As presented to the NIU Board of Trustees on November 13, 2025, NIU ended fiscal year FY25 with a $18.6 million operating deficit, an improvement over the FY24 budgeted deficit of $30.4 million but $3.2 million higher than the FY25 target. The variance was driven by multiple factors including delayed savings from position control measures, lower-than-expected auxiliary revenues, required facility repairs, higher scholarship costs in Athletics due to increased transfer portal activity, as well as one-time strategic investments. Insights from these results are being used to strengthen planning, monitoring, and position control for FY26, for which a balanced budget was approved by the Board of Trustees on June 12, 2025.
Total FY25 Revenue Budget: $426.8M
| Revenue Type | Amount in $ | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Student Fees | $164,745,510 | 38.6% |
| State of Illinois | $100,643,300 | 23.6% |
| Sales | $41,375,683 | 9.7% |
| Rental & Room Income | $38,041,827 | 8.9% |
| Other Fees and Fines | $6,727,020 | 1.6% |
| Miscellaneous & Investment Income | $23,723,581 | 5.6% |
| Gifts, Grants, & Contracts | $45,798,518 | 10.7% |
| Gate Receipts & Commissions | $5,840,542 | 1.4% |
| Total | $426,895,981 | 100.0% |
Total FY25 Expense Budget: $445.4M
Notes: Gifts, Grants and Contracts excludes sponsored research revenue.
| Expense Type | Amount in $ | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel Services | $237,167,114 | 53.2% |
| Contractual Services | $83,803,532 | 18.8% |
| Scholarships | $73,913,409 | 16.6% |
| Debt Service | $22,640,600 | 5.1% |
| Goods, Equipment, Capital Repairs | $21,526,915 | 4.8% |
| Other | $6,447,248 | 1.4% |
| Total | $445,498,818 | 100% |
Total FY25 Deficit: -$15M
Total FY25 Expenses By Division
| Division | Expenses in $ | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Affairs | $157,229,985 | 35.3% |
| Administration & Finance | $25,056,927 | 5.6% |
| Central Services | $20,427,522 | 4.6% |
| Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications | $41,721,697 | 9.4% |
| Human Resource Services | $3,164,311 | 0.7% |
| Information Technology | $12,027,389 | 2.7% |
| Intercollegiate Athletics | $35,212,034 | 7.9% |
| Office of Diversity | $2,344,604 | 0.5% |
| Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development | $20,840,536 | 4.7% |
| Research and Innovation Partnerships | $7,479,626 | 1.7% |
| Student Affairs | $48,879,025 | 11.0% |
| University Administrative Services | $13,395,057 | 3.0% |
| University Advancement | $6,914,544 | 1.6% |
| University Wide Orgs | $2,193,000 | 0.5% |
| Utilities | $10,559,564 | 2.4% |
| Non-Divisional | $38,051,832 | 8.5% |
| Grand Total | $445,498,818 | 100% |
Academic Affairs – Expenses by Colleges and Units
| College | Total Expenses in $ |
|---|---|
| College of Liberal Arts & Sciences | $52,647,128 |
| College of Business | $19,879,512 |
| College of Health & Human Sciences | $17,677,983 |
| College of Education | $15,186,738 |
| College of Visual & Performing Arts | $12,099,375 |
| College of Engineering and Engineering Technology | $8,396,053 |
| Undergraduate Affairs | $7,571,731 |
| University Libraries | $7,499,946 |
| College of Law | $6,148,725 |
| Academic Support and Operations | $1,597,580 |
| Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | $2,366,123 |
| Graduate Studies | $1,786,473 |
| Office of International Affairs | $1,970,243 |
| Office of Executive VP and Provost | $1,452,159 |
| Institutional Effectiveness | $950,216 |