Home Β· My matches

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL Β· Public Β· 4,188 undergrads (small, town) Β· website β†—

What you'll actually pay

Average net price per year β€” tuition, fees, room & board minus grant and scholarship aid β€” for in-state students by household income.

Household incomeAvg net price / year
Under $30,000$9,828
$30,000 – $48,000$8,619
$48,000 – $75,000$11,412
$75,000 – $110,000$15,665
Over $110,000$21,027
All incomes (average)$12,786

Sticker tuition and fees: $13,679 in-state, $16,217 out-of-state β€” before aid, from the same earlier College Scorecard release as the net prices above.

These are averages. For an estimate for your family, use Eastern Illinois University's own net price calculator β€” every college that takes federal student aid must publish one.

Net price calculator β†—

Other costs of attendance, 2025–26

The college's own estimate for a full-time undergraduate for the year, before aid, from the October 2026 College Scorecard. It is a newer year than the tuition and net prices above, so don't add the two together.

Housing and meals, on campus$13,020
Housing and meals, off campus (not with family)$13,020
Books and supplies$150
Other expenses, on campus$2,084
Other expenses, off campus$2,084

Grants and loans for first-year students, 2022–23

What the college reported for its full-time, first-time students (871 of them) in 2022–23; 97% got some kind of aid, loans included. Each average is over the students who received that kind of aid, not over everyone. It is an older year than the 2025–26 costs above.

Type of aidStudents awardedAverage amount
Any grant or scholarshipFederal, state, local and the college's own97%$11,122
Federal Pell GrantNeed-based, from the federal government53%$5,202
The college's own grants and scholarshipsNeed- or merit-based, funded by the college90%$4,988
Federal student loansBorrowed by the student; repaid with interest. No Parent PLUS or private loans60%$4,960

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release); full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates; public domain.

Admissions & outcomes

Acceptance rate
65%
Average SAT
1000
Median ACT
20
Students with Pell grants
29%
Graduation rate (6yr)
47%
Freshman retention
72%
Median earnings @ 10yr
$51,989
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
International undergrads
121 (1.8%)

For comparison, the median across all 1,596 four-year colleges on this site: graduation rate 56%, earnings ten years after entering $54,869, debt at graduation $23,250.

Admission policy, test scores and teaching

SAT/ACT policy
Test-optional

Not required, but considered if submitted (fall 2024)

Application fee
None

undergraduate, 2023–24

Students per faculty member
14 to 1

undergraduates, fall 2024

Faculty who are full-time
77%

fall 2024

Open admission
No

fall 2024

Middle 50% of test scores, fall 2024

25th to 75th percentile of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores. A quarter scored below the first figure and a quarter above the second. Section ranges can't be added together into a total-score range.

SAT Reading and Writing
460–560
SAT Math
420–530
ACT composite
β€”

What the college considers in admission decisions, fall 2023

How the college said it used each item when deciding on first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking applicants for fall 2023. For SAT and ACT scores, see the fall 2024 policy above.

High school GPARequired
High school class rankConsidered if submitted
High school recordRequired
Completion of a college-preparatory programRequired
RecommendationsConsidered if submitted
Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g. portfolio)Not considered
English proficiency test (for applicable students)Required
Other test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)Not considered
Work experienceNot considered
Personal statement or essayNot considered
Legacy statusNot considered
First-time applicants
11,648

fall 2023

Admitted
7,892

fall 2023

Enrolled
819

fall 2023, full and part time

Counts of first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students, including early decision and early action. The acceptance rate higher up this page comes from a different College Scorecard release, so it may not match these counts.

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release), fall 2023; open admission from IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 (revised); public domain.

Most popular fields of study

Share of bachelor's degrees awarded.

Business13%
Education12%
Health & Nursing10%
Psychology9%
Communications & Media8%
Kinesiology & Sports Science7%
Biology & Life Sciences5%
Visual & Performing Arts5%
Computer Science4%
Social Sciences3%

Earnings and debt by field of study

Median annual earnings of graduates who received federal student aid and were working, not studying: one year after completing (graduates of 2020–21 and 2021–22) and four years after (2017–18 and 2018–19), measured in 2022 and 2023 and shown in 2024 dollars. Median debt is federal Direct and Grad PLUS loans borrowed at this college by 2022–23 and 2023–24 graduates; it leaves out Parent PLUS and private loans. β€œNational” is the median for the same field and credential across all US colleges.

