# Western Illinois University

Public college in Macomb, IL. IPEDS ID 149772.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-illinois-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/western-illinois-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 71% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $12,937 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 45%; beats 21% of IL colleges and 33% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $54,163; beats 34% of IL colleges and 53% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $19,762

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $6,941 |
| 30-48k | $8,787 |
| 48-75k | $12,062 |
| 75-110k | $16,294 |
| 110k+ | $19,701 |

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 4.38 years on average (31% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $54,163 (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 | $6,941 | $30,402 | 1.7 years |
| 30-48k | $8,787 | $38,487 | 2.1 years |
| 48-75k | $12,062 | $52,832 | 2.9 years |
| 75-110k | $16,294 | $71,368 | 3.9 years |
| 110k+ | $19,701 | $86,290 | 4.7 years |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $28,254 in-state; about $28,254 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $15,264 in-state, $15,264 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $10,920; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 8,479 applicants, 6,356 admitted, 968 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 71%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 75%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2024-25 (Fall 2024)
- Very important: gpa; important: none; considered: none
- Early decision: not reported; early action: not reported; waitlist: not reported
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.48
- Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UpTMo05R_z14nyeZVITy8qUIpxt_X48p/view?usp=drive_link

## Majors (72 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $62,578 | $92,824 | $25,250 |
| Nursing | $74,490 | $86,694 | $23,750 |
| Construction Management | $70,789 | $85,974 | $26,000 |
| Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $64,762 | $75,922 | $32,373 |
| Accounting | $49,900 | $71,059 | $30,023 |
| Human Resources | $47,467 | $70,157 | $26,000 |
| Business Administration | $45,137 | $70,021 | $27,000 |
| Finance | not reported | $69,716 | $27,000 |
| Fire Protection | $41,432 | $68,753 | $22,723 |
| Marketing | $39,977 | $68,306 | $29,592 |
| Chemistry | $31,980 | $68,249 | $27,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $40,898 | $63,125 | $26,000 |
| Agriculture | $48,509 | $58,333 | $18,969 |
| Health Administration | $40,261 | $56,771 | $39,688 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $38,196 | $55,944 | $28,750 |
| Dietetics | not reported | $54,394 | not reported |
| Social Work | $39,641 | $54,063 | $29,850 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences | not reported | $54,059 | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $28,315 | $53,576 | $31,000 |
| Linguistics | $37,155 | $53,453 | $29,875 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $44,376 | $51,255 | not reported |
| Communications | $34,142 | $51,203 | $30,000 |
| Political Science | $32,359 | $50,963 | $25,000 |
| Biology | $34,052 | $50,855 | $27,585 |
| Graphic Communications | not reported | $50,751 | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | $50,080 | $30,478 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | $49,431 | not reported |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other | not reported | $48,039 | not reported |
| History | not reported | $47,084 | $31,250 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | $27,462 | $46,966 | $29,054 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $28,978 | $46,363 | $29,000 |
| Special Education | $46,729 | $45,395 | $25,986 |
| Psychology | $30,471 | $44,683 | $29,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $40,544 | $43,279 | $25,133 |
| English | $30,652 | $41,984 | $23,750 |
| Music | $32,666 | $39,609 | $30,000 |
| Studio Art | $26,196 | $35,703 | $27,000 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Educational / Instructional Media Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | $66,112 | not reported | not reported |
| Civil Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | 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 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | not reported | $20,375 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Hospitality Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Criminal Justice → Police officer: median wage not reported (metro), $100,520 (IL), $76,210 (U.S.)
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage not reported (metro), $104,270 (IL), $101,860 (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).