ROTC at Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL
Yes — Northern Illinois University hosts Army ROTC on campus, and students join Air Force ROTC at University of Chicago through cross-town agreements.
ROTC programs hosted on campus
Northern Illinois University hosts 1 ROTC program on its own campus. Open a program to see its full profile, scholarships, and partner schools.
Cross-town & partner options
Northern Illinois University students can also join these branches. They travel to the partner school for training.
Air Force/Space Force ROTCCross-town · 60.9 miROTC outcomes
Students at Northern Illinois University in ROTC, from any branch and any unit. Averages per academic year, AY2011–AY2021.
- About 12 officers commissioned per year, all services
- About 48 students start ROTC here each year
Officers commissioned, by group
- Men78%
- White68%
Groups under 5 people a year are not shown.
Students starting ROTC, by group
- Women31%
- Men69%
- White53%
- Black18%
- Hispanic18%
Groups under 5 people a year are not shown.
Source: GAO, GAO-23-105857 (campus data, AY2011–AY2021). GAO counted cadets and commissions by the school the student attended. Numbers for recent years can differ.
Cost & financial aid (with ROTC)
| In-state tuition | — |
|---|---|
| Out-of-state tuition | — |
| Average net price | — |
| 6-year graduation rate | — |
Tuition and net price: College Scorecard. You can usually combine an ROTC scholarship with other aid from Northern Illinois University. Ask the unit and the financial aid office to confirm how the aid combines.
Academic programs
Northern Illinois University has undergraduate students. ROTC cadets can study almost any major. Some scholarships and commissioning options prefer certain fields.
Yellow Ribbon & veteran support
Yellow Ribbon is a GI Bill benefit for veterans and eligible dependents, not an ROTC scholarship. The school pays part of the tuition above the GI Bill cap, and VA matches it.
Yellow Ribbon: VA lists no Yellow Ribbon agreement for Northern Illinois University.
Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool, checked Oct 14, 2026. Confirm amounts with the school's veterans office before you enroll.
ROTC at Northern Illinois University: FAQ
Does Northern Illinois University have ROTC?
Yes — Northern Illinois University hosts Army ROTC on campus, and students join Air Force ROTC at University of Chicago through cross-town agreements.
Which ROTC branches can Northern Illinois University students join?
Army ROTC (on campus, Northern Illinois University Army ROTC) and Air Force ROTC (cross-town at University of Chicago, 61 mi).
Is ROTC at Northern Illinois University on campus or cross-town?
Army ROTC is on campus: the unit is based at Northern Illinois University. Air Force ROTC is cross-town: cadets enroll at Northern Illinois University and train with the unit at University of Chicago.
School links and location
These links belong to Northern Illinois University. To ask about an ROTC program, open that program above and use the unit's own contact details. ROTCScholar is not the school and not the unit.
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ROTCScholar is an independent directory. We are not an ROTC unit, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. military. Check details with the unit before you act on them.