More selective than 69% of Illinois colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,996. College Scorecard.
Higher than 25% of Illinois colleges we cover and 37% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 23% of Illinois colleges we cover and 46% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
EIU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 11,648 applicants, Eastern Illinois University admitted 7,892 and 819 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1090 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
EIU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Illinois residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What EIU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Eastern Illinois University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Illinois. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,828 | $43,243 | 2.7 years |
| $30–48k | $8,619 | $37,924 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $11,412 | $50,213 | 3.1 years |
| $75–110k | $15,665 | $68,926 | 4.3 years |
| $110k+ | $21,027 | $92,519 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (29% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($51,989) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,192 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
EIU majors, earnings & careers
Eastern Illinois University offers 56 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Science & Math · 7
- Communications & Media · 4
- Engineering · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
Highest-earning majors at EIU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $81,362 | $23,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $72,220 | $26,000 |
| Finance | $70,704 | $22,468 |
| Accounting | $66,840 | $23,974 |
| Marketing | $62,994 | $24,250 |
| Political Science | $61,519 | $24,739 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $60,985 | $25,000 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | $60,473 | $19,500 |
Quick list of all 56 majors
- Accounting$66,840
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$49,556
- Biology$53,725
- Biotechnology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$57,887
- Computer and Information Sciences$72,220
- Computer Science—
- Construction Management—
- Criminal Justice—
- Criminology—
- Dietetics—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$43,190
- Education (Subject Teaching)$54,548
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering, Other—
- English$47,222
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$49,209
- Finance$70,704
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Health Administration—
- History$40,597
- Hospitality Management—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$81,362
- Information Technology—
- Journalism$54,038
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$50,502
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$52,078
- Linguistics—
- Management Science / Analytics$60,985
- Marketing$62,994
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$54,791
- Music$49,236
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$49,424
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$61,519
- Psychology$49,478
- Public Relations and Advertising$59,401
- Sociology$48,925
- Special Education$47,566
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$60,473
- Studio Art$39,923
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Charleston
2 bedrooms $950.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 19 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Coles County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Coles County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare EIU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Illinois by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois University | 65% | $12,786 | 47% | $51,989 | This school |
| Western Illinois University | 71% | $12,937 | 45% | $54,163 | |
| Northeastern Illinois University | 75% | $14,109 | 22% | $52,234 | |
| University of Illinois Springfield | 86% | $9,833 | 53% | $57,103 | |
| Governors State University | 48% | $12,329 | 22% | $58,169 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Eastern Illinois University would cost you $151 less per year than Western Illinois University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Eastern Illinois University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$1,585).
- Western Illinois University gives aided families $1,107 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | EIU | Western Illinois University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $13,679 | $15,264 | −$1,585 |
| Books & supplies | $150 | $1,200 | −$1,050 |
| Housing & meals | $11,298 | $10,920 | +$378 |
| Personal & travel | $2,768 | $1,776 | +$992 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$899 | −$906 | +$7 |
| Sticker price | $26,996 | $28,254 | −$1,258 |
| Average grants | −$14,210 | −$15,317 | +$1,107 |
| You pay | $12,786 | $12,937 | −$151 |
“+” means EIU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about EIU
What is the EIU acceptance rate?
Eastern Illinois University accepts 65% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,892 of 11,648 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1090 on the SAT.
How much does Eastern Illinois University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,996 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,786 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,828 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,027.
How much do EIU graduates earn?
Former Eastern Illinois University students earn a median $51,989 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the EIU graduation rate?
47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a EIU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Eastern Illinois University costs about $50,213 after grants ($11,412 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,989 ten years after starting, $16,192 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 3.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Eastern Illinois University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/eastern-illinois-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).