Western Illinois University
Western 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
Western Illinois University Featured Rankings
- #4 Best Online MBAs Illinois
- #6 Illinois' Best Online Colleges 2026
- #8 Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #8 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #9 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Illinois
- #10 Online Bachelor's in Economics
- #11 Online Bachelor's in Anthropology
- #11 Illinois's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #15 Best Grad Schools Illinois 2026
- #18 Most Affordable Online Nursing Bachelors
- #19 Best Colleges in Illinois
- #19 Online Bachelor's in Accounting
- #24 Online Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership
- #47 Best Online Colleges
- #50 Online Master’s in Education
About Western Illinois University
According to Wikipedia, Western Illinois University is a public university in Macomb, Illinois. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. Once Western Illinois started offering graduate degrees, it again changed its name to Western Illinois State College. Western Illinois has an additional campus in Moline.
Western Illinois University's Online Degrees
MBA in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 1-1.5 Years
- Format: Fully online
BB in Accountancy
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Economics
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
BB in Economics
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Fire Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
MED in Math Education
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1-1.5 Years
- Format: Fully online
MED in Science Education
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1-1.5 Years
- Format: Fully online
MSEd in Educational Studies
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 1-.5 Years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Anthropology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Communication Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Interpersonal Communication And Processes
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Organizational Communication
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Social Influence
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 Years
- Format: Fully online
Western Illinois University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8,479 | 71% | 61% | 49% |
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 Western Illinois University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $15,466 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $3,427 |
| 30K - 48K | $5,063 |
| 48K - 75K | $7,229 |
| 75K - 110K | $524 |
| 110K+ | $19,878 |
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 Western Illinois University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Western Illinois University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $57,175 a year, and 93% 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.
Western 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8,213 | 5,706 | 2,507 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Western Illinois University?
Western Illinois University is located at 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455.
How Safe is Western Illinois University?
Western Illinois University reported 1.3 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most midsize residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Western Illinois University has a violent crime rate of 0.02% and a property crime rate of 0.11%. Macomb has a violent crime rate of 0.07% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.44%. 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 Western Illinois University Known For?
Western Illinois University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Communications
- Education
- Business
- Biology
- Economics
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Psychology
- Nursing
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Sociology
- Engineering
- Social Work
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Medical
- Physics
Western Illinois University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Western 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
Western Illinois University ranks #237 in the U.S. and #728 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #399 in the U.S. and #1669 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #478 in the U.S. and #1369 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #509 in the U.S. and #1846 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #592 in the U.S. and #2586 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #640 in the U.S. and #2402 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #752 in the U.S. and #3266 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #754 in the U.S. and #4465 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #760 in the U.S. and #3303 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #789 in the U.S. and #1480 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #792 in the U.S. and #2074 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #842 in the U.S. and #2197 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #846 in the U.S. and #2568 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #869 in the U.S. and #3435 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #891 in the U.S. and #2996 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #923 in the U.S. and #5016 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #996 in the U.S. and #2412 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #1083 in the U.S. and #4482 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #1254 in the U.S. and #5345 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #1452 in the U.S. and #4959 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWestern Illinois University ranks #1643 in the U.S. and #5979 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWho Are Western Illinois University's Most Influential Alumni?
Western Illinois University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, History, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of Western Illinois University's most famous alumni:
- Paul Vallas
- An American politician and school administrator.
- Mark Tatge
- An American journalist.
- Michael Shonrock
- A President of Emporia State University.
- Diana Hess
- An American academic.
- Rick Reuschel
- An American baseball player.
- Frank Galati
- An American actor, writer and director.
- Syed Abul Kalam Azad
- A Bangladeshi academic.
- Harry K. Newburn
- An American educator.
- Tim Walberg
- An American politician.
- Mohamed Elrawi
- A Scholar.
- Lisa Bluder
- An American women's basketball player and coach.
- William James
- An American football player, born 1979.
