Illinois State University
Normal, IL · Public
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Illinois State University admitted 85.5% of applicants university-wide (20,382 of 23,826).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 85.5% | 20,382 | 23,826 |
| In-state | 85.7% | 19,001 | 22,162 |
| Out-of-state | 80.9% | 1,007 | 1,245 |
| International applicants | 90.3% | 345 | 382 |
| Men | 83.2% | 7,946 | 9,555 |
| Women | 87.1% | 12,436 | 14,271 |
Of 20,382 admitted students, 4,253 enrolled (20.9% yield).
Illinois State University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C1–C2 · 2025 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1000–1210
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 21–27
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.00–3.99
Testing policy: Test-blind (scores not considered)
Illinois State University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C9–C12 · 2025 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $48,648/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $25,338 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $23,310 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $48,648/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $11,568 |
| $30k–48k | $12,301 |
| $48k–75k | $16,348 |
| $75k–110k | $23,865 |
| Over $110k | $28,224 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Provost's Scholarship — $8,000 per year (Merit)
- University Scholarship — $4,000 per year (Merit)
- Illinois State University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full non-resident tuition (Presidential)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- International Freshman Academic Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (International Aid)
- International Transfer Academic Scholarship — Up to $5,000 per year (International Aid)
Illinois State University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections G–H · 2025
Application requirements
US applicants
- High School Transcript
- SAT/ACT Scores (optional)
- Academic Personal Statement (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- High School Transcript
- SAT/ACT Scores (optional)
- Academic Personal Statement (optional)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Illinois State University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $62,117
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 64.5%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 82%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $20,482
- At graduation
Illinois State University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #222
- WSJ: #147
- Forbes: #260
- Niche: #578
Deadlines
- 2027-04-01Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Illinois State University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C21–C22 · 2025
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (21%), Visual & performing arts (5%), Psychology (5%).
Student–faculty ratio: 19:1 · 34% of class sections have under 20 students.
Illinois State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.