Northern Illinois University is among the nation’s premier regional public universities.

Located in one of the most dynamic regions of the country, NIU is a comprehensive teaching and research institution with a diverse and international student body of more than 25,000.

The central mission of the university is the transmission, expansion, and application of knowledge through teaching, research and artistry, and public service. In fulfilling that mission, Northern Illinois University meets the needs of students for liberal, professional, technical, and lifelong education. Mindful of the changing needs of the society it serves, the university reviews its programs at regular intervals, assesses their quality and their capacity to fulfill their objectives, and expressly commits itself to their continuing development or redirection when appropriate.

Recognizing that students will need to learn throughout their lives, the university provides them with the opportunity to become more competent in analytical thought, informed judgment, and effective communication and to develop an appreciation for the life of the mind. In its instructional activities, the university conveys an understanding of the organization of knowledge and the means of inquiry. It aims to develop a respect for rationality, a tolerance for ambiguity, and an appreciation of diversity. It fosters the capacity to explore the unfamiliar, to use the intellect in the process of discovery and the synthesis of knowledge, and to become familiar with new technology and its implications. It strives to enhance the imagination, sensibility, and creative talents of each student. It believes that all students should attain a level of academic and professional competence sufficient for productive employment and citizenship and that many students should be able to undertake the advanced study required for leadership in their chosen professional fields and academic disciplines.

The university is committed both to pure research and to the application of new knowledge. The research talents of faculty often complement the development needs of business, industry, education, and government. The university promotes interaction between faculty and practicing professionals and encourages the application of theoretical findings to enhance the national and international capacity to anticipate, understand, and solve problems. In order to make the results of intellectual and creative excellence widely available, the university facilitates the publication and dissemination of scholarly works and the performance and display of creative activities.

Like the region, the university has developed rapidly and changed substantially in recent decades. It attracts a diverse student body, mirroring the population base from which it comes and which many of the university's graduates will ultimately serve. It has assumed an obligation to provide an education which is pluralistic and interdisciplinary in nature. By working closely with community colleges, the university supports one of the largest baccalaureate transfer programs in the state through carefully developed articulation agreements. In keeping with its historic mission, the university serves and continually seeks to provide greater educational opportunity for non-traditional students who can pursue courses and degree programs only on a part-time basis and at off-campus locations. It has established professional relationships with many of the scientific laboratories in the high-tech/agribusiness corridor, with many of the corridor's leading businesses and industries, and with its central service facilities. It also is a major cultural center in the region, drawing audiences to a wide range of exhibits, concerts, and theatre productions.

Northern Illinois University's history reflects flexibility in the face of change and consistency in the pursuit of excellence. In this, the university expects its future to confirm its past.