Private Nonprofit · Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University

National Louis University is a private nonprofit institution in Chicago, Illinois. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.

$45,799
10-yr median earnings
95.0%
Acceptance rate
$12,641
Avg net price / yr
33.2%
150%-time completion

The verdict

National Louis University pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 37%
former-student earnings, US
95.0%
acceptance rate
33.2%
150%-time completion
+5%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large Carnegie: Doctoral/Prof
View my saved schools

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this National Louis University profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral/Professional Universities"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

D
College Value Score
41/100
National Louis University

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings C+
$45,799
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B-
$12,641
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
33.2%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$19,750
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment F
50.0%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
50.4%
First-year students returning for year two
National Louis University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$45,799

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$12,641

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

33.2%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 33.2%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - National Louis University vs peers

National Louis University positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. National Louis University positioned by earn… Carnegie Classification: Doctoral/Prof Doctoral/P… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $34K $70K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $9K $52K Avg Net Price ($) National Louis University (you are here): $46K earn · $13K net · 33% grad You are here - National Louis Uni… Lewis University: $66K earn · $17K net · 65% grad Lewis University Aurora University: $59K earn · $19K net · 59% grad Aurora University Bradley University: $67K earn · $23K net · 74% grad Bradley University Columbia College Chicago: $42K earn · $27K net · 50% grad Columbia College C… Saint Xavier University: $59K earn · $11K net · 58% grad Saint Xavier Unive… Elmhurst University: $61K earn · $24K net · 68% grad School of the Art Institute of Chicago: $40K earn · $50K net · 65% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How National Louis University ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

National Louis University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$45,799 Top 37% higher than 63% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric National Louis University National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $45,799 #1905 of 5103 63rd
Average net price $12,641 #1633 of 5020 67th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 33.2% #4083 of 4858 16th
Undergraduate enrollment 4,406 #829 of 5462 85th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

4,406
Undergraduate enrollment
95.0%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
33.2%
150%-time completion
$45,799
10-yr median earnings
50.4%
First-year retention

How National Louis University ranks in Illinois

State rank among 189 reporting Illinois colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric National Louis University State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $45,799 #72 of 189 62nd
Average net price $12,641 #69 of 179 61st (lower is better)
150%-time completion 33.2% #151 of 171 12th
Undergraduate enrollment 4,406 #28 of 201 86th

Highest former-student earnings in Illinois

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Chamberlain University-Illinois$92,405$31,837
2University of Chicago$91,885$14,860
3Northwestern University$89,363$29,167
4St. John's College$86,331-
5Lakeview College of Nursing$84,522-
6Illinois Institute of Technology$82,592$18,425
7University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$81,054$14,355
8Saint Anthony College of Nursing$77,709-
9Rush University$75,194-
10Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing$72,850-
11Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences$72,430-
12Loyola University Chicago$71,530$36,079
72National Louis UniversityThis school$45,799$12,641

Admissions

Admission Rate 95.0%
0%100%95.1%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at National Louis University

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at National Louis University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $12,705
Out-of-State Tuition $12,705
Average Net Price $12,641
55.1%
Pell Grant Rate
21.8%
Federal Loan Rate
$19,750
Median Debt
$209/mo
Monthly Payment

Net price at National Louis University swings rather than trends

Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $13,680 to $19,668 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -17.9%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.

Lowest year
$13,680
Highest year
$19,668
Most recent (2023)
$16,157
Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $19,6682014: $14,4892015: $13,6802016: $13,9412017: $15,5792018: $14,3032019: $14,9572020: $14,5842021: $14,5442022: $14,2902023: $16,157
2013 · $19,6682023 · $16,157

Over the same years, enrollment went +194.3% (1,393 → 4,100 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

75.1%
Female
50.4%
First Generation

Outcomes

50.4%
Retention Rate
$43,562
Median Earnings (6yr)
71.3%
Earning Over $25K
50.0%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 33.2%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 50.4%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $43,562
Median earnings 10 years after entry $45,799
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 71.3%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 50.0%
Median federal student debt At completion $19,750
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $209/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Master's 14 1,004 $68,867 $86,139 $35,456
Bachelor's 14 742 $56,753 $74,144 $23,166
Doctoral 2 105 $108,411 $136,173 $39,951
Associate's 1 50 $45,609 $45,609 $12,833

Top programs at National Louis University by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Educational Administration and Supervision Doctoral 56 $136,173 $67,279
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 66 $86,139 $41,000
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology Doctoral 49 $80,648 $12,623
Human Resources Management and Services Master's 24 $79,490 $41,000
Health and Medical Administrative Services Master's 23 $78,175 $41,000
Educational Administration and Supervision Master's 32 $76,905 $30,750
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Master's 23 $74,580 $23,349
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Bachelor's 77 $74,144 $22,507
Curriculum and Instruction Master's 159 $70,926 $21,555
Special Education and Teaching Master's 84 $65,083 $41,000
Health and Medical Administrative Services Bachelor's 30 $64,430 $25,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Master's 381 $62,529 $28,041
Hospitality Administration/Management Bachelor's 23 $61,413 $25,248
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Master's 44 $61,024 $35,566
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology Master's 136 $59,315 $45,757

Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at National Louis University?
National Louis University is a private nonprofit institution in Chicago, Illinois. The acceptance rate is 95.0%. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,406 students.
How much do National Louis University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at National Louis University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $45,799 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $43,562.
How much does National Louis University cost?
The average net price at National Louis University is $12,641. In-state tuition is $12,705 and out-of-state tuition is $12,705. Median student debt at graduation is $19,750.
What is the graduation rate at National Louis University?
National Louis University has a 33.2% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 50.4%.
Is National Louis University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at National Louis University is $19,750, while former students earn a median of $45,799 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 43% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 50.0% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $209.

Sources & methodology

Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.

Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from National Louis University

Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.