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Colleges in and near DeKalb

DeKalb is a college town: 26 of every 100 residents are students

Northern Illinois University (13,307 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Illinois, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town26% of residents are studentsNorthern Illinois University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of DeKalb. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
15,639 students on campus
Nearest college
1 mi
Northern Illinois University
Residents in college
26%
Above IL (6%)
Nearest community college
6.9 mi
Kishwaukee College · $4,560 tuition
Nearest public university
1 mi
Northern Illinois University · $13,248 in-state
Students on campus in DeKalb
13,307
next to 40,467 residents

What stands out about college in DeKalb

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town26 of every 100 DeKalb residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.A university in DeKalbNorthern Illinois University has 13,307 students on campus in DeKalb, 49% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Northern Illinois UniversityLiving in Illinois, Northern Illinois University charges $13,248 in tuition and fees, the same for every student.A community college 6.9 miles awayKishwaukee College in Malta: tuition and fees $4,560 a year for Illinois residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in DeKalb

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

26 of every 100 DeKalb residents are in college (IL: 6).

13,307students on campus at Northern Illinois University, next to 40,467 residents (dorm students count as residents)
6,340college students live in DeKalb households rather than dorms
26.1median age · IL 39.0
58%of homes rented · IL 33%
$1,029median rent · 19% below the state
DeKalbDeKalb, IL
Cost of living$1,029/mo median rentBSafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundCHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change DeKalb’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 24.5% of DeKalb residents are below the poverty line, 18.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 51% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (26% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and DeKalb’s median age is 26.1 (Illinois 39.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of DeKalb

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from DeKalb.

5 mi10 mi15 miNorthern Illinois UniversityKishwaukee CollegeDeKalb
University or collegeCommunity college
Northern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 13,307 on campus · In DeKalb70%admitted$13knet price49%graduate$58kearningsKishwaukee CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,332 on campus · 6.9 mi · Malta$5knet price45%graduate$40kearningsTuition and fees: $4,560 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where DeKalb’s median household income ($46,481) falls.

Kishwaukee College6.9 mi · Malta · sticker $13,901 · tuition $4,560$2,548a year
Northern Illinois UniversityIn DeKalb · sticker $28,851$9,854a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of DeKalb: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Northern Illinois UniversityKishwaukee College
Northern Illinois University49% graduate$58k earnings$22k typical debt
Kishwaukee College45% graduate$40k earnings$9k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in DeKalb

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Northern Illinois University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 16%Health professions 14%Education 10%Psychology 9%Engineering 7%Social sciences 6%Everything else 38%

Biggest programs

Psychology, General211 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods146 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs139 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Marketing119 graduates a year
$76k4 yrs out
Computer Science110 graduates a year
$93k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations109 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering101 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities97 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in DeKalb

Is DeKalb a college town?

Yes. 26 of every 100 DeKalb residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Illinois. Northern Illinois University has 13,307 students on campus, next to 40,467 residents.

What colleges are in DeKalb?

Northern Illinois University is inside the city. Kishwaukee College is 6.9 miles away in Malta.

Why is DeKalb’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 24.5% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 18.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 6 points).

What is the closest community college to DeKalb, and what does it cost?

Kishwaukee College in Malta, 6.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,560 a year for Illinois residents; the federal net price, $4,574, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Northern Illinois University?

Northern Illinois University admitted 70% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of DeKalb. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →