National university
#8 Best colleges for criminal justice in IllinoisIllinois State University
Normal, IL · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $19,398 a year
Median debt at graduation: $20,482 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Illinois State University Fall Campus Tour | Ambience and street sounds · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In Illinois
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.65%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.81%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,113 · ACT 24
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.19 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,152
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.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $34,309 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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 18,450 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 43% · Women 57% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 30% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 3% |
| Total students | 20,989 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $19,398 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $34,309 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $20,482 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 65% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 66% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 67% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 74% |
| First-year retention | 81% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $62,117 |
| Admission rate | 88% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $55 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $999 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 32% |
| Average SAT | 1113 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 500–620 |
| SAT math | 490–590 |
| ACT composite | 21–27 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 26% (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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Management information systems | |
| Insurance | |
| Construction Management | |
| Networking | |
| Finance | |
| Public health | |
| Accounting | |
| Physics | |
| Nursing | |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | |
| Marketing | |
| Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians | |
| Industrial technology | |
| Mathematics | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Health administration | |
| International business | |
| Management science | |
| Geography | |
| Public relations | |
| Business administration | |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Agriculture | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Chemistry | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Design | |
| Communication studies | |
| Paralegal studies | |
| Political science | |
| Graphic communications | |
| Journalism | |
| Social work | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | |
| Music | |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | |
| Secondary education | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Special education | |
| History | |
| Family and human development | |
| Allied health | |
| Psychology | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | |
| Fine arts | |
| Sociology | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Anthropology | |
| Other visual and performing arts | |
| Teacher education | |
| English | |
| Romance languages | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Area studies, Biochemistry, Economics, German, Information technology, Natural resources and conservation, Philosophy, Software and media applications.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Education | |
| Health professions | |
| Communication | |
| Computer and information sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 5% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 4% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,754 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Missouri Valley Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 19 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 8%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 74%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $10,441IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 36% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI)About 4 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)About 109 miles away |
| Town population | 53,569Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | ChicagoAbout 114 miles away · about 2 hours 30 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 25°F in January · 75°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Normal 4 NE, IL, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.23 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.14 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.02 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.05 | 0.15 |
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.
Questions families ask
- What is Illinois State University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 38% of rated colleges. 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 Illinois State University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $19,398 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 Illinois State University?
- Illinois State University admitted 88% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Illinois State University’s graduates do?
- 65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $62,117; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,482.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 145813
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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