Bloomington, IL · Private · 1,582 undergraduates · urban
Illinois Wesleyan University
Selective
IWU’s May Term and faculty-mentored research make it comparatively easy to pursue intensive projects or travel without changing the whole academic year.
Institutional profile
Well established Strong in career outcomes, and solid in academic standing.- Admission
- 45.2% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 81.9%
6,128 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$70,871 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Illinois Wesleyan University apart
Academic design
Students choose from more than 100 majors, minors and concentrations and can work closely with faculty on research. Study abroad and May Term travel courses make short, focused academic experiences easy to add to a four-year plan.
Campus pattern
The residential campus sits in Bloomington-Normal, a mid-sized central Illinois community with major employers, arts organizations and two-college energy. Students get a traditional campus setting without being isolated from internships.
Defining feature
IWU’s May Term and faculty-mentored research make it comparatively easy to pursue intensive projects or travel without changing the whole academic year.
Can I get in?
45.2% admitted
Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.
Recent applicant pool
6,128About 45 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 26% submitted an SAT, and 12% submitted an ACT. Treat the ACT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.
With one-year access
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Illinois Wesleyan University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landWith one-year access
What Illinois Wesleyan 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
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Students choose from more than 100 majors, minors and concentrations and can work closely with faculty on research. Study abroad and May Term travel courses make short, focused academic experiences easy to add to a four-year plan.
Make the fit specific
IWU’s May Term and faculty-mentored research make it comparatively easy to pursue intensive projects or travel without changing the whole academic year.
Account for the tradeoff
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 make the school-specific case concrete.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
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.
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.
With one-year access
Average annual cost by household income at Illinois Wesleyan 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+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
IWU’s May Term and faculty-mentored research make it comparatively easy to pursue intensive projects or travel without changing the whole academic year.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
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.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Admits separately
Business/Commerce, General
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Psychology, General
Finance and Financial Management Services
What is campus life like?
Illinois Wesleyan University beyond the classroom
The residential campus sits in Bloomington-Normal, a mid-sized central Illinois community with major employers, arts organizations and two-college energy. Students get a traditional campus setting without being isolated from internships.
A defining academic feature
Students choose from more than 100 majors, minors and concentrations and can work closely with faculty on research. Study abroad and May Term travel courses make short, focused academic experiences easy to add to a four-year plan.
What shapes an ordinary week
The residential campus sits in Bloomington-Normal, a mid-sized central Illinois community with major employers, arts organizations and two-college energy. Students get a traditional campus setting without being isolated from internships.
What changes the experience
IWU’s May Term and faculty-mentored research make it comparatively easy to pursue intensive projects or travel without changing the whole academic year.