# Eastern Illinois University (EIU)

Public college in Charleston, IL. IPEDS ID 144892.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/eastern-illinois-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/eastern-illinois-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 65% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $12,786 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 47%; beats 25% of IL colleges and 37% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $51,989; beats 23% of IL colleges and 46% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $15,722

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,828 |
| 30-48k | $8,619 |
| 48-75k | $11,412 |
| 75-110k | $15,665 |
| 110k+ | $21,027 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.4 years on average (29% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $51,989 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $26,996 in-state; about $29,534 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $13,679 in-state, $16,217 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $11,298; books: $150

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 460–560; SAT math: 420–530; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 11,648 applicants, 7,892 admitted, 819 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 65%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 68%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: none; important: none; considered: none
- Early decision: no; early action: no; waitlist: no
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.35
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 79% of need met; 126 of 634 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 89 students, average $4,534
- Source: https://www.eiu.edu/ir/docs/common_data_sets/25-26.xlsx

## Majors (56 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $58,817 | $81,362 | $23,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $42,284 | $72,220 | $26,000 |
| Finance | $51,370 | $70,704 | $22,468 |
| Accounting | $48,070 | $66,840 | $23,974 |
| Marketing | $46,844 | $62,994 | $24,250 |
| Political Science | $28,721 | $61,519 | $24,739 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $42,500 | $60,985 | $25,000 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | $60,473 | $19,500 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $38,369 | $59,401 | $23,745 |
| Communications | $37,778 | $57,887 | $26,000 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $50,862 | $54,791 | $22,033 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $38,821 | $54,548 | $28,866 |
| Journalism | not reported | $54,038 | not reported |
| Biology | $31,278 | $53,725 | $24,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $40,273 | $52,078 | $24,250 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $34,511 | $50,502 | $25,000 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | $49,556 | $26,000 |
| Psychology | $35,740 | $49,478 | $22,500 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $35,425 | $49,424 | $22,500 |
| Music | $37,163 | $49,236 | $26,300 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences | $33,113 | $49,209 | $26,000 |
| Sociology | $39,547 | $48,925 | $25,817 |
| Special Education | $43,955 | $47,566 | $26,046 |
| English | $31,933 | $47,222 | $25,053 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $41,582 | $43,190 | $22,075 |
| History | $32,149 | $40,597 | $21,500 |
| Studio Art | $26,213 | $39,923 | $25,000 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biotechnology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | $40,489 | not reported | not reported |
| Criminology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Laboratory Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dietetics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nursing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Hospitality Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Construction Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Communications → Public relations specialist: median wage not reported (metro), $76,380 (IL), $74,750 (U.S.)
- Accounting → Accountant / auditor: median wage not reported (metro), $80,230 (IL), $83,680 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).