$54,163
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Western Illinois University is a public 4-year college in Macomb, Illinois with 4,410 undergraduates and 1,807 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $12,937 a year (tuition and fees $15,264). It admits 71% of applicants and 45% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $54,163 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $25,251 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$12,937
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$15,264
US median $11,837
Admission rate
71%
US median 78%
Completion rate
45%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$25,251
About $268 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$54,163
Rank 1,165 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
- $12,937
- Tuition and fees
- $15,264
- Cost of attendance
- $28,254
- Students with a need-based grant
- 28%
- Students with federal loans
- 32%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $6,941
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,787
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $12,062
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,294
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $19,701
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 $12,889 in 2015-16 to $15,264 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
- 71%
- Undergraduates
- 4,410
- Graduate students
- 1,807
- Part-time students
- 15%
- Women
- 59%
- Students per teacher
- 12
- Completion rate
- 45%
- Retention rate
- 61%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 124
- Endowment
- $97.4M
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 1,165 of 5,094 US colleges and 48 of 189 in Illinois (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | IL median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $12,937 | $15,156 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $15,264 | $13,291 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 71% | 77% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 45% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 61% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $25,251 | $10,297 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,057 | $34,234 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $54,163 | $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. 59% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 72% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
124 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 197 | $24,859 | $40,898 | $63,125 | $55,378 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 187 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $124,201 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 120 | $25,000 | $38,196 | $55,944 | $53,072 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 89 | $21,230 | $63,284 | $85,221 | $103,485 |
| Agriculture, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 79 | $17,062 | $48,509 | $58,333 | $53,676 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 61 | Withheld | $54,160 | $54,990 | $59,916 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 58 | $27,000 | $30,471 | $44,683 | $50,706 |
| StatisticsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 55 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $123,816 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 48 | $24,312 | $45,137 | $70,021 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 45 | $22,446 | $40,544 | $43,279 | $47,382 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 44 | $36,730 | $78,675 | $85,383 | $71,685 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's | Master's | 42 | $31,211 | $42,905 | $51,103 | $60,111 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $27,000 | $34,052 | $50,855 | $57,214 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsOnlineGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 41 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $122,843 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessMaster's | Master's | 40 | $28,530 | $38,630 | $54,783 | $62,033 |
| Communication and Media StudiesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 37 | $28,170 | $34,142 | $51,203 | $56,359 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $28,369 | $39,641 | $54,063 | $51,790 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsMaster's | Master's | 30 | $36,796 | $49,381 | $78,861 | $66,714 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $20,559 | $74,490 | $86,694 | $88,910 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $23,627 | $49,900 | $71,059 | $76,194 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $24,242 | $62,578 | $92,824 | $92,374 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $29,125 | $28,315 | $53,576 | $54,562 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | $27,000 | $28,978 | $46,363 | $50,468 |
| MusicMaster's | Master's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,285 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | $28,500 | $39,977 | $68,306 | $69,303 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Macomb and Illinois on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Illinois
- Homes: Homes for sale in Illinois
Questions and answers
How much does Western Illinois University cost?
$12,937 a year is the average net price at Western Illinois University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $15,264, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $28,254. Families earning under $30,000 pay $6,941 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Illinois University?
71% of applicants are admitted to Western Illinois University. The median admission rate of colleges in Illinois is 77%.
How much do Western Illinois University graduates earn?
$54,163 a year is the median pay of former Western Illinois University students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,057 after 6 years). That ranks 1,165 of 5,094 US colleges and 48 of 189 in Illinois. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral) at $149,003.
How much student debt do Western Illinois University graduates have?
$25,251 is the median federal student loan debt of Western Illinois University graduates, about $268 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 32% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Western Illinois University?
45% of first-time, full-time students at Western Illinois University finish within 6 years. 61% 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 Western Illinois University?
Criminal Justice and Corrections (197 bachelor's graduates), Computer and Information Sciences, General (187 master's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (120 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 124 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.