National Louis University

Private · Moderately Selective · IL

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationIL · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads4,406

Student:faculty17:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate24%

6-yr grad rate30.1%

Drop-out rate49.6%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$13k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity86%

Gender diversity74.8%

International6.4%

Identity—

Overview

National Louis University is a private university based in Chicago that grew out of a pioneering school for training kindergarten teachers in the late nineteenth century. It has since evolved into an institution built primarily around access, serving first-generation, adult, working, and transfer students rather than traditional eighteen-year-olds moving directly from high school.

Academics

Teacher education remains the university's deepest institutional root, and it continues to be a significant producer of Chicago-area educators. Undergraduate offerings otherwise concentrate in business and human services fields chosen for direct, practical career pathways rather than breadth of major offerings.

Worth knowing

Much of the student population is older, part-time, or balancing coursework with work and family obligations, and the university's calendar, advising, and pricing are built around that reality rather than a traditional residential four-year experience. Students expecting dorms, a football team, or a conventional campus social scene will not find that here.

nl.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate95%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying