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Northern Illinois University vs Southern Illinois 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
- Southern Illinois places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 1.4% of the Class of 2025, against 0.0% at Northern Illinois.
- Southern Illinois costs about $35K less over three years after the average scholarship: $86K against $121K.
- Northern Illinois is harder to get into: a 150 median LSAT and a 44.3% acceptance rate, against 149 and 56.2% at Southern Illinois.
- Southern Illinois has the higher first time bar pass rate: 74.2% against 61.9%.
Northern Illinois
vs
Southern Illinois
Where graduates go
Southern Illinois leads 4 of 5
0.0%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓1.4%
0.0%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓1.4%
0.0%
Federal clerkships
0.0%
79.4%
Graduates employed
✓83.8%
61.9%
First time bar passage
✓74.2%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
$121K
Three year net cost
✓$86K
✓78%
Students receiving a scholarship
64%
$8,274/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$9,500/yr
✓$6,639/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$6,433/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Northern Illinois 44.3% · Southern Illinois 56.2%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Northern Illinois
148150154
Southern Illinois
146149155
144146148150152154156158
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Northern Illinois
3.173.413.64
Southern Illinois
2.933.383.78
2.852.953.053.153.253.353.453.553.653.753.85
Northern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
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Frequently asked questions
Is Northern Illinois or Southern Illinois better for BigLaw?
Southern Illinois placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 1.4% against 0.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Northern Illinois placed 0.0% and Southern Illinois placed 1.4%. Federal clerkships were 0.0% at Northern Illinois and 0.0% at Southern Illinois.
Which is harder to get into, Northern Illinois or Southern Illinois?
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. Southern Illinois's had 149 and 3.38, with 56.2%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Northern Illinois or Southern Illinois?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $121K at Northern Illinois and $86K at Southern Illinois, 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 Southern Illinois?
78% of Northern Illinois students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $8,274 a year among recipients. 64% of Southern Illinois students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $9,500 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
61.9% of Northern Illinois's first time takers passed in 2025, against 74.2% at Southern Illinois. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Northern Illinois or Southern Illinois?
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