Several NIU programs prepare students for licensure, certification or other qualifying examinations. Pass rates for each follow.
Students becoming teacher educators take various relevant ILTS content test licensure exams in order to begin practicing in their field. Below is a table including the pass rates of students completing the exam for the most recent year. Pass rates are included for students taking the exam from Aug. 15, 2024, through Aug. 14, 2025, for the state and NIU.
See more information about the accreditation of NIU’s educator licensure and preparation programs.
| Program | NIU Pass Rate % | State Pass Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Business School Officer (ILTS-224) | 83 | Below 10 Testers |
| Director of Special Education (ILTS-234) | 64 | No Test |
| Early Childhood Education (ILTS-206) | 67 | 34 |
| Elementary Education (ILTS-305) | 63 | 69 |
| English Language Art (ILTS-207) | 70 | 53 |
| World Language: French (ILTS-252) | Below 10 Testers | No Test |
| World Language: Spanish (ILTS-260) | Below 10 Testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Health Education (ILTS-211) | 67 | No Test |
| Learning Behavior Specialist I (ILTS-155) | 90 | 79 |
| Learning Behavior Specialist I (ILTS-290) | 86 | Below 10 Testers |
| Library Information Specialist (ILTS-220) | Below 10 Testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Mathematics (ILTS-208) | 54 | Below 10 Testers |
| Middle Grades General (ILTS-298) | Below 10 testers | Below 10 testers |
| Middle Grades Language Arts (ILTS-201) | Below 10 Testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Middle Grades Math (ILTS-202) | 90 | Below 10 Testers |
| Middle Grades Science (ILTS-203) | Below 10 Testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Middle Grades Social Science (ILTS-204) | Below 10 Testers | 83 |
| Music (ILTS-212) | 92 | 78 |
| Physical Education (ILTS-213) | 87 | 67 |
| Principal (ILTS-195) | 100 | 79 |
| Principal (ILTS-196) | 93 | 79 |
| Reading Specialist (ILTS-221) | Below 10 Testers | 78 |
| Reading Teacher (ILTS-222) | Below 10 testers | No Test |
| School Counselor (ILTS-235) | 100 | No Test |
| School Psychologist (ILTS-237) | 93 | 66 |
| Science: Biology (ILTS-239) | Below 10 testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Science: Chemistry (ILTS-240) | Below 10 testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Science: Earth and Space Science (ILTS-241) | Below 10 testers | No Test |
| Science: Environmental Science (ILTS-242) | Below 10 testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Science: Physics (ILTS-243) | No test | No Test |
| Social Science: Economics (ILTS-244) | Below 10 testers | 95 |
| Social Science: Geography (ILTS-245) | Below 10 testers | 93 |
| Social Science: History (ILTS-246) | 77 | 50 |
| Social Science: Political Science (ILTS-247) | Below 10 testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Social Science: Psychology (ILTS-248) | Below 10 testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Social Science: Sociology and Anthropology (ILTS-249) | Below 10 testers | No Test |
| Special Education: General Curriculum (ILTS-163) | Below 10 testers | 66 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist: Non-teaching (ILTS-232) | 100 | No Test |
| Superintendent (ILTS-225) | 100 | 93 |
| Teacher of Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired (ILTS-228) | Below 10 testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Technology Specialist (ILTS-223) | Below 10 testers | Below 10 Testers |
| Test of Language Proficiency: Spanish (ILTS-056) | 90 | 91 |
| Visual Arts (ILTS-214) | 94 | 86 |
View a summary of teacher candidates’ performance on state-mandated licensure tests (see Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Completion under Candidate Performance)
Learn more information about the accountancy program
See the exam pass rates for the below three areas:
Registered Nurse – See below for the most recent pass rates. Students included have taken the exam in 2025.
NCLEX exam pass rate
See information about the nursing programs
Rehabilitation Counseling - See the exam pass rates (listed under the statistics about graduates question) See information about the rehabilitation counseling programs
See below for the most recent pass rates for the Illinois Bar exam for NIU and for the state and national levels. Students included have taken the exam in 2025.