Located 65 miles west from downtown Chicago, Northern Illinois University's main campus in DeKalb encompasses over 750 acres of land. With seven degree-granting colleges dedicated to a variety of disciplines, there's sure to be something for everyone at this Illinois university. For the legal-minded, there's the College of Law; the artistically inclined may study at the College of Visual and Performing Arts. For those unable to attend classes on-campus, Northern Illinois University offers programs and courses at Hoffman Estates, Naperville, and Rockford outreach centers. Courses are also available through partnerships with community colleges.

Residence halls at Northern Illinois University offer the opportunity for alcohol-free living, "quiet lifestyle" accommodations, and dorm communities arranged around similar academic interests. In fact, Northern Illinois University is home to over 50 undergraduate majors and 74 graduate programs offered at the university; from well-known majors such as Anthropology and Women's Studies, to more unusual ones such as Meteorology and Literacy Education. Students at this Illinois university also enjoy the benefit of 17:1 student-faculty ratio, and an average class size of 28 students.