Recognitions and Rankings
NIU's commitment to inclusive excellence and academic innovation continues to earn national recognition. Our achievements reflect our core belief that education is most powerful when every voice is heard and every student has the opportunity to succeed.
From our consecutive HEED Award wins to our high marks in social mobility, from our recognition for innovation impact to our excellence in academic programs, these honors validate what our community already knows: when we create pathways for all to succeed, everyone benefits.
Recent recognitions highlight NIU's success in these key areas:
Inclusive Excellence
- INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- Diversity Champion Award (2024)
- Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award (2024)
- Ranked #1 in Illinois and seventh-best nationally for LGBTQ+ students (BestColleges, 2024)
- Campus Pride Best of the Best LGBTQ-friendly Colleges and Universities list (2022, 2023)
- Great Colleges to Work For recognition in:
- Inclusion and Belonging (2021, 2022)
- Faculty Experience (2021)
- Shared Governance (2021, 2022)
Creating Pathways to Success
- Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Honor Roll (2025)
- FirstGen Forward Network member (2024)
- Top Performers on Social Mobility (U.S. News & World Report 2025)
- ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting (2024)
- Silver Seal from ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (2022)
- Latinx Living-Learning Community named Program to Watch (2024)
- Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities' VOLARÉ Institute inaugural cohort member (2024)
- Military Friendly® School Silver designation and named a Spouse Friendly School (2025-26)
Academic Excellence
- Third in nation for innovation impact productivity
- Carnegie Foundation Engaged Institution classification
- College of Distinction designations for:
- Exemplary programs in business, education, engineering and nursing
- Outstanding student support in career development
- Commitment to equity and inclusion
- Affordability
National Rankings
- Forbes 2026 America's Top Colleges
- MONEY's Best Colleges of 2024
- Wall Street Journal 2023 Best Colleges
U.S. News & World Report 2025 Recognition
Undergraduate Programs
- Top Public Schools
- Top Performers on Social Mobility
- Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs - Non-doctorate
Graduate and Professional Programs
- Best Law Schools
- Best Fine Arts Programs
- Best Public Affairs Programs
Online Programs
- Best Online MBA Programs
- Best Online Master's in Education Programs