Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Eastern Illinois University Featured Rankings
- #2 Online Master’s in Human Services
- #8 Illinois' Best Online Colleges 2026
- #10 Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #10 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #12 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Illinois
- #12 Online Master’s in English
- #13 Illinois's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #21 Best Colleges in Illinois
- #25 Online Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership
- #30 Best Online RN-to-BSN
- #45 Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
About Eastern Illinois University
According to Wikipedia, Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a comprehensive university with a broad curriculum, including bachelor's and master's degrees in education, business, arts, sciences, and humanities.
Eastern Illinois University's Online Degrees
MA in Music
Degree Concentrations
- Music Education
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 3 years
MBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Applied Management
- Mba With Gis
- Accountacy Concentration
- Cybersecurity (Ms And Mba Dual Degree)
- Research Option
- Health Promotion And Leadership Dual Degree
- Cybersecurity (Ms And Mba Dual Degree)
- Health Promotion And Leadership Dual Degree
- Applied Management
- Mba With Gis
- Accountacy Concentration
- Cybersecurity (Ms And Mba Dual Degree)
- Research Option
- Required Credits: 7 + concentration requirements
Graduate Certificate in Teaching Of Writing
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
MS in College Student Affairs
Degree Concentrations
- Higher Education And Community College
- Required Credits: 43
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Curriculum And Instruction
- Required Credits: 35-36
- Completion Time: 2-3years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Communication Studies
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Public Planning
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
MA in English
Degree Concentrations
- Literary Studies
- Composition
- Rhetoric
- Required Credits: 32
- Completion Time: 2
- Format: Fully online
MA in Political Science
Degree Concentrations
- Public Administration And Public Policy
- Option In Public Administration And Public Policy
- Required Credits: 32
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MA in Communication Studies
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Human Services Program Administration
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MS in Talent Development
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Communication In Organizations
- Required Credits: 46
- Format: Fully online
MS in Health Promotion And Leadership
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MSND in Nutrition Education
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: up to 6 years
- Format: Fully online
BSN in Nursing: RN to BSN
- Required Credits: 35
- Completion Time: 14 months
- Format: Fully online
BS in Health Promotion
Degree Concentrations
- Emergency Management And Disaster Preparedness
- Format: Fully online
BA in Psychology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
Eastern Illinois University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,648 | 65% | 72% | 50% | 985 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Eastern Illinois University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $14,654 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,813 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,968 |
| 48K - 75K | $9,713 |
| 75K - 110K | $14,840 |
| 110K+ | $20,729 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Eastern Illinois University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Eastern Illinois University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $55,885 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Eastern Illinois University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 10,734 | 8,274 | 2,460 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Eastern Illinois University?
Eastern Illinois University is located at 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL 61920.
How Safe is Eastern Illinois University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Eastern Illinois University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Eastern Illinois University has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property crime rate of 0.14%. Charleston has a violent crime rate of 0.37% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.82%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Eastern Illinois University Known For?
Eastern Illinois University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- History
- Earth Sciences
- Communications
- Literature
- Nursing
- Business
- Economics
- Biology
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Education
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- Medical
- Chemistry
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
Eastern Illinois University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Eastern Illinois University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Eastern Illinois University ranks #409 in the U.S. and #1162 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #414 in the U.S. and #1728 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #443 in the U.S. and #1642 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #540 in the U.S. and #1650 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #565 in the U.S. and #1484 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #572 in the U.S. and #2121 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #606 in the U.S. and #3634 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #655 in the U.S. and #2881 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #664 in the U.S. and #2881 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #668 in the U.S. and #2710 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #714 in the U.S. and #1858 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #747 in the U.S. and #3232 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #750 in the U.S. and #2507 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #751 in the U.S. and #3261 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #803 in the U.S. and #2709 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #881 in the U.S. and #3928 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #901 in the U.S. and #3170 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #944 in the U.S. and #4070 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #999 in the U.S. and #5348 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesEastern Illinois University ranks #1511 in the U.S. and #2941 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWho Are Eastern Illinois University's Most Influential Alumni?
Eastern Illinois University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of History, Nursing, and Communications. Here are some of Eastern Illinois University's most famous alumni:
- Ronald W. Davis
- An American biochemist.
- John Malkovich
- An American actor.
- Burl Ives
- An American musician .
- Joan Allen
- An American actress.
- Johnny Matson
- An American psychologist.
- Jim Edgar
- An American politician from Illinois.
- Malcolm L. McCallum
- An American herpetologist.
- Tisa Mason
- An American Educator.
- Lee Martin
- An American writer.
- Gary Noffke
- An American artist.
- Del Unser
- An American baseball player.
- Matt Hughes
- An American mixed martial arts fighter.
