Northern Illinois University wrestling brought in $17,428 per athlete in revenue in 2016, the highest level for wrestling programs in Illinois that year, according to a DeKalb Times analysis of U.S. Department of Education data.
The university’s wrestling program brought in a total of $592,541 in 2016.
The agency's office of postsecondary education collects athletics data annually from all institutions with intercollegiate athletics programs that receive funding through federal financial aid programs. Data for 2016 – the latest year available – includes more than 2,000 schools nationwide.
Illinois' 15 schools with wrestling programs reported $3,478,792 in revenue in 2016.
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Illinois college wrestling revenue
| Rank | School | Division | Total Undergraduates | Wrestling Total Participation | Wrestling Total Revenue | Revenue per Athlete |
| 1 | Northern Illinois University | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,323 | 34 | $592,541 | $17,428 |
| 2 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | NCAA Division I without football | 9,883 | 29 | $464,067 | $16,002 |
| 3 | McKendree University | NCAA Division II with football | 1,820 | 41 | $528,164 | $12,882 |
| 4 | Northwestern University | NCAA Division I-FBS | 8,249 | 20 | $224,988 | $11,249 |
| 5 | Lincoln College | NJCAA Division III | 727 | 26 | $260,536 | $10,021 |
| 6 | Wheaton College | NCAA Division III with football | 2,400 | 22 | $188,244 | $8,557 |
| 7 | MacMurray College | NCAA Division III with football | 531 | 19 | $142,819 | $7,517 |
| 8 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | NCAA Division I-FBS | 32,126 | 29 | $195,130 | $6,729 |
| 9 | Millikin University | NCAA Division III with football | 1,796 | 35 | $231,640 | $6,618 |
| 10 | University of Chicago | NCAA Division III with football | 5,956 | 28 | $171,399 | $6,121 |
| 11 | Augustana College | NCAA Division III with football | 2,514 | 32 | $136,841 | $4,276 |
| 12 | North Central College | NCAA Division III with football | 2,534 | 36 | $131,232 | $3,645 |
| 13 | Elmhurst College | NCAA Division III with football | 2,682 | 35 | $112,425 | $3,212 |
| 14 | William Rainey Harper College | NJCAA Division III | 4,331 | 22 | $52,840 | $2,402 |
| 15 | Triton College | Other | 3,107 | 29 | $45,926 | $1,584 |
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