National Louis University
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 362167804
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Phone
- 8479475580
- Rating
- 85
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- University or Technological Institute
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $156,241,774
- Expenses
- $139,864,549
- Assets
- $204,585,293
- Liabilities
- $60,664,247
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
28 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- NIVINE MEGAHED (PRESIDENT)
- John Mazariegos (Executive Director of Information Security)
Highest reported compensation
- NIVINE MEGAHED (PRESIDENT): $792,430 total reported compensation
- EDDIE PHILLIPS (PROVOST): $353,677 total reported compensation
- MARTY MICKEY (TREASURER AND VP, FINANCE): $286,405 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
National Louis University is an inclusive, innovative community providing educational opportunities that inspire and empower all learners as they prepare for and advance in meaningful lives and productive careers. At NLU, we hold ourselves accountable to bringing each student to a high level of academic achievement and career success. This means we are committed to providing the highest quality academic experience and support services to each student. We continuously work to improve our processes and outcomes. Equity We believe everyone should have a fair and equal chance at succeeding. Therefore, we provide supports to ensure all of our students have the opportunity to achieve their professional goals and aspirations.
What it reported doing in 2024
Research - the university receives a number of grants that funds research performed to find new ways to help the community by informing future instruction and educational practices.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Other-operating. 86% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 92% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 81
- Transparency & Controls: 83
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 63
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 83.3%; rating input score 83
- Program expense ratio: 90.4%; rating input score 90
- Fundraising efficiency: $10.37 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Pass
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 10.5%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.46; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.3; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 2%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 8 programs and campaigns described on the official site
- Where the money goes: 83.3% of revenue deployed · 90.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $126.5M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $792K · 28 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $7.1M reported
- Consistency: 46 of 46 current checks pass
- Schedules: 12 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.