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AlmaSpire

Normal, IL · Public · 19,057 undergraduates · suburban

Illinois State University

Less selective

Illinois State remains strongly associated with teacher preparation while also serving the Bloomington-Normal corporate and insurance economy.

Michaelkurek011 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Institutional profile

Well established Strong in mobility, and solid in career outcomes.
Academic Steady Affordability Solid Career Solid Mobility Strong Experience Steady
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Strong
Student experience Steady
Admission
89% admitted

20,884 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
71.7%

$62,117 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Illinois State University apart

Academic design

Education remains a defining field alongside business, insurance, nursing, sciences, arts, and communication.

Campus pattern

Normal and neighboring Bloomington create a compact college-city environment in central Illinois.

Career & value signal

Nearby corporate headquarters and schools support internships in insurance, finance, education, business, and healthcare.

Can I get in?

89% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

20,884

About 89 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 89%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1010–1230
8601380
ACT middle 50%22–27
1930

Of admitted students, 35% submitted an SAT, and 10% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA25.3%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Illinois State University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Illinois State University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Education remains a defining field alongside business, insurance, nursing, sciences, arts, and communication.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Illinois State remains strongly associated with teacher preparation while also serving the Bloomington-Normal corporate and insurance economy.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Early ActionNov 1
Regular Decisionrolling
Fee and waiver$65 application fee

Fee waiver: u.s. only

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$36,422
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$19,000
Affordability profileSolid

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Illinois State University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years71.7%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one81.4%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$62,117

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Marketing

Recent graduates256
Median earnings$77,956

Admits separately

Psychology, General

Recent graduates200
Median earnings$51,941

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Recent graduates176
Median earnings$62,506

What is campus life like?

Illinois State University beyond the classroom

Normal and neighboring Bloomington create a compact college-city environment in central Illinois.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Education remains a defining field alongside business, insurance, nursing, sciences, arts, and communication.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Normal and neighboring Bloomington create a compact college-city environment in central Illinois.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Nearby corporate headquarters and schools support internships in insurance, finance, education, business, and healthcare.

19,057 undergraduatesMidwestsuburban setting35% of first-year students live on campus