$62,117
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Illinois State University is a public 4-year college in Normal, Illinois with 19,057 undergraduates and 2,439 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $19,398 a year (tuition and fees $16,144 in-state, $28,210 out-of-state). It admits 88% of applicants and 65% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $62,117 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $20,482 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$19,398
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$16,144
Out-of-state $28,210
Admission rate
88%
US median 78%
Completion rate
65%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$20,482
About $217 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$62,117
Rank 683 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $19,398
- Tuition in-state
- $16,144
- Tuition out-of-state
- $28,210
- Cost of attendance
- $34,309
- Students with a need-based grant
- 32%
- Students with federal loans
- 43%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,568
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $12,301
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $16,348
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $23,865
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $28,224
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $13,666 in 2015-16 to $16,144 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 88%
- Average SAT
- 1,113
- SAT reading, middle
- 560
- SAT math, middle
- 540
- ACT, middle
- 24
- Undergraduates
- 19,057
- Graduate students
- 2,439
- Part-time students
- 5.3%
- Women
- 57%
- Students per teacher
- 19
- Completion rate
- 65%
- Retention rate
- 81%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 142
- Endowment
- $224.3M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 683 of 5,094 US colleges and 26 of 189 in Illinois (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | IL median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $19,398 | $15,156 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $16,144 | $13,291 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 88% | 77% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 65% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 81% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $20,482 | $10,297 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $50,599 | $34,234 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $62,117 | $39,544 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 74% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 82% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
142 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 473 | $20,833 | $44,898 | $49,240 | $47,382 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 256 | $19,472 | $51,687 | $77,956 | $69,303 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 215 | $19,500 | $72,709 | $81,264 | $88,910 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 200 | $20,500 | $32,104 | $51,941 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 176 | $19,000 | $37,584 | $62,506 | $55,378 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 176 | $18,625 | $54,958 | $85,326 | $83,343 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 169 | $15,000 | $50,647 | $66,660 | $68,257 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 166 | $19,500 | $38,125 | $60,414 | $56,359 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 166 | $20,299 | $62,940 | $84,458 | $76,194 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 163 | $20,875 | $44,613 | $54,452 | $51,389 |
| Special Education and TeachingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 151 | $19,500 | $48,358 | $52,864 | $50,499 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 123 | $20,331 | $31,745 | $50,744 | $53,072 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 120 | $20,989 | $36,337 | $63,725 | $57,214 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 111 | $21,500 | $40,465 | $52,757 | $50,680 |
| Agriculture, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 109 | $15,750 | $47,295 | $63,600 | $53,676 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 109 | $20,750 | $39,563 | $47,445 | $48,590 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 97 | $17,750 | $35,967 | $51,386 | $41,367 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 96 | $21,500 | $47,553 | $70,671 | $86,176 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 90 | $19,500 | Withheld | $62,510 | $58,928 |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 85 | $19,750 | $52,597 | $75,318 | $69,562 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 84 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 77 | $19,700 | $30,051 | $62,112 | $54,562 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 77 | $20,500 | $34,519 | $59,571 | $63,293 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 76 | $19,236 | $39,104 | $55,032 | $50,468 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 71 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Illinois on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Illinois
- Homes: Homes for sale in Illinois
Questions and answers
How much does Illinois State University cost?
$19,398 a year is the average net price at Illinois State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $16,144 for in-state students and $28,210 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $34,309. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,568 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Illinois State University?
88% of applicants are admitted to Illinois State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,113 and the middle ACT score is 24. The median admission rate of colleges in Illinois is 77%.
How much do Illinois State University graduates earn?
$62,117 a year is the median pay of former Illinois State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($50,599 after 6 years). That ranks 683 of 5,094 US colleges and 26 of 189 in Illinois. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's) at $108,154.
How much student debt do Illinois State University graduates have?
$20,482 is the median federal student loan debt of Illinois State University graduates, about $217 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 43% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Illinois State University?
65% of first-time, full-time students at Illinois State University finish within 6 years. 81% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Illinois State University?
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (473 bachelor's graduates), Marketing (256 bachelor's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (215 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 142 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.