Illinois State University
Normal, IL · Public · Midsize suburb · Carnegie R1/R2 · ISU
Public institution in Normal, IL · 18,414 undergraduates · 89% acceptance rate · $62,117 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 6%Undergraduates
- Top 24%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $18,996992nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $16,021997th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $28,0861,179th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $32,4581,017th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $20,482681st lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $62,117468th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $50,599506th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 66.3%552nd highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 81.3%602nd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 89.0%1,206th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1127585th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 24421st highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 18,414131st largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 19.0:11,815th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 30.0%1,197th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 109 mi (MDW)
On 3 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EANov 1
- Rollingopen
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $55
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 66 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction ManagementBusiness | bachelors | $69,058 | $67,101 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $67,324 | $64,990 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $62,850 | $65,194 |
| Engineering Technology, GeneralEngineering Technology | bachelors | $61,728 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $58,402 | $54,996 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $57,512 | $54,470 |
| InsuranceBusiness | bachelors | $57,318 | $54,581 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $55,964 | $63,005 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $55,286 | $55,693 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $53,358 | $52,781 |
| Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsComputer Science | bachelors | $52,107 | $50,856 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $50,543 | $53,358 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1857source
- Athletic nickname: "Redbirds"source
- Mascot: Reggie Redbirdsource
- Hancock Stadium seats about 13,391source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Red and Whitesource
- Motto: "Gladly We Learn and Teach"source
- Campus size: about 1,180 acressource
- Formerly known as "Illinois State Normal University" (1857–1964)source
- Formerly known as "Illinois State University at Normal" (1964–1967)source
- Athletic conference: MVFCsource
- Plays for the "Mid-America Classic" (since 1901)source
- Fight song: ""[[Go, You Redbirds]]""source
- Notable alum: John Malkovichsource
- Notable alum: Gary Sinisesource
- Notable alum: Jane Lynchsource
- Notable alum: Cloris Leachmansource
- Notable alum: Sean Hayessource
Athletics — 11 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $8,126,707 (M $4,291,310 · W $3,835,397)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websiteillinoisstate.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 145813)
- Compare colleges in ILRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in IllinoisEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Illinois State University vs University of Illinois ChicagoHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 11 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.