National Louis University - Chicago Campus

I was excited about many aspects of the grad program they offered here and the admissions counselor was very helpful initially. However, when it came time to interview and talk about steps moving forward, I was completely forgotten about after we had scheduled it in the middle of my work day. I tried to understand what happened, but they didn’t really have a good explanation as to why this happened other than “miscommunication” and “well things happen, I’m sure you understand”. Not a good look for a place that you’re going to be paying a ton of money and spending a ton of time to study at. Once the interview was rescheduled (which I was skeptical of even doing), the person I interviewed with basically implied to me that she was confused as to why I even kept the interview, considering my skepticism. I wanted to hear out if there was anyway this school could redeem themselves, but it was then I realized there wasn’t. They sent me a denial email the following day, after all the unprofessionalism they just showed me, which to me was dodging a bullet. Save your time, money, and effort; and look elsewhere.

I hesitated even throwing the second star in. They've got some great professors and the other students were cool but it's managed like a circus: appearances before anything else, especially functionality.

Save your time and money. Go to a more reputable school or at least one that you can network and make strong connections. This place only cares about enrollments and taking your money. This is my advice to anyone considering this school.

Graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Applied Behavioral Sciences in 2004 best experience in my life. Tuition is pricey but I feel an education is priceless

Sorest college I ever went to. I am in my last week of school and financial aid still hasn’t paid my bill. My mental health is suffering because of them. When I ask if I could drop for my mental health, my psychiatrist told me to drop too, they told me if I did then I would have to pay my tuition in full. That I could not drop. So basically threaten to stay in school. With financial aid not paying my bill still and not giving me my refund to help with bill. I couldn’t even get money from them to buy my book for the class and the supplies that I needed. So even if my mental health was not bad. Which was not that bad in tell the university financial aid is taking forever to pay my bill and not even giving me money to buy things for my class. I have never hated a university as much as I do them. Then the faceted that they threaten me to stay in the class after numerous times of me telling them my mental health is not ok. What kind of university does this.

Hello I am a proud Alumni Of NLU and I graduated with a bachelor's degree in CJ. The professors there are there because they care and they have the experience in whatever you decide to take far as a career choice. I actually was a transfer from WestWood college which I learned and earned over 100 plus credit hours. When they shut down I felt lost but NLU gave me a new education home. I graduated with 2 extra credits more than I needed to walk the stage. I will forever be grateful for my teachers and my advisor who help push me along the way. ❤❤❤

Trash experience at NLU. Don't bother, do yourself a favor and find a different university. I agree with every other negative review here, every department I encountered is incompetent, turnover is high, even among professors. Their bookstore stole from me on a number of occasions, "buying" back books but never issuing credit for them, for example. Help is impossible, and several professors should hands-down not be allowed to work with the public.

This school is extremely expensive. It seems like everything is a struggle. I had many issues w my financial aid, student loans, etc. They took a grant away from previous quarters when I got a loan for the last quarter of school. Took me over a month to get it straightened out and fixed. I had to call my loan company and they had to reach out to NLU. I was told when I started I wojld have enough FAFSA until graduation. That was false. Unless this is literally your only option I do not recommend it. Most of the instructors were great, but I had one that went MIA and it was my first C, the school didn't seem to care. I fought it and months later finally got the opportunity to redo my work for a better grade. The communication w the advisors was terrible. I had one advisor that was able to usually fix things when needed. But she wasn't MY advisor. I think I had 3 or more advisors my 2.5 years there. Seems there is a lot of coming and going with staff. If you talk to ANYONE get their name and department, otherwise it doesn't matter what they told you. Many of my classmates also had issues. Up to the day before graduation and after. By far the best advisor was/is Allison W. & instructor was Cara R.

Great school! Has all the tools I need to continue pursuing a career as a mental health counselor. I was referred here by one of my mental health classmates at Kennedy King College. The same day I immediately looked more into National Louis University. Spoke with Sally, and she gave me multiple directions I could go, to pursue careers in either psychology, substance abuse, or social work. As of right now, this campus has helped me more than any others that had my interest. National Louis University, is currently in my radar, and I look forward to touring this campus in the near future. I have read some of the good and bad reviews of this campus, but that doesn't change my interest. Everyone has different learning styles. Just because it didn't work for you at National Louis University, doesn't mean that it won't work for anyone else. It all starts with you as a person to make adjustments, so that you can learn.