Bachelor's degrees (31)

Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Psychology, General96$39,332$49,478national $50,706$18,109
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities88$47,879$52,078national $53,072$20,745
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness87$39,106$50,502national $54,562$20,087
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods84$39,999$43,190national $47,382$18,079
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing57$81,372β€”national $88,910$22,888
Biology, General54$37,810$53,725national $57,214$22,646
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other46$54,851$54,791national $55,693$17,198
Criminal Justice and Corrections38$43,648β€”national $55,378$22,872
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication36$30,331β€”national $50,497$22,478
Communication and Media Studies35$45,375$57,887national $56,359$16,000
Sociology30β€”$48,925national $52,657$23,375
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods30$40,082$60,985national $86,176$24,677
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas29$42,588$54,548national $51,389$21,016
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General29$41,387$49,209national $48,460$25,226
Accounting and Related Services25$50,828$66,840national $76,194β€”
History25$35,442$40,597national $50,680$21,500
English Language and Literature, General24$34,311$47,222national $48,590$16,815
Political Science and Government24β€”$61,519national $63,293$19,000
Finance and Financial Management Services22$49,064$70,704national $83,343$13,000
Special Education and Teaching20$46,826$47,566national $50,499$15,216
Business Administration, Management and Operations20$45,154β€”national $68,257β€”
Marketing20$55,258$62,994national $69,303$17,750
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication19$46,444$59,401national $63,560$23,954
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services19β€”$60,473national $58,928$15,250
Fine and Studio Arts16$32,430$39,923national $41,367$17,864
Music16$38,553$49,236national $42,892$21,419
Journalism13β€”$54,038national $56,278$20,000
Computer and Information Sciences, General8β€”$72,220national $92,374β€”
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management2β€”$49,424national $50,468β€”
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians0β€”$81,362national $80,890β€”
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professionsβ€”β€”$49,556national $70,786β€”
Master's degrees (17)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians342$67,636$76,047national $89,051β€”
Educational Administration and Supervision49$69,703$72,758national $71,685$20,250
Curriculum and Instruction44$54,265β€”national $63,399$17,580
Business Administration, Management and Operations43$64,859$95,880national $103,485$23,433
Fine and Studio Arts42$55,988$58,301national $49,079$15,527
Biology, General38$42,646β€”national $69,830$20,572
Student Counseling and Personnel Services36$48,845$51,527national $60,111$27,856
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services33$56,068$61,989national $67,030$34,952
English Language and Literature, General27$51,422β€”national $55,512β€”
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness26$47,542$58,533national $62,033β€”
Communication and Media Studies24$47,761β€”national $71,953β€”
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General18$57,219$56,435national $60,397$30,750
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services15$56,223$58,856national $62,269β€”
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology12β€”$69,772national $65,184β€”
Political Science and Government12$59,659$63,359national $78,850β€”
History11β€”$45,346national $55,360β€”
Public Health10$62,821β€”national $82,751β€”

A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured β€” not zero. 46 more programmes at this college have every figure suppressed and are not listed.

Contact and accreditation

Address
600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL 61920
Phone
(217) 581-5000
Institutional accreditor
Higher Learning Commission

Is Eastern Illinois University a reach, target, or safety for you?

Take the 5-minute quiz and see how it stacks up against 1,595 other colleges β€” ranked by fit and by what your family would actually pay.

Find my matches β†’

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts) and IPEDS Fall Enrolment for international student counts. College Scorecard, October 2026 release: net price calculator link, mission flags and religious affiliation (2025–26), enrolment shares, test policy, SAT/ACT ranges and student-to-faculty ratio (fall 2024), cost-of-attendance components (2025–26), and earnings and debt by field of study. IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 for the application fee and the IPEDS 2024 directory for the phone number. IPEDS Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release) for admission requirements and first-time applicants, admits and enrolments (fall 2023). IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release) for grants and loans to full-time, first-time students. All are U.S. Department of Education data in the public domain. Verify current costs and requirements with the school.

Similar colleges in the United States

Picked by control, selectivity, mix of majors, location and size, from the same data as this page β€” not a judgement of quality.