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Eastern Illinois University: Pemberton Hall, Eastern Illinois University
Photo: Nyttend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $12,786 a year

Median debt at graduation: $21,500 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.47%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,000
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,847

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$9,828
$30,001–$48,000$8,619
$48,001–$75,000$11,412
$75,001–$110,000$15,665
Over $110,000$21,027

Full cost of attendance before aid: $26,996 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
6,849
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 40% · Women 60%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
34%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
8%
Total students8,804
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$12,786
Cost of attendance (per year)$26,996
Median federal debt at graduation$21,500
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
47%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
53%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
53%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
58%
First-year retention72%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$51,989
Admission rate65%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $759 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants29%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 880–1090
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1000
SAT reading & writing460–560
SAT math420–530
ACT composite—
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 24% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Industrial technology$81,362
Computing and information science$72,220
Finance$70,704
Accounting$66,840
Marketing$62,994
Political science$61,519
Management science$60,985
Speech-language pathology$60,473
Public relations$59,401
Communication studies$57,887
Interdisciplinary studies$54,791
Secondary education$54,548
Journalism$54,038
Biology$53,725
Liberal arts$52,078
Kinesiology and exercise science$50,502
Allied health$49,556
Psychology$49,478
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$49,424
Music$49,236
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences$49,209
Sociology$48,925
Special education$47,566
English$47,222
Teacher education$43,190
History$40,597
Fine arts$39,923

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Biotechnology, Broadcasting, Business administration, Chemistry, Clinical laboratory science, Computer science, Construction Management, Criminal justice, Criminology, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Economics, Electrical engineering, Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Ethnic and gender studies, Geography, Geology and earth science, Health administration, Hospitality management, Information technology, Linguistics, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Neuroscience, Nursing, Other engineering, Philosophy, Physics, Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations, Theatre.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business13%
Education12%
Communication9%
Psychology9%
Parks, recreation and fitness8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates11%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older10%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,282
SportsNCAA Division I · Ohio Valley Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 7%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time77%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$10,930IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 63% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceUniversity of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI)About 39 miles away · about 1 hour 5 minutes by car
Nearest major airportIndianapolis International Airport (IND)About 101 miles away
Town population17,062Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreIndianapolisAbout 110 miles away · about 2 hours 45 minutes by car
Typical weather29°F in January · 77°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Charleston, IL

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.470.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.120.04
Burglary1.410.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Eastern Illinois University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Eastern Illinois University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $12,786 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Eastern Illinois University?
Eastern Illinois University admitted 65% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Eastern Illinois University’s graduates do?
47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $51,989; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,500.

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