Knox College
Knox College 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
Knox College Featured Rankings
About Knox College
According to Wikipedia, Knox College is a private liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois. It was founded in 1837 and offers more than 60 courses of study. History Knox College was founded as Knox Manual Labor College by Presbyterians and Congregationalists from New York state organized by George Washington Gale, who previously had founded the Oneida Institute. Gale in 1836 released a "Circular and Plan" for the founding of a manual labor colleges which described a subscriber- and land purchase-based method of funding. His plan resulted in the founding of at least one school when in 1837 subscribers settled in what became Galesburg and began to build the college. The first President was Hiram Huntington Kellogg Sr., who went on a book-buying trip to England; the books he acquired form the Knox Manual Labor College Collection. Knox opened to students in 1843 and was one of the earliest colleges to admit Black people and women. Like Gale, many of the founders of Knox College and residents of Galesburg were abolitionists and actively supported the Underground Railroad.
Knox College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,136 | 71% | 83% | 73% | 1310 | 26 |
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 Knox College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $60,051 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $17,912 |
| 30K - 48K | $14,598 |
| 48K - 75K | $14,726 |
| 75K - 110K | $21,578 |
| 110K+ | $24,686 |
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 Knox College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Knox College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $56,244 a year, and 95% 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.
Knox College 's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 1,034 | 1,034 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Knox College ?
Knox College is located at 2 E South St, Galesburg, IL 61401.
How Safe is Knox College ?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Knox College 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, Knox College has a violent crime rate of 0.09% and a property crime rate of 0.44%. Galesburg has a violent crime rate of 0.52% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.01%. 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 Knox College Known For?
Knox College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Computer Science
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- History
- Sociology
- Biology
- Literature
- Economics
- Education
- Anthropology
- Chemistry
Knox College 's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Knox College '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
Knox College ranks #244 in the U.S. and #972 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesKnox College ranks #270 in the U.S. and #663 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesKnox College ranks #282 in the U.S. and #1110 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesKnox College ranks #303 in the U.S. and #1349 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesKnox College ranks #355 in the U.S. and #1177 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesKnox College ranks #384 in the U.S. and #1555 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesKnox College ranks #413 in the U.S. and #1170 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesKnox College ranks #439 in the U.S. and #1522 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesKnox College ranks #461 in the U.S. and #1957 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesKnox College ranks #472 in the U.S. and #1435 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesKnox College ranks #513 in the U.S. and #3071 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesKnox College ranks #533 in the U.S. and #2365 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesKnox College ranks #713 in the U.S. and #2225 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesKnox College ranks #849 in the U.S. and #3758 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWho Are Knox College 's Most Influential Alumni?
Knox College 's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Psychology, Literature, and Computer Science. Here are some of Knox College 's most famous alumni:
- Robert Hanssen
- A FBI agent who spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence services.
- Thomas E. Kurtz
- An American computer scientist and educator.
- David A. Kolb
- An American psychologist and philosopher.
- Edgar Lee Masters
- An American writer.
- Robert F. Spetzler
- An American neurosurgeon.
- Ralph Waldo Trine
- An American author .
- John Huston Finley
- An American academic and NY Times editor-in-chief.
- Eugene Field
- An American writer .
- John Buford
- A Union Army General .
- George Rankine Irwin
- An American scientist in the field of fracture mechanics and strength of materials.
- Joseph J. Sisco
- An American diplomat .
- Alexander Rabinowitch
- An American historian.
