Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Northern Illinois University, Oakland University, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Northern IllinoisDekalb, IL | Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI | Wisconsin-Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 69.8% | 87.8% | 82.3% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedNorthern Illinois University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1030–1230 | Not reportedUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class. |
| Average net price | $13,39147.3% on Pell grants | $9,12032.0% on Pell grants | $16,55019.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $13,248 in-state · $13,248 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $15,262 in-state · $23,188 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $9,642 in-state · $19,228 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.7% | 57.6% | 63.8% |
| First-year retention | 69.6% | 77.9% | 81.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 47.3% | 32.0% | 19.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $57,808 | $58,612 | $58,561 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,162 | $22,750 | $20,909 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 17:1 | 19:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 11,301 | 12,351 | 8,895 |
| Consensus percentile | 45Lower is better | 46Lower is better | 44Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 64 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 63 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 46 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Northern Illinois | Oakland University | Wisconsin-Eau Claire |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #301 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #318 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #20 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 |
| Forbes | #379 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #384 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #283 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #176 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #207 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #868 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #241 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #245 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #275 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #572 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #401 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1013 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Northern Illinois University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Oakland University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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