Northeastern Illinois University traces its roots to the beginning of teacher training. The University was founded in 1867 in Blue Island, Illinois, as the Normal School, Cook County’s first teacher training institution.
Northeastern has a rich tradition of educational innovation and prides itself in preparing teachers and administrators who make a difference in Chicago. That tradition continues to this day and has expanded to include all of the University’s academic disciplines, allowing the University to fully embrace the community in which it resides. Rich history tracks the dynamic growth of the city and the region. While keeping faith with its original mission—to provide an important resource for students from Illinois—today Northeastern attracts students from all over the world and is poised to become a model of regional public education with a truly global mission. Northeastern’s learning environment is enriched though the community’s ethnic, cultural, age and language diversity.
Throughout its history the University has maintained, fostered and celebrated its commitment to diversity. Today, Northeastern offers its students more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, sciences, education, and business. Faculty encourage students to integrate classroom instruction with field-based learning, research and service, locally and around the globe.