Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a state-owned public research university founded in 1895 in DeKalb, Illinois. Established as the Northern Illinois State Normal School by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, its initial purpose was teacher training. NIU currently employs approximately 6,150 people and, in addition to its main campus in DeKalb, operates satellite centers in Chicago, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon, Illinois.