Initially I had a lot of trouble with my advisors. Now that they've changed this year it has been nothing but amazing feedback from my advisors. They're incredibly helpful and always available when I have questions. 10/10

I attended National Louis University back in 2020 and graduated in 2021. Overall, I enjoyed my time with the courses I've taken and my professors in my department, but this school needs to be more organized. First, the financial aid department is a nightmare. Everybody who has attended this school has had issues with the department during their time in NLU. They will not send your Reward Letter. Until classes have already started, which can be an issue for some people since they might not be able to afford the pocket cost for the Quater, and if you can't pay it, you cannot register for classes for the next Quater. When I was attending this school, I had a terrible advisor. She was the advisor for the transfer students. She was trying to enroll me in courses I didn't need to take, and she almost made me go another year of school, taking unnecessary courses when I only needed to take two more classes to graduate during my last semester of school. Also, halfway through my time at NLU, I discovered they still need to check my transcript for my last semester at the other college I attended. When I told them, and they did check my transcript, I didn't even need to take the course I was taking during the semester, and I couldn't drop the class since it was after midterms, and you couldn't get a refund for the course. Also, they tried to make me take GEN ED courses that I had already taken in my Community College. After I told my advisor about it, she finally made it as a transfer credit. IF YOU ARE A TRANSFER STUDENT, MAKE SURE THEY CHECK ALL OF YOUR CLASSES FROM YOUR PREVIOUS COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. Because if you don't, these guys might not check, and you might be taking more courses that you shouldn't be taking. The good thing about the advising department is that you can go to other advisors for help if your advisor isn't available or wants somebody else to check. There is one great advisor who helped me out in the end and made sure that I could graduate. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time attending NLU despite taking classes online. The professors are great, and some have helped me grow. Many would have guest speakers come in, and many would help you get a job after obtaining your degree or getting an internship. But I wouldn't recommend going to this school if you have other options, I suggest you go elsewhere. The school's promises sound good on paper, but the execution is terrible. Very disorganized is the best way to describe this school.

This school is extremely expensive. It seems like everything is a struggle. I had many issues w my financial aid, student loans, etc. They took a grant away from previous quarters when I got a loan for the last quarter of school. Took me over a month to get it straightened out and fixed. I had to call my loan company and they had to reach out to NLU. I was told when I started I wojld have enough FAFSA until graduation. That was false. Unless this is literally your only option I do not recommend it. Most of the instructors were great, but I had one that went MIA and it was my first C, the school didn't seem to care. I fought it and months later finally got the opportunity to redo my work for a better grade. The communication w the advisors was terrible. I had one advisor that was able to usually fix things when needed. But she wasn't MY advisor. I think I had 3 or more advisors my 2.5 years there. Seems there is a lot of coming and going with staff. If you talk to ANYONE get their name and department, otherwise it doesn't matter what they told you. Many of my classmates also had issues. Up to the day before graduation and after. By far the best advisor was/is Allison W. & instructor was Cara R.

I like this school but the financial aid office sucks. I was not advised that I would owe $3600 dollars until after my classes were over. If I had know a head of time I would have only taken the amount of classes that my loans covered. Now I only have 1 semester completed and can't enroll in classes until my balance is paid.

National Louis gets 2 thumbs up from me. I completed both my bachelor's degree and my master's degree at National Louis University. This was within the last 5 years. One of the best decisions that I ever made was to attend National Louis. National Louis changed my life, restored my hope, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my footsteps. At the age of 50, I returned to school because I needed the fulfillment of long lost hopes and ambitions. The university met my needs and then some. I wasn't just a number. The classes, programs, and, cohorts are tailor-made for each student. National Louis offers flexibility in its teaching methods. The academic support staff is great. To make learning even more convenient, the school has various locations from which to choose. To sum it up, National Louis not only gave me back my life, and restored my hope, it also provided me with a good quality education that has opened the door to opportunity and chance. I want the world to know, "I LOVE NATIONAL LOUIS." Brenda Castile-Munoz

I loved my experience at NLU. I came here for my second master's, an MAT degree. I had gone through an undergraduate and an MA program at very rigorous universities, and quite honestly, was NLU as rigorous? No. Was it still challenging? Definitely. I learned a great deal about teaching through my MAT program here. Although some people have said the professors aren't good, I can say that maybe with one exception, the professors I had were excellent. From Bokor to Studnitzer to Denny to Wade, I was lucky enough to have professors who electrified every class experience; even a five-hour once-a-week class was not just tolerable but actually fun and interesting. The MAT program really makes sure that you learn everything you can about the universe of teaching. As a secondary ed teacher, I took a class on special ed (required for all MAT students, even if you, like me, don't teach special ed) and learned a ton. You will also learn about teaching for your content area and broader (but important) fields like the history of education in America. The online courses are fast-paced, and the advising can be impersonal, but I always received helpful responses via e-mail regarding course sequences and similar matters. I know NLU isn't perfect, but my experience was pretty awesome. Some people say that teacher prep programs are useless, since there's so much you can only learn "on the job." That might be partially true, but even if there is a finite amount you can be prepared before your career, NLU takes care of preparing you as much as one can be.

