About Western Illinois University

Founded in 1899, Western Illinois University. is a Public college. Located in Illinois, which is a city setting in Illinois, the campus itself is Town. The campus is home to 8,543 full time undergraduate students, and 1,830 full time graduate students.

The Western Illinois University Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 15:1. There are 566 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Western Illinois University include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate59%
Application Deadline
Application Fee30
SAT Range
ACT Range18-23

Admissions at WIU are considered Selective, with ,73% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 15 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

57% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 26% were in the top quarter, and 8% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Western Illinois University.

5%
“We”re apathetic”
35%
“We know about current events and vote”
50%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
10%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
8%
“We save it for the classroom”
33%
“Sometimes, but not often”
48%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
11%
“All the time, including weekends”
5%
“I”m always terrified”
8%
“I only go out in groups”
37%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
50%
“I feel extremely safe”
15%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
37%
“We bought the gear”
48%
“We live for the big game”
16%
“It”s not really our thing”
16%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
57%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
10%
“We”re a very artistic group”
7%
“Haven”t met them”
2%
“Available in class”
62%
“They keep regular office hours”
30%
“They”re always available”
2%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
11%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
74%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
13%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
3%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
12%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
32%
“We only party on weekends”
53%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
5%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
54%
“There might be people who do”
26%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
15%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
5%
“We”re apathetic”
35%
“We know about current events and vote”
50%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
10%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
8%
“We save it for the classroom”
33%
“Sometimes, but not often”
48%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
11%
“All the time, including weekends”
5%
“I”m always terrified”
8%
“I only go out in groups”
37%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
50%
“I feel extremely safe”
15%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
37%
“We bought the gear”
48%
“We live for the big game”
16%
“It”s not really our thing”
16%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
57%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
10%
“We”re a very artistic group”
7%
“Haven”t met them”
2%
“Available in class”
62%
“They keep regular office hours”
30%
“They”re always available”
2%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
11%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
74%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
13%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
3%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
12%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
32%
“We only party on weekends”
53%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
5%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
54%
“There might be people who do”
26%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
15%
“There”s a huge drug scene”

Western Illinois University REVIEWS

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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    152 Students rated on-campus housing 3.6 stars. 16 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    108 Students rated off-campus housing 3.9 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    161 Students rated campus food 3.4 stars. 17 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    167 Students rated campus facilities 4.1 stars. 40 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    167 Students rated class size 4.2 stars. 41 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    167 Students rated school activities 4.1 stars. 44 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    167 Students rated local services 3.7 stars. 34 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    167 Students rated academics 4.2 stars. 49 % gave the school a 5.0.

What's your overall opinion of Western Illinois University?

62 Students rated Western Illinois University

Amy - 10/29/2021

Loved my time at Western!

