Illinois State University — College Profile

About

As the state’s first public university, Illinois State University is widely celebrated for its premiere teacher education programs alongside nationally recognized offerings in business, nursing, and risk management. Centered around a traditional, vibrant Quad in the classic college town of Bloomington-Normal, campus life offers a welcoming, mid-sized atmosphere driven by NCAA Division I Redbird athletics and over 400 student organizations. Distinctively, ISU hosts the Gamma Phi Circus—the nation's oldest collegiate circus—and consistently stands out among public institutions for maintaining high freshman retention and graduation rates.

Wikipedia:Illinois State University is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. In fall 2026, the university enrolled 21,577 students.

Location

Normal, IL, 61790-1000 · Suburb campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

MDW · Chicago Midway

109 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$16,144$28,210

Housing & food (on campus)$11,754$11,754

Books & supplies$830$830

Cost of attendance$34,309$46,375 est.

Average net price$19,398Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$28,210

In-state: $16,144

Housing & food (on campus)$11,754

Books & supplies$830

Cost of attendance$46,375 est.

In-state: $34,309

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $19,398

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$11,568

$30–48k

$12,301

$48–75k

$16,348

$75–110k

$23,865

$110k+

$28,224

Your family's actual price → Illinois State University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2024-25

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$4,917

First-years who got one1,121

Source: Illinois State University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

65%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

49%

Back for yr 2

81%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

68% graduated · 25% transferred · 7% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$50,599

10 yrs after entry$62,117

Debt

Median at graduation$20,482

Monthly payment$217

Middle 50% owe$8k–$26k

90th percentile$30,920

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

88%

Test policy

Test optional

Checked Sep 2026

SAT average

1113

R 500–620 · M 490–590

ACT midpoint

Comp 21–27 · E 21–27 · M 19–26

SAT middle 50%: 990–1210

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

How much essays count at Illinois State University: Considered (one of four levels: very important · important · considered · not considered)

Source: Illinois State University's Common Data Set for 2024-25 — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

If Illinois State University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 43%Women 57%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

19 : 1

Pell grant

32%

First-gen

30%

Family income

$67,099

Independent

Veterans

Age at entry

20.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

64%

Hispanic

14%

Black

14%

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FCS · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Gymnastics
Women's
Soccer
Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$50,599

After 10 yrs

$62,117

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods473

Marketing256

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing215

Psychology, General200

Criminal Justice and Corrections176

Finance and Financial Management Services176

Business Administration, Management and Operations169

Communication and Media Studies166

Accounting and Related Services166

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas163

Special Education and Teaching151

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities123

Biology, General120

History111

Agriculture, General109

English Language and Literature, General109

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$224M

Full-time faculty

74%

Faculty salary

$9,453/mo

Teaching spend

$9,152

per student

Federal loans

43%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R2 — high research

$34M research spending · 52 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, selective admissions