I've enjoyed my experience and education here at NLU. I enrolled in the Master's of Written Communication program. Classes are all evening which is ideal for the working person looking to complete a higher degree, or parents with bust schedules. There are a number of online courses and courses held at different campuses. I attend the Chicago campus which is ideal for commuters and people working in the loop. The instructors I've had make themselves extremely available outside of class and are always willing to help you improve. The Office of Student Experience offers many programs and events to help students become and stay engaged on campus, students just have to be willing to participate and keep their eyes open for flyers and notification emails. Discounted tickets to Bulls games, Broadway plays, and pancake breakfasts at the Art Institute are just some of the perks offered by Student Experience. I've encountered rude customer service at financial aid offices in other downtown campuses, but at NLU all staff members are very helpful and personable. There are a number of computer labs and a library on campus. If you can't find the resource needed in the campus library, it is only a few blocks away from the Harold Washington library. Overall I've been pleased with all aspects of NLU and would recommend to anyone looking to complete that next degree!

This has to be one of the worst universities from the faculty, to financial services, and the entire support staff they will do everything in there power to obtain as a student and make you take as many loans as possible, but check there graduation rate, racism begin and lives here, everyone helps you start, no one helps you finish.

I'm not sure how you can read all the books assigned, and participate in the class and online discussions for a year and a half +, and still not feel like you gained anything from the NLU experience. I beg to differ, and think the program is conveniently located, has friendly and accommodating teachers, and a pretty extensive curriculum if you ask me--and that's all coming from someone that has a 4-year degree from a major University. It's easy to point fingers, but if you do the work and follow the program guidelines, you can graduate with a solid, reputable degree.

Worst Institution Ever. Sold a bad bill of goods. The whole 2 year program had 2 instructors with recent (within 10 years) business experience and could show up on time, have looked a the syllabus beforehand and communicate an idea without sounding like they could compete with Homer Simpson at Jeopardy and lose. Little to no real world experience, no good examples/case studies/relation to non-institutional work, lots of busy work, group projects galore, BS blackboard postings. Try to do all that while sitting in a hot, windowless room with the most uncomfortable chairs ever. Then, for dessert, horrible administration where you can't even get a straight answer about how much the program costs or how many credits you need.... total total waste of time. After being told on numerous occasions that my degree requirements were met, I applied for graduation and called to check status when my certificate wasn't received, and they pulled another class out of their hat that I "needed". Infuriating isn't nearly adequate to describe my feelings about this incompetent army of idiots. If you look at their programs and think "oh this sounds like I would get a lot out of this" or "could meet a lot of interesting intelligent people here" or "this sounds really hassle free" I beg you, look elsewhere! Its a facade! Attending this school is the biggest regret of my life = Translation: The biggest turd in an overflowing port-o-potty on a hot August day. Resist at all costs!

National Louis has a program called the Pace program It is a program for Young adults with developmental disabilities. The worst program ever do not send your children to the pace program

I started on my EdD last Summer as part of a cohort group. In my program, they admit 12 - 14 people per year. While NLU has different locations around the area, I attend classes every other Saturday at the Michigan Avenue location. The program I'm in is nontraditional and accelerated. In a typical doctoral program, one generally takes their classes over a 3 - 5 year period and then start working on their dissertation. In this program, you start almost immediately on your dissertation and can be done in 3 years with everything. So far, I'm a fan. It's a lot of work, but I'd rather push this full-time (while working full-time) and finish in three years instead of taking 9 years like my boss. Most of the professors I've had in the program are really on top of their game and have held or currently hold positions that I hope to have one day. While it's no Northwestern or UofC, it works for me and my work/family schedule. In the end, it will help me get where I want to go.

So they reached out asking me to complete the complaint form. DON'T DO IT if you are ever asked. All it did was cause more issues!!! It's not worth it on their side. The umbudsman, program coordinators are all really tight, so anything you do to make waves won't be good. Just file complaints with the board of higher ed and let them find what they should. Be sure to read all the comments below... do it! Save yourself.

Every time I pass National-Louis downtown I smile, because I never have to set foot in that building again. The MAT program there was hours of my life I can never have back. If you're already in the classroom and you're looking for an MA you can do after school just for the pay raise, I suppose you could do worse; the location is very convenient, and NLU's academic demands are minimal. If you're actually looking to learn something, though, you're in the wrong place.

NLU is the worst college I ever attended. Teachers do not give lectures. They do not want to teach. They come to class unprepared. They swear in class. All students get easy As. Oakton Community College is superior to NLU. If you like NLU, it means you are not smart and that you fit in with the trash that teaches at it. I never wasted so much money on higher education than at NLU. NLU should not even be called a university. It should just be called a public high school that you pay for privately.

