Responses
Buck1985
responses.docxElizabeth Discussion:
I chose to research Northern Illinois University (NIU). NIU is a 4-year, public institution that offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, Post-master’s, Doctor’s (research/scholarship, and Doctor’s (professional practice) degree programs with an array of majors to choose from such as Education, Health Professions, Engineering, Visual and Performing Arts, and several more.
The undergraduate student population is 17,169, with 12,788 students enrolled as undergraduates. Of that undergraduate population, 53% are White, 19% Hispanic, 17% Black or African American, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more races, and 2% Non-resident alien.
The average annual price for an undergraduate student to attend NIU is 22,686, which was shocking to see, as the price has gone up significantly since my freshman year in 2009. There are some special features learning opportunities such as the ROTC program, Study abroad opportunities, and on-campus day care for students’ children that may make all the difference in someone’s decision to enroll at NIU. I think that most students who attend this school do so for the convenient location and affordability. The main campus is situated in a small suburban town that is roughly an hour outside of the city of Chicago. This gives students the opportunity to experience a quieter college life but still allows them access to a wide variety of internship and job opportunities in the city without having to endure too lengthy of a commute.
References:
College Navigator. Retrieved from: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Northern+Illinois+University&s=all&id=147703#fedloans
The Pennsylvania State University, or Penn State, is a four-year, public university, with the main campus, University Park, found in central Pennsylvania. While it primarily offers bachelor’s degrees, it also offers associate’s degrees, certificates, master’s degrees, doctor’s degrees, and so on. The institution also places a significant focus on research activity. Its student body includes a total enrollment of 46,810 students as of Fall 2018. These students are predominately white, 90% of which are full-time students, and more than half are in-state students.
The cost of tuition for in-state students for the 2018-2019 school year was $18,454, making it one of the most expensive public universities to attend in the country (Digg, 2019). Of the included information and features of the university, that which surprised me was the number of special learning opportunities offered, such as ROTC, teaching verification, distance education for both undergraduate and graduate programs, study abroad, and many more.
I believe that students select this institution over other options for a number of reasons, including location and the range of degrees offered. Penn State is one of the largest and primary universities for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and there are not many other colleges and universities located in the area. In addition, while the information included is focusing on Penn State’s main campus, University Park, the institution includes nineteen other branches, which make programs such as the 2+2 program so popular, as the students spend two years at a branch campus and then the final two years at University Park. Furthermore, the university offers a large number of programs and majors for the students to choose from.
Digg. (2019). The most expensive college. Retrieved from https://digg.com/2019/most-expensive-public-colleges-united-states
NCES. (n. d.). Pennsylvania state university – main campus. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=PA&zc=16803&zd=100&l=91+92+93+94&ct=1+2+3&ic=1+2+3&of=3&od=0&id=214777