Tom - 03/21/2021

Back when I went to WIU (1971-1975), the only qualification needed was to have a high school diploma or equivalent and the ability pay the tuition, which at the time was $525 per year (without summer). Room and board in a residence hall was another $1,050 per year ($315 more if you wanted your own room and one was available). They were on the quarter (trimester) system then; the first quarter was 12 weeks, and the other two were 10 weeks each. There were two four-week sessions of summer school, and classes were generally 4-hours per day each; summer school was mainly for those who needed to make up consecutive-course requirements. One such was "Production" (for a business-core degree), which required, in order, Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Statistics 1, and Statistics 2, consecutively, or five courses, meaning that the student needed to start it no later than the second quarter of the junior year, or take summer school, if he/she wanted to graduate in four years. Enrollment then was at the peak of the baby-boom years, topping 14,000. The dorms were the quad of Bayless, Henninger, Tanner, and Wetzel; Corbin and Olson, Washington and Lincoln; Tanner and Higgins; Seale, (the old) Grote (which burned down while I attended), Bennett and Hirsch. The first quarter of each year I was there, the halls were overbooked, with people sleeping in the lounges. This usually sorted itself out in the first three weeks, as students withdrew. As stated, there were almost no requirements for enrollment. Because of that, WIU got a lot of the party kids from the Chicago area. Elemetary Education was probably the most populated major; definitely among women. Because of the lax nature of academics at that time, Western got a bad reputation among employers. Grades needed to be nearly perfect to land any kind of job at a larger firm. I had a 3.2/4.0 GPA, with 3.8 in my major, and it took me six months to find an entry level job, mainly because I was "from Western." The mood at the college was very laid back, to say the least. Politics were almost never mentioned. Most students partied, many of those did so very hard. Back in that day, the only STD that were known of could be cured by a shot of penicillin (AIDS wasn't known in the United States, and incurable herpes was very rare). Most girls were on "the pill." As a result, sex was easy to get (especially after a few drinks), and most students were promiscuous, including me. People went to a clinic once a month to be sure they were "clean," and there was a lot of random sleeping around. Recreational drugs were popular then, and I do man popular. While I never used them, and most on my floor at Higgins didn't, there were a lot of pills floating around, and it was rare that one didn't smell marijuana in the air. Hairstyles were interesting then, compared to now. The common style for girls was about mid-back-length straight --- and that was what many of the guys also did. At times, it was hard to tell if a person facing away from you was male or female, although most guys with longer hair also wore beards. It was rare to see any guys with hair shorter than shoulder-length. Mine was down over my ears, and I was probably in the 10{6f65e1278338a62264eed73e2adc5af8e2841420db12ceb4f80b8db22f3260ec} shortest category. Campus food was surprisingly good, provided you weren't a gourmet. I don't recall any cases of food poisoning while I was there, although that might have been partly because of the high-sodium content of the foods. Other than motels, there were virtually no franchise outlets on campus or in the city. The entire concession area in the Union was one counter on the second floor that sold candy and a few odds and ends. Fast food was nonexistent, although there may have been a McDonalds then. There was no mall, and the one shopping center was clear out on the east side of town and was some offbeat regional department store. I was in Higgins while I was there, and it was probably one of the quieter dorms on campus. "Cable" TV consisted of a dual-screw outlet in each of the lounges, and that was 12-channel, with locals, WGN, and a channel that had a swivel-camera panning analog weather dials. Of course VHS/DVD/MP3/CD didn't exist then. Only juniors and above were allowed in Higgins without an exemption. I was allowed in because I had a business major, and that was the RH closest to Morgan and Stipes Halls. Computer science back then was in its infancy; they had two huge mainframe computers on Morgan Hall: IBM 360s or 370s, which were each about the size of a large storage bin. They operated on punch cards made on teletype machines, and 'online" was handled by a special teletype machine with a 300 baud (not 300k. 300 BITS, or about 30 bytes per second) phone cradle modem, which was faster than the machine could type. A smart watch today would be well over 100x as powerful as one of those machines was. Programming languages were BASIC, FOCAL, FORTRAN, and the new kid on the block at that time, COBOL. COBOL programmers had to learn a new line of work in the mid 1980's, but they made a boatload of money from 197 to 1999, when the COBOL databases needed to be updated to be of use in the 21st century. Calculators were primitive by today's standards; it cost $200+ for one that could do simple arithmetic. Security was a non-issue. We self-policed, and nobody dared touch or harrass a girl without having 50 guys on his back. We had campus security, but I only remember seeing them twice. Compare that environment to today. Things have changed dramatically.

Susan

Western Illinois University is a positive, encouraging, and inspiring place to be. Professors, classmates, and other faculty are dedicated to preparing students to be successful in any of their future endeavors. Each day we are challenged in and outside of the classroom to be better students, citizens, and all around people.

Marco

Its an okay school. Most of the academic opportunities relevant to me I have to go out of my way to get them because it seems that the university doesn't care about the study of foreign languages. But that is okay because I have learned to work that much harder and become that much more independent.

Western Illinois University FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at Western Illinois University?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Western Illinois University is 59%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    For the parents, i would tell them to get to know the Schools that their child is considering very well. I know going to college might be a scary thing for a parent , so in order to make sure their child have a good experience they ahve to visit the schools and get to know the environment. Also the parents might want to find a school that is not costly, i know paying for college can be very expensive (becasuse i am going through that currently). They should find an institution that is affordable and that provides their child with a quality education. For the student, i would tell them to find a school that has various activites for new students, because coming into a new school can be difficult but if the school has various activies for new student then it would be a lot easier to make friends. It is alos important to find a school that has a good advbising center for students who are close to graduation. Having a good advisor in college can help you pick the best classes so that you wont waste you time taking classes that are not required for your mjor.

    Read all  164 answers
  3. Describe the students at your school.

    My classmates are very kind and curtious, they are always willing to step in and help whenever anyone needs it.

    Read all  39 answers
  4. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    The worst thing would be very similar to many other Universities; the drinking, drugs and choices that students are faced with on a daily basis. Although this can also be a good thing, it allows students to decipher their life, plans and decisions on their own. College is a time to grow and develop so with no obstacles in the way it would almost be too easy.

    Read all  38 answers
  5. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    A fun-loving learning environment that prepares you for your future.

    Read all  36 answers
  6. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    agriculture? i'm not exactly sure...teaching is really big there too.

    Read all  29 answers
  7. What kind of person should attend this school?

    The types of people that should attend Western Illinois are people that desire an enviornment that is a mixture of a want to learn and a good blend of a social aspect as well

    Read all  28 answers
  8. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    Any person that is not living, I was always the kind of person that never wanted to be around anyone in high school, as I entered my first year of college at WIU I became more involved and meet some really nice people.

    Read all  28 answers
  9. What's unique about your campus?

    Western tries hard to accomodate those that need help in a variety of ways. Those disabilities, learning or phsycial are given the resources for the help they request. Wester is open