More selective than 10% of Illinois colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $24,154. College Scorecard.
Higher than 10% of Illinois colleges we cover and 12% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 9% of Illinois colleges we cover and 28% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
National Louis University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,145 applicants, National Louis University admitted 3,860 and 785 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
National Louis University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What National Louis University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of National Louis University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Illinois. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,462 | $52,590 | 5.3 years |
| $30–48k | $11,567 | $48,813 | 4.9 years |
| $48–75k | $12,996 | $54,843 | 5.5 years |
| $75–110k | $15,447 | $65,186 | 6.5 years |
| $110k+ | $17,956 | $75,774 | 7.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (29% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($45,799) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,002 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
National Louis University majors, earnings & careers
National Louis University offers 22 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Business & Finance · 6
- Education · 2
- Humanities & Languages · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at National Louis University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Management Science / Analytics | $74,144 | $26,094 |
| Health Administration | $64,430 | $36,305 |
| Hospitality Management | $61,413 | $28,491 |
| Criminology | $56,989 | $23,437 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | $52,649 | — |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $52,616 | $28,202 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $46,398 | $42,172 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $45,388 | $28,096 |
Quick list of all 22 majors
- Business—
- Business Administration—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminology$56,989
- Culinary Arts and Related Services—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,398
- Health Administration$64,430
- Hospitality Management$61,413
- Human Development and Family Studies$45,388
- Human Resources—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics$74,144
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$52,616
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other$52,649
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Special Education—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Management Science / Analytics → Operations research analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.9% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Chicago
Overall prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,011. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (very high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cook County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cook County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare National Louis University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Illinois by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Louis University | 95% | $12,641 | 30% | $45,799 | This school |
| Roosevelt University | 97% | $20,194 | 35% | $48,712 | |
| Columbia College Chicago | 89% | $26,598 | 52% | $42,195 | |
| Concordia University-Chicago | 93% | $18,436 | 36% | $54,089 | |
| Benedictine University | 95% | $22,313 | 50% | $63,446 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
National Louis University would cost you $7,553 less per year than Roosevelt University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at National Louis University.
- Roosevelt University gives aided families $3,625 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | National Louis University | Roosevelt University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $24,154 | $35,332 | −$11,178 |
| Average grants | −$11,513 | −$15,138 | +$3,625 |
| You pay | $12,641 | $20,194 | −$7,553 |
“+” means National Louis University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about National Louis University
What is the National Louis University acceptance rate?
National Louis University accepts 95% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,860 of 4,145 applicants were admitted.
How much does National Louis University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,154 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,641 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,462 and families earning $110k+ pay $17,956.
How much do National Louis University graduates earn?
Former National Louis University students earn a median $45,799 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the National Louis University graduation rate?
30% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 50% return for their second year.
How long does a National Louis University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at National Louis University costs about $54,843 after grants ($12,996 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $45,799 ten years after starting, $10,002 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 5.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “National Louis University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/national-louis-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).