I did the MAT program here, earning my Type 09 certification as well as completing the master's degree component. The program was a joke, and I learned absolutely nothing. Teachers were lazy, ineffectual, and unknowledgeable. I felt that I learned absolutely nothing in all the classes I took here. Sure, I earned my certificate and MA degree, but I was sorely prepared when I landed in the actual classroom, with absolutely none of the knowledge that I wished I could have had access to through more competent, caring teachers.

I was very happy when I got accepted at NLU. I thought I would have an amazing and memorable experience. Unfortunately, it was not. 98% of the classes are online. You cannot learn anything. The online system is confusing. Professor do not even reply to your messages or commets. Nowhere is says that the school is an online program. If there is a class face to face it gets canceled or it is always during the night. I had an issues with one of the professor, I was told I had to write an appeal. I did, I was in this process for 7 months until I withdrew it it was going to take me even more. People at this school care about only the money they do not help you they do not even inform you about the students rights. Which we do not even have. Every time when I tried to speak with somebody the staff were telling I cannot talk and the only think I can do is to talk to my advisor. Which she/he can do only limited things. I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT TO ANYBODY IF YOU WANT TO WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY GO AHEAD.

The classes that are needed to complete a degree are never offered. This school is always canceling classes because of not enough students. This makes it hard for a student to graduate. Not having enough students to teach a class is definitely a red flag. I regret ever coming to this school. Too expensive for what you get.

Have only been here for one term, but so far it seems pretty standard. I'll probably be updating my review after a few more classes.

I did both my undergrad and my graduate studies at NLU in Chicago and must attest that I was very please with the school. The instructors were all very knowledgeable about the material they were responsible for teaching and were accessible to their students. I am proud to say that I was able to use my knowledge gained from NLU at reputable companies through out the Chicago Land area. I should also note that NLU is recognized for its teaching and educational programs. Bottom line, I am proud to be a graduate of NLU.

I have attended a total of five post-secondary institutions, and I have to admit that they all fell below my expectations of a great education. I am giving NLU one star because it is unacceptable for them to charge so much for tuition, yet still fall below the expectations of their students. I am tired of professors that spend more time talking about themselves than really teaching. I am tired of tuition/fee hikes that happen over night. I am tired of the red tape around every aspect of the university. I am tired of seeing NLU ads on the TV painting the school as such a great institution. The simple fact that they have to allocate funds for advertising lets you know that they do not have what it takes to attract students--they have to pay for it instead. Think twice about spending your hard earned money here. Northeastern Illinois University is a better option!

I was supposed to have an admissions meeting/ transcript evaluation today March 27 at 11 am with Maurice Nelson. Upon arrival at the Wheeling location I was not greeted, there was no one at the front desk. After wandering through the building(which says a lot for student safety) I found a gentleman at the finance desk that was not friendly and seemed irritated that I had bugged him. After explaining my appointment he went in the back and came back to tell me that he had no knowledge of an appointment and that I was to go to the Third floor. Upon arrival at the Third floor again I was not greeted and had to call my Enrollment specialist in Chicago to see where I was to go. I was instructed to go to the room labeled admissions. Upon entering there was three employees in the room. I sat down on the waiting area and was not greeted. After sitting there a few moments I was finally asked who I was waiting for and was sent next door. In the next office I was greeted and upon asking for Maurice was told he wasn't there. HIs office was empty and was clear he had not been there in a long time. He had apparently put in his resignation. Upon all of this and calling Back Dan Essing for a third time this morning I was met with the realization that there was no other advisor to be seen and that I had wasted my whole morning, made arrangements with my work for nothing and that the only consolation they offered was a phone call with another admissions advisor that was not in the building. If this was a option why was it not offered before hand? NLU came highly recommended by my Jr college. But how could a school that is trying to break into the criminal justice program be so unprofessional, lack integrity, and be so unorganized and not professional? In a career that is based on punctuality, integrity, and professionalism having a welcome like this is certainly counterproductive. The Only and I mean Only positive praise I could give would be to Dan Essig, He followed through during the whole process, answered questions and was quite professional through this dilemma.

I completed the Reading Specialist program in 2008. I recommend it highly. The coursework was demanding and extremely relevant to real-world teaching situations. The professors all had years of teaching in elementary classrooms, followed by years in academia. Many professors were nationally recognized in their areas of specialty. The practicum was rigorous. I attended the Loop campus as part of a cohort made up of in-service teachers. We functioned as a learning community, sharing and teaching each other under the guidance of the professor. Do it!

This is a great school if you are going into the field of education. It used to be the School of Education but has since changed its name. The school draws many great educators from Illinois as professors. It is always very up-to-date with conferences, workshops and the latest best practices. It has convenient classes for people who need to pay their own bills while in school and I believe the majority of teachers in Illinois with their masters get them from NLU. I really think that if you want to go into education, it is one of the best choices in Illinois.