Illinois State vs Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU)

Envision yourself as a student, standing at the crossroads of two esteemed institutions: Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University. While both universities share the "Illinois" moniker, they offer distinct experiences that cater to different academic aspirations and campus lifestyles. Illinois State, a public university, boasts a larger student body and a wider range of academic programs, including graduate degrees. Illinois Wesleyan, a private liberal arts college, prides itself on its small class sizes, personalized attention, and strong emphasis on undergraduate education. As you embark on this side-by-side comparison, delve into the nuances that set these universities apart, from their acceptance rates and popular majors to student demographics and graduation outcomes. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals, personal preferences, and vision for your college journey.

	Illinois State University	Illinois Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Normal, Illinois	Bloomington, Illinois
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	83.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.5%	45.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1000 - 1200	1110 - 1310
ACT range	21 - 27	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	51.0%	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	31.0%
Total number of applicants	11,913	4,543
Total number of admissions given out	10,905	2,055
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,374	432
Yield rate	30.9%	21.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $31,811 Out of state: $43,335	$67,124
Average net price	$21,033	$30,610
Tuition	In state: $11,524 Out of state: $23,048	$52,308
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,494 Meal plan: $4,652	Room/dormitory: $7,584 Meal plan: $4,528
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	91.0% Average amount $10,848	100.0% Average amount $34,810
Students receiving federal student loan	46.0% Average amount $5,065	68.0% Average amount $5,692
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $14,532	35.0% Average amount $6,781

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	17,674 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%	1,653 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
Graduate students	2,559 Men 35.1% Women 64.9%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	4.2%	N/A
International students	2.8%	3.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,560	1,308
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Missouri Wisconsin Michigan Iowa	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.3%	81.1%
Dropout rate	32.0%	18.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,556 Year 2: $95,930 Year 3: $102,485 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,002 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $78,276 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,303 Year 2: $72,884 Year 3: $77,896 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,576 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $73,936 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,516 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,592 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,000 Year 2: $64,791 Year 3: $70,358 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,829 Year 2: $65,194 Year 3: $65,533 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,294 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $64,567 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,313 Year 2: $52,781 Year 3: $64,241 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,480 Year 2: $54,470 Year 3: $63,207	Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,305 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $77,743 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,838 Year 2: $62,792 Year 3: $73,001 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,460 Year 2: $62,775 Year 3: $69,764 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,302 Year 2: $50,356 Year 3: $56,336 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $46,139 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,272 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $39,988 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,075 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $30,321 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: N/A Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $27,439 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: N/A

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