Quick Facts About Illinois State
Illinois State University’s campus is in the twin-city community of Bloomington-Normal near the geographic center of the state, 137 miles southwest of Chicago and 164 miles northeast of St. Louis. Interstates 74, 55, and 39; U.S. Route 150; and Illinois Route 9 intersect in Bloomington-Normal, creating a transportation hub. An Amtrak passenger station is just two blocks from the University.
At a Glance
Illinois State At a Glance
The following quick facts for fall of 2012 are provided by the Office of Planning, Research, and Policy Analysis .
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On-Campus Total Enrollment: 20,502
- Undergraduate Students: 18,207
- Graduate Students: 2,295
- 61.2% of Undergraduate Students are from the Chicago area; 20.5% are from McLean and surrounding counties
- The 939 out-of-state students come from 49 states, U.S. Territories, and U.S. Foreign countries
- The 382 International Students are from 66 different countries
- 55.6% of the Students are Female
- 16.5% are Minority Students
- 3,088 New Beginning Students have an average ACT of 23.7
- The 1,876 New Undergraduate Transfer Students entered with an average transfer GPA of 3.10
- There are 626 New Graduate Students
- 6,287 Students live in University Housing
- 82.3% of Fall 2011 New Beginning Students persisted to their second year
- 71.0% of Native Students in 2006 graduated within 6 years
- 5,402 Degrees were conferred in Fiscal Year 2012
- 16,855 students received $233,925,710 in financial support in FY 2012
- The Student to Faculty ratio is 19:1
- There are 3,563 University Employees
- 1,212 Departmental Faculty (239 Professors; 242 Associate Professors; 218 Assistant Professors; 513 Other)
- 41 Non-departmental Faculty; 29 Library Faculty
- 112 Laboratory School Associates
- 760 Administrative/Professional
- 1,409 Civil Service
- 97.3% of Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty hold a terminal degree
Top 12
The Dazzling Dozen
Illinois State University President Al Bowman's Top 12 points of pride in Illinois State University.
1
Illinois State’s graduation rate soared from 59 percent to 70 percent over a five-year period, a feat matched by only five other public research universities in the country.
2
At 85.1 percent, Illinois State’s freshman-to-sophomore retention rate is at a historic high.
3
For seven straight years, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has ranked Illinois State in the top 100 public universities in the nation for quality and value.
4
Risk Management magazine has recognized Katie School of Insurance and Financial Services, in the College of Business, as one of the top three schools in the nation for the number of graduates in insurance and risk management programs.
5
Illinois State is ranked fifth in the nation as a Peace Corps Master’s International School. The Peace Corps Master’s International program, in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been in place since 1997 and offers graduate programs in applied economics, political science and sociology
6
Gamma Phi Circus, in the College of Applied Science and Technology , is the oldest collegiate circus in North America. The non-profit organization was created to allow Illinois State students to practice and perform circus arts and develop leadership skills.
7
Theatre alum Jane Lynch 's star performance as host of the 2011 Emmy Awards was just one more reminder of the value of a College of Fine Arts education at Illinois State University.
8
The College of Education was recently awarded a $1.39 million Transition to Teaching grant from the USDOE Office of Innovation and Improvement. There were only 17 of these awarded nationwide, and the College received the only award in Illinois.
9
Mennonite College of Nursing now has a high-tech, state-of-the-art simulation lab and virtual hospital unit for their outstanding students whose board exam pass rates continue to be some of the highest in the nation.
10
The Milner Library is now providing students with new study resources that include increased wireless access points, collaboration stations, dedicated podcast rooms, e-books and journals, and open access to music, videos, and movies.
11
Private fundraising topped $13.5 million , and grant activity set a new Illinois State record of $36.8 million in our last fiscal year.
12
Illinois State’s Tim Glover won the 2011 NCAA National Championship in the javelin, as a sophomore.
History
A Brief History of Illinois State
Gov. William Bissell signed a bill on February 18, 1857, to create a normal school and establish the Board of Education of the State of Illinois as its governing body. The bill stipulated that the permanent location would be the place that offered the most favorable inducements. Jesse W. Fell took up the campaign for Bloomington and obtained financial backing totaling $141,000. Abraham Lincoln, acting as attorney for the board, drew up the bond guaranteeing that Bloomington citizens would fulfill their financial commitments. Consequently, Illinois State Normal University was founded as the first public institution of higher education in the state. Established as a teacher education institution, Illinois State has developed into a multipurpose university with degree programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.
The University is one of 12 public universities in Illinois. Its academic departments offer more than 160 major/minor options in the Colleges of Applied Science and Technology, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Fine Arts, and Mennonite College of Nursing. The Graduate School coordinates 41 master's, specialist, and doctoral programs. The University's academic programs are supported by the services and collections of Milner Library, which contains more than three million holdings and special collections.
Illinois State is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The teacher preparation programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and are certified by the Illinois State Board of Education. In addition, 22 programs hold discipline-based accreditation.
The University enrolls students from throughout Illinois, 40 other states, the District of Columbia, and 61 other countries. Students are mentored by a faculty that includes numerous teacher-scholars recognized at national and international levels, and all are dedicated to superior teaching.
Conveniently located in Central Illinois, the University is situated at the intersection of three major interstate highways, as well as along the Chicago-St. Louis railroad corridor. Because of its easy access in a region of strong economic growth and its multidimensional profile, Illinois State is able to respond to the varied needs and interests of its constituents and to contribute to the development of its students as responsible citizens.
Additional Information on the History of Illinois State
Illinois State University History Collection at Milner Library - Illinois State University History is a growing collection that currently includes campus history books, proceedings of the first university governing board, and nearly 400 photographs.
The Old Main Project - The Old Main Project is dedicated to telling the history of Illinois State's first building through the analysis of excavated remains, oral histories, and historical documents.