ABA Standard 509 · 2025 cycle · Last synced May 31, 2026

Northern Illinois University School of Law

Illinois · Public · School ID: northern-illinois-university

Northern Illinois University School of Law is a public law school in Illinois. In the most recent ABA Standard 509 cycle it reported a 57.1% first-time bar passage rate (state average 78.7%). 77.6% of graduates landed full-time, long-term JD-required or JD-advantage jobs, and 0.9% joined large firms of 251+ attorneys. Resident tuition is $23,667 per year; a median grant of $8,274 brings median net tuition to about $15,393. The median LSAT is 150 with a 44.3% acceptance rate.

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Admissions

LSAT (25 / 50 / 75)148 / 150 / 154
uGPA (25 / 50 / 75)3.17 / 3.41 / 3.64
Acceptance rate44.3%
Applications received951
Offers extended421
1L enrollment134
Total JD enrollment352
GRE-only takers0
Transfers in / out4 / 1

Cost & scholarships

Resident tuition$23,667
Non-resident tuition$23,667
Mandatory fees$400
Living-expense estimate$22,742
Median grant$8,274
Grant 25 / 75 percentile$4,137 / $12,411
No-grant share22.2%
< half-tuition grants52.4%
Half-to-full grants25.4%
Full-tuition grants0.0%
Above-full grants (stipend)0.0%
Conditional-scholarship loss rate

Bar passage

First-Time Bar (2024 cohort)57.1%
Two-Year Ultimate Bar82.6%
State average (same exam)78.7%
Difference vs. state-21.6 pts

Different cohorts: first-time bar passage reflects graduates who entered law school about three years before the current admissions class shown above. Read the two as separate snapshots, not a single pipeline.

Job outcomes (10 months after graduation)

Total graduates107
FTLT (full-time, long-term, JD-required/advantage)77.6%
Bar-required jobs70.1%
MegaLaw 500+0.0%
BigLaw 251–5000.9%
Mid 101–2503.7%
Small 2–10034.6%
Solo0.9%
Clerkships0.9%
Government18.7%
Public interest13.1%
Business / industry6.5%
Academia0.0%
Seeking employment10.3%

Top destination states (2024)

Demographics (current JD enrollment)

Male enrollment153 (43.7%)
Female enrollment197 (56.3%)
White222
Black39
Hispanic38
Asian21
Two or more races27
Other / unreported5

Faculty

Total faculty48
Full-time26
Faculty of color11

State market context

Mean attorney salary in state$175,180

Frequently asked questions

What is the first-time bar passage rate at Northern Illinois University School of Law?

Northern Illinois University School of Law reported a 57.1% first-time bar passage rate in the most recent ABA Standard 509 disclosure, versus a 78.7% state average.

How much does Northern Illinois University School of Law cost?

Resident tuition at Northern Illinois University School of Law is $23,667 per year (about $71,001 over three years). The median grant is $8,274, bringing median net tuition to roughly $15,393 per year.

What LSAT and GPA do you need for Northern Illinois University School of Law?

The median (50th-percentile) LSAT at Northern Illinois University School of Law is 150 and the median GPA is 3.41; the acceptance rate is 44.3%.

What are the job outcomes at Northern Illinois University School of Law?

77.6% of Northern Illinois University School of Law graduates held full-time, long-term JD-required or JD-advantage jobs about ten months after graduation. 0.9% joined large firms of 251+ attorneys. 10.3% were still seeking employment.

Other law schools in Illinois

Source: ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosure for Northern Illinois University, published by the American Bar Association at abarequireddisclosures.org. State attorney salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2024 (occupation code 23-1011). Cost-of-living from U.S. BEA Regional Price Parities. Methodology: /methodology.html.