Illinois State University
Illinois State 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
Illinois State University Featured Rankings
- #2 Most Affordable Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Degree Programs
- #4 Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #4 Illinois's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #6 Most Affordable Online Master's of Music Education Degree Programs
- #7 Online Master's in Kinesiology
- #9 Best Research Universities in Illinois 2026
- #10 Best Colleges in Illinois
- #10 Best Grad Schools Illinois 2026
- #21 Online Master’s in Special Education
About Illinois State University
According to Wikipedia, Illinois State University is a public research university in Normal, Illinois. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of the top ten largest producers of teachers in the US according to the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Illinois State University's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Data Science: Computer Science
- Required Credits: 9
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Special Education
Degree Concentrations
- Transition Specialist
- Learning Behavior Intervention Specialist 2
- Multiple Disabilities Specialist
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Curriculum Adaptation Specialist
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Director Of Special Education
- Required Credits: 24
MS in Special Education
Degree Concentrations
- Interdisciplinary Early Intervention Sensory Disabilities
- Required Credits: 39
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in School Nurse
- Required Credits: 10
- Format: Fully online
MS in Kinesiology And Recreation
Degree Concentrations
- Athletic Training
- Biomechanics
- Exercise Physiology
- Physical Education Pedagogy
- Psychology Of Sport And Physical Activity
- Recreation Administration
- Sport Management
- Applied Community And Economic Development
- Athletic Training
- Biomechanics
- Exercise Physiology
- Physical Education Pedagogy
- Psychology Of Sport And Physical Activity
- Recreation Administration
- Sport Management
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing Practice Post Master'S
- Required Credits: 34
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Format: Fully online
Illinois State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20,884 | 88% | 81% | 67% | 1100 | 24 |
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 Illinois State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $16,152 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $12,040 |
| 30K - 48K | $11,006 |
| 48K - 75K | $12,488 |
| 75K - 110K | $21,505 |
| 110K+ | $27,183 |
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 Illinois State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Illinois State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $67,557 a year, and 96% 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.
Illinois State 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 22,892 | 19,842 | 3,050 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Illinois State University?
Illinois State University is located at North and School Streets, Normal, IL 61790-1000.
How Safe is Illinois State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Illinois State University has a violent crime rate of 0.07% and a property crime rate of 0.01%. Normal has a violent crime rate of 0.34% and a property crime rate of 1.58%. 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 Illinois State University Known For?
Illinois State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
- Education
- Physics
- Communications
- Anthropology
- History
- Earth Sciences
- Literature
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Business
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Economics
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Social Work
Illinois State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Illinois State 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
Illinois State University ranks #158 in the U.S. and #257 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesIllinois State University ranks #162 in the U.S. and #406 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesIllinois State University ranks #176 in the U.S. and #679 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesIllinois State University ranks #183 in the U.S. and #771 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesIllinois State University ranks #215 in the U.S. and #759 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesIllinois State University ranks #223 in the U.S. and #698 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesIllinois State University ranks #232 in the U.S. and #658 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesIllinois State University ranks #251 in the U.S. and #1071 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesIllinois State University ranks #266 in the U.S. and #785 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesIllinois State University ranks #267 in the U.S. and #1033 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesIllinois State University ranks #278 in the U.S. and #1100 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesIllinois State University ranks #310 in the U.S. and #1078 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesIllinois State University ranks #312 in the U.S. and #1627 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesIllinois State University ranks #316 in the U.S. and #1135 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesIllinois State University ranks #346 in the U.S. and #1222 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesIllinois State University ranks #361 in the U.S. and #903 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesIllinois State University ranks #368 in the U.S. and #2180 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesIllinois State University ranks #376 in the U.S. and #1506 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesIllinois State University ranks #385 in the U.S. and #1278 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesIllinois State University ranks #386 in the U.S. and #1775 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesIllinois State University ranks #447 in the U.S. and #2688 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesIllinois State University ranks #922 in the U.S. and #2232 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are Illinois State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Illinois State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Education. Here are some of Illinois State University's most famous alumni:
- John Malkovich
- An American actor.
- K. Patricia Cross
- An American educational research .
- Chen Chi-kwan
- A Chinese painter, architect and educator.
- Samuel Garman
- An American zoologist .
- William S. Sadler
- A Psychiatrist and author.
- Charles De Garmo
- An American educator, education theorist and college president .
- Donald McHenry
- An American diplomat.
- Richard Roeper
- An American writer and film critic.
- Sandra Steingraber
- An American biologist and author.
- Cloris Leachman
- An American actress and comedian .
- Doug Collins
- An American basketball player and coach.
- William S. Gray
- An American academic.
Who Are Illinois State University's Most Influential Faculty?
Illinois State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Education. Here are some of Illinois State University's most famous faculty:
