Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public university located in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as a satellite campus for what is now Illinois State University. Today named Northern Illinois University, it is an independent public university and has grown larger than its parent school, having a student enrollment of more than 25,000. NIU is a member of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and is the second largest university in the state of Illinois after University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. NIU's main campus is located approximately 65 miles (104 km) west of Chicago. The university has satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon.