Northern Illinois University vs Roger Williams University
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- =About the same placement. 0.0% of Northern Illinois's Class of 2025 and 0.6% of Roger Williams's went to BigLaw or federal clerkships.
- Northern Illinois costs about $52K less over three years after the average scholarship: $121K against $173K, and more of its students get a scholarship (78% vs 65%).
- Northern Illinois is harder to get into: a 150 median LSAT and a 44.3% acceptance rate, against 150 and 61.3% at Roger Williams.
- Roger Williams has the higher first time bar pass rate: 65.2% against 61.9%.
Northern Illinois
vs
Roger Williams
Where graduates go
Roger Williams leads 4 of 5
0.0%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓0.6%
0.0%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓0.6%
0.0%
Federal clerkships
0.0%
79.4%
Graduates employed
✓89.3%
61.9%
First time bar passage
✓65.2%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
✓$121K
Three year net cost
$173K
✓78%
Students receiving a scholarship
65%
$8,274/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$28,000/yr
$6,639/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$17,120/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Northern Illinois 44.3% · Roger Williams 61.3%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Northern Illinois
148150154
Roger Williams
147150154
144146148150152154156
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Northern Illinois
3.173.413.64
Roger Williams
3.023.433.73
2.953.053.153.253.353.453.553.653.75
Northern Illinois University
Roger Williams University
More comparisons with Northern Illinois
More comparisons with Roger Williams
Frequently asked questions
Is Northern Illinois or Roger Williams better for BigLaw?
Roger Williams placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 0.6% against 0.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Northern Illinois placed 0.0% and Roger Williams placed 0.6%. Federal clerkships were 0.0% at Northern Illinois and 0.0% at Roger Williams.
Which is harder to get into, Northern Illinois or Roger Williams?
Northern Illinois's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 150 and a median GPA of 3.41, with a 44.3% acceptance rate. Roger Williams's had 150 and 3.43, with 61.3%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Northern Illinois or Roger Williams?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $121K at Northern Illinois and $173K at Roger Williams, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Northern Illinois or Roger Williams?
78% of Northern Illinois students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $8,274 a year among recipients. 65% of Roger Williams students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $28,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
61.9% of Northern Illinois's first time takers passed in 2025, against 65.2% at Roger Williams. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Northern Illinois or Roger Williams?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology