More selective than 21% 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 $34,309. College Scorecard.
Higher than 65% of Illinois colleges we cover and 69% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 64% of Illinois colleges we cover and 74% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Illinois State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 20,884 applicants, Illinois State University admitted 18,589 and 4,147 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1210 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Illinois State University 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 Illinois State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Illinois State University took 4.3 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 | $11,568 | $49,280 | 1.9 years |
| $30–48k | $12,301 | $52,402 | 2.0 years |
| $48–75k | $16,348 | $69,642 | 2.6 years |
| $75–110k | $23,865 | $101,665 | 3.9 years |
| $110k+ | $28,224 | $120,234 | 4.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (51% 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 ($62,117) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,320 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.
Illinois State University majors, earnings & careers
Illinois State University offers 66 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Business & Finance · 10
- Science & Math · 9
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Technology & Computing · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 3
- Engineering · 3
Highest-earning majors at Illinois State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $111,099 | $22,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $98,382 | $22,250 |
| Management Information Systems | $95,120 | $16,250 |
| Insurance | $94,124 | $19,500 |
| Construction Management | $91,017 | $21,500 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | $90,953 | — |
| Finance | $85,326 | $20,500 |
| Public Health | $84,790 | $22,250 |
Quick list of all 66 majors
- Accounting$84,458
- Agriculture$63,600
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$52,417
- Anthropology$50,177
- Apparel and Textiles$62,339
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$63,725
- Business Administration$66,660
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$65,669
- Chemistry$62,220
- Communications$60,414
- Computer and Information Sciences$98,382
- Computer Science$111,099
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications$90,953
- Construction Management$91,017
- Criminal Justice$62,506
- Dietetics$54,604
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,240
- Education (Subject Teaching)$54,452
- Energy Systems Technologies / Technicians$76,731
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians$80,530
- English$47,445
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$51,806
- Finance$85,326
- Geography$69,383
- Geology / Earth Science$53,272
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$61,628
- Graphic Communications$55,723
- Health Administration$71,707
- History$52,757
- Human Development and Family Studies$52,748
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$76,121
- Information Technology—
- Insurance$94,124
- International Business$71,058
- Journalism$55,641
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$62,112
- Legal Support Services$59,943
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$50,744
- Management Information Systems$95,120
- Management Science / Analytics$70,671
- Marketing$77,956
- Mathematics$75,318
- Medical Laboratory Science$73,220
- Music$54,767
- Nursing$81,264
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$55,032
- Philosophy—
- Physics$81,949
- Political Science$59,571
- Psychology$51,941
- Public Health$84,790
- Public Relations and Advertising$67,752
- Social Work$55,089
- Sociology$51,000
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$45,994
- Special Education$52,864
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$62,510
- Studio Art$51,386
- Theatre$40,258
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other$49,774
— 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 →Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Bloomington
Overall prices in the Bloomington, IL area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,287. Housing costs 25% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 7 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, McLean County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
McLean County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Illinois State University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State University | 88% | $19,398 | 65% | $62,117 | This school |
| University of Illinois Chicago | 77% | $10,974 | 62% | $68,740 | |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 87% | $13,297 | 62% | $53,390 | |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 98% | $14,889 | 57% | $56,346 | |
| University of Illinois Springfield | 86% | $9,833 | 53% | $57,103 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Illinois State University would cost you $8,424 more per year than University of Illinois Chicago, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Illinois State University, mostly from more University of Illinois Chicago students living at home, which lowers its average (+$8,720).
- University of Illinois Chicago gives aided families $1,636 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | Illinois State University | UIC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $16,144 | $14,338 | +$1,806 |
| Books & supplies | $830 | $1,400 | −$570 |
| Housing & meals | $11,584 | $14,600 | −$3,016 |
| Personal & travel | $5,874 | $6,026 | −$152 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$123 | −$8,843 | +$8,720 |
| Sticker price | $34,309 | $27,521 | +$6,788 |
| Average grants | −$14,911 | −$16,547 | +$1,636 |
| You pay | $19,398 | $10,974 | +$8,424 |
“+” means Illinois State University 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 Illinois State University
What is the Illinois State University acceptance rate?
Illinois State University accepts 88% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 18,589 of 20,884 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1210 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
How much does Illinois State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $34,309 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,398 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,568 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,224.
How much do Illinois State University graduates earn?
Former Illinois State University students earn a median $62,117 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Illinois State University graduation rate?
65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for their second year.
How long does a Illinois State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Illinois State University costs about $69,642 after grants ($16,348 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $62,117 ten years after starting, $26,320 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 2.6 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: “Illinois State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/illinois-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).