Illinois State University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $19,398/yr.

✅ Best for

Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Education (the two biggest majors)
Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1010, or ACT below 22 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification

R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity

Total enrollment

19,057

20,000 and above

In-state tuition

$16,144

sticker, before aid

Out-of-state tuition

$28,210

+$12,066 vs in-state

Admit rate

89.0%

Accepts the majority

SAT middle 50%

1010–1230

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

22–27

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$62,117

median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry

$50,599

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$62,117

4-year completion

65%

Median debt (completers)

$20,482

Cost of attendance

$34,309

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

32%

💰 True ROI

8.0× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)

$77,592

$19,398/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$59,644

vs sticker $137,236

10-yr earnings total

$621,170

$62,117/yr median, 10 yrs out

Years to recoup actual cost

1.2 yrs

at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Illinois State University, the average net price is $19,398/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$11,568/yr

Family income $30-48k

$12,301/yr

Family income $48-75k

$16,348/yr

Family income $75-110k

$23,865/yr

Family income $110k+

$28,224/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Illinois State University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Illinois State University →

Opens on Illinois State University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Illinois State University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Illinois State University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing

931 degrees · 36.5%

Typical career outcomes

Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k

Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.

2. Education

740 degrees · 29.0%

Typical career outcomes

Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k

Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.

3. Health Professions

417 degrees · 16.3%

Typical career outcomes

Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k

Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.

4. Communication, Journalism, & Related

262 degrees · 10.3%

Typical career outcomes

Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k

Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.

5. Visual & Performing Arts

201 degrees · 7.9%

Typical career outcomes

Graphic Designer $59k Art Director $106k Multimedia Artist / Animator $99k Musician / Singer $39k

Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Illinois State University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP)	Credential	Cohort	1-yr earnings	4-yr earnings
Computer Science.	Bachelor's Degree	58	$81,363	$111,099
Computer and Information Sciences, General.	Bachelor's Degree	26	$65,127	$98,382
Management Information Systems and Services.	Bachelor's Degree	32	$52,887	$95,120
Insurance.	Bachelor's Degree	38	$51,499	$94,124
Construction Management.	Bachelor's Degree	54	$70,672	$91,017
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	Bachelor's Degree	7	$66,801	$90,953
Finance and Financial Management Services.	Bachelor's Degree	161	$54,958	$85,326
Public Health.	Bachelor's Degree	19	$59,207	$84,790
Accounting and Related Services.	Bachelor's Degree	140	$62,940	$84,458
Physics.	Bachelor's Degree	17	—	$81,949

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Illinois State University

CS degrees (annual)

76

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Illinois State University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Illinois State University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options

These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Illinois State University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.

University of Alabama in Huntsville

AL · Public

39 auto-merit scholarships on file

Texas Tech University

TX · Public

31 auto-merit scholarships on file

The University of Alabama

AL · Public

23 auto-merit scholarships on file

Mississippi State University

MS · Public

19 auto-merit scholarships on file