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Off-Campus Housing Near Northern Illinois University
About Off-Campus Housing Near Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a large public research university located in DeKalb, Illinois, about 65 miles west of Chicago. Founded in 1895, NIU enrolls approximately 15,000 students across its colleges of business, education, engineering and engineering technology, law, liberal arts and sciences, and visual and performing arts. The DeKalb campus covers more than 750 acres and features a full range of academic, athletic, and residential facilities. NIU is a member of the Mid-American Conference and competes in NCAA Division I athletics, with its Huskies football program playing at Huskie Stadium. The university has a strong emphasis on applied research and maintains partnerships with regional employers in the Chicago metropolitan area and the greater northern Illinois corridor. DeKalb itself is a college town of roughly 42,000 residents where NIU students make up a significant portion of the population. The surrounding community offers affordable housing, local dining, and convenient access to Interstate 88 for commuters and students traveling to and from the Chicago suburbs.
Northern Illinois University Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
NIU requires all first-year students with fewer than 30 credit hours who are under 21 years of age to live in university-owned housing for their first year. Students who commute from a parent or guardian's permanent residence within 30 miles of campus may apply for an exemption. The requirement is enforced through the housing contract signed at enrollment.
Off-Campus Eligibility
Students who have completed their freshman year or accumulated 30 or more credit hours are generally eligible to seek off-campus housing in DeKalb. Sophomores and upperclassmen make up the large majority of the off-campus rental market surrounding NIU. Students under 21 wishing to move off campus before meeting credit requirements must petition Housing and Residential Services.