undergrads); Northern Illinois has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Northern Illinois11.3K
U. Memphis12.7K
Pell Grant share
Northern Illinois47%
U. Memphis41%

Majors and faculty

Psychology leads at Northern Illinois, and Exercise Science and Kinesiology at U. Memphis; Northern Illinois has 15 students per faculty member to U. Memphis's 16.

Students per faculty member
Northern Illinois15 to 1
U. Memphis16 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Northern IllinoisPsychology, General9%
  • U. MemphisExercise Science and Kinesiology12%

What each costs

Northern Illinois costs about $2.3K less a year than U. Memphis on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Northern Illinois$15.5K
U. Memphis$17.8K
Aid generosity
Northern Illinois48%
U. Memphis38%

What each pays off

Northern Illinois's former students earn more, a median $57.8K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Northern Illinois$57.8K
U. Memphis$48.5K
Graduation rate
Northern Illinois64%
U. Memphis53%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Northern IllinoisGrowing+19%
  • U. MemphisGrowing+33%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why