We at Illinois State University work as a diverse community of scholars with a commitment to fostering a small-collage atmosphere with large-university opportunities. We promote the highest academic standards in our teaching, scholarship, public service and the connections we build among them. We devote all our resources and energies to creating the most supportive and productive community possible to serve citizens of Illinois and beyond.
Illinois State University is a public university in Normal, Illinois and is the oldest public institution of higher education in the state. Most commonly referred to as ISU, the school was originally named Illinois State Normal University, and was founded in 1857 by Jesse W. Fell (1808-1887); Abraham Lincoln drew up the legal documents to establish the university. Normal schools were schools specifically designated for the education of teachers. Fell also desired for this to be the location of any new land grant university under the Morrill Act; but largely as a result of the political maneuvering of Illinois House Representative Clark Robinson Griggs, Champaign was selected as the location of the new Illinois Industrial University, which would later become the University of Illinois, in 1867. In 1964, as the institution began expanding and moving toward a full liberal arts curriculum, its name was changed to Illinois State University at Normal, and by 1968 to Illinois State University. Today, ISU remains the most productive teaching school in Illinois.
ISU is ranked as the 123rd best university in the U.S. by the Washington Monthly and is recognized by the US News rankings as a "National University", that is, a university which grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research. US News ranks ISU in the "third tier", meaning that it is currently in the third quartile of schools within the National University category. Among public universities in Illinois awarding doctorate degrees, only the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranks higher.
The ISU athletic teams are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and are known as the "Redbirds," in reference to the state bird, the cardinal.
Illinois State is also home to the world's tallest residence hall, Watterson Towers, which houses 2,200 students. The building, which consists of a pair of towers, was completed in 1967.
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| Percent of Students International: | 2% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 37% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Other) Basketball (Missouri Valley Conference) Baseball (Missouri Valley Conference) Track (Missouri Valley Conference) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | In-State | Out-of-State | |
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 7,091 | $ 12,971 | |
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 5,400 | $ 11,280 | |
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 1,691 | $ 1,691 | |
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 2,721 | 18% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 3,688 | 31% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 3,980 | 11% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 3,406 | 46% | |
Any Aid: |
68% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 77% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 99% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 22, Verbal: 21, Math: 20 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 26, Verbal: 26, Math: 26 |
| Application Fee: | $ 30.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Required |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Not Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
