Illinois State University

Illinois State University Online

Located in central Illinois, Illinois State University resides in Bloomington-Normal, IL, just outside of Bloomington, IL. It sits at the intersection of multiple major highways, giving students easy access to larger cities, such as Chicago. The school is one of 12 public universities in Illinois and offers more than 160 major and minor options to undergraduate students and 41 options to graduate students.ⁱ

Illinois State History and Points of Pride

Illinois State University was the first public institution of higher education in Illinois and was originally called Illinois State Normal University. William Bissell, the Governor of Illinois in 1857, signed a bill to create the school and establish the Board of Education of the State of Illinois as its governing body. Jesse W. Fell campaigned for Bloomington as the place with the most favorable inducements and obtained the appropriate financial backing for the school. Abraham Lincoln, acting as an attorney for the Board, drew up the bond, and the school was born. Originally founded as a teacher education institution, Illinois State University is now a thriving multipurpose university that offers bachelors, masters, and doctorate degree options.ⁱ

Illinois State University boasts of several points of pride:ⁱⁱ

1. Bloomington-Normal ranks as one of the top 50 college towns in the U.S. because of its quality of life and access to entertainment and the arts.
2. The school has a top 10 percent graduation rate of 73.4 percent, ranking among the top 10 of all U.S. universities.
3. It has a diverse campus. In the 2016-2017 school year, about one-fifth of the school’s freshman class came from underrepresented groups, with a 10 percent increase in African-American students and a 9 percent increase in Latino/a students.
4. It has a high freshman retention rate, with an 81.1 percent retention rate of freshman, placing the school in the top 10 percent in the nation.
5. It offers a quality education for the price. College Factual ranked Illinois State University as #22 out of 1,200 schools in the country for “Best College for the Money.”

Illinois State University Tuition

Beginning undergraduate students paid an estimated $14,061 for in-state tuition during the 2016-2017 school year. Out-of-state students paid an estimated $25,168 for tuition that same year. Both sets of students paid an additional estimated $942 for books and supplies.ⁱⁱⁱ

Graduate students paid an estimated $7,466 for in-state tuition in the 2016-2017 school year, and out-of-state graduate students paid an estimated $15,038. Both sets of graduate students paid an additional estimated $1,504 in fees.ⁱⁱⁱ

Illinois State University Financial Aid 

During the 2015-2016 school year, 82 percent of first-time undergraduate students, or 2,980 students, paid their Illinois State tuition with help from financial aid. Of all undergraduate students, including ones transferring from other schools or returning to Illinois State University, 50 percent, or 9,266 students, received grant or scholarship aid to help pay their tuition. Each student received an average of $8,288 in grant money that school year. Fifty-eight percent of all undergraduate students, or 10,682 students, received Federal student loans. Each student received an average of $6,484 in Federal student loan money that year. ⁱⁱⁱ  

Illinois State University Admissions

12,078 prospective students applied for undergraduate admissions at Illinois State University in fall 2016. The school admitted 89 percent of applicants, and 34 percent of those admitted enrolled. ⁱⁱⁱ 

For admissions, Illinois State University considered applicants’ high school GPA, high school record, completion of a college-preparatory program, test scores (ACT/SAT) and, when appropriate, TOEFL scores (for applicants for whom English is a second language). ⁱⁱⁱ

Illinois State University Application Process

To apply to Illinois State University, prospective undergraduate freshman must submit the following:

• An application plus a $50 application fee (waivers are available to those who qualify)
• An unofficial high school transcript that shows your GPA and courses completed
• ACT or SAT scores and subscores
• A personal statement (which is optional)
• An SSN (if you have one)

Transfers, military, and international students might have to submit additional information and test scores.

Prospective graduate students follow a different application procedure. They must meet requirements at three levels:

1. The general university level (with additional requirements for international applicants)
2. The degree-specific level
3. The program-specific level

As such, each program and degree will have its own application requirements. To determine what they are, prospective students should visit their desired program’s page and talk to an advisor.

Illinois State University Enrollment

In fall 2016, Illinois State University had 21,039 total students. 18,643 of those students were undergraduate students, and 2,396 were graduate students. Ninety-four percent of undergraduate students attended classes full-time. Six percent attended part-time. Ninety-four percent of undergraduate students were aged 24 years or younger (fall 2015), and the majority—96 percent—had in-state status. Of the graduate students at Illinois State University, 52 percent attended classes full-time and 48 percent attended part-time. ⁱⁱⁱ

In terms of online education, just one percent of undergraduate students were enrolled entirely in online education in fall 2016. Nineteen percent were enrolled in some online education, and the remaining 80 percent were not enrolled in any online education. Of graduate students that same semester and year, 10 percent were enrolled entirely in online education. Three percent were enrolled in some online education, and the remaining 88 percent were not enrolled in any at all. ⁱⁱⁱ

Illinois State University Majors

Based on the number of degrees conferred in the 2015-2016 school year, the following majors were most popular for students pursuing bachelors degrees at Illinois State University: ⁱⁱⁱ

• Elementary Education and Teaching (247 students earned a degree in this area)
• Marketing and Marketing Management (196 students earned a degree in this area)
• Accounting (189 students earned a degree in this area)
• Agriculture (184 students earned a degree in this area)
• Family and Consumer Sciences (180 students earned a degree in this area)
• Registered Nursing (177 students earned a degree in this area)

Finance, special education, management science, criminal justice, psychology, and sociology were also popular subjects to study. In each case, more than 100 students earned a degree in the subject. ⁱⁱⁱ

For students earning masters degrees that same year, these majors were the most popular: ⁱⁱⁱ

• Business Administration and Management (with 53 students earning a degree in this area)
• Health and Physical Education (with 51 students earning a degree in this area)
• Accounting (with 45 students earning a degree in this area)
• Industrial Technology (with 45 students earning a degree in this area)
• Information Technology (with 42 students earning a degree in this area)
• Curriculum and Instruction (with 38 students earning a degree in this area)

Audiology, speech communication and rhetoric, registered nursing, mathematics, and social work were all popular majors for students earning master’s degrees that year. ⁱⁱⁱ

The most popular doctorate degree majors that year were: educational leadership and administration, English language and literature, and audiology. ⁱⁱⁱ

Illinois State University Ranking

U.S. News ranks Illinois State University #159 (tie) in National Universities. The school ranks #83 (tie) in Top Public Schools and #177 (tie) in High School Counselor Rankings.^iv Of Illinois State University’s online programs, U.S. News ranks its graduate nursing program #72 in Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs. The school tied for #186 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs.^v

U.S. News also gave Illinois State University’s graduate programs the following rankings (amongst others):^vi

• Best Education Schools: #120
• Part-time MBA: #143 (tie)
• Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice: #120
• Audiology: #65
• Speech-Language Pathology: #81

Illinois State University Accreditation

Illinois State University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The school has had its accreditation status since 1913. ⁱⁱⁱ

It also has specialized accreditation from several agencies: ⁱⁱⁱ

• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nursing and Dietetics
• The American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation
• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
• The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• The National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
• The National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
• The National Association of Schools on Theatre, Commission on Accreditation

Illinois State University Faculty

In fall 2016, Illinois State University employed 880 full-time instructional faculty members and 266 part-time faculty members with the same focus. The school utilized 673 graduate assistants, 468 of which focused on providing instructional support, and 205 of which focused on providing support with research. ⁱⁱⁱ

That same semester and year, the student to faculty ratio at Illinois State University was 18 to 1. Approximately 32 percent of classes had fewer than 20 students. The majority of classes, 58 percent, had 20 to 49 students.^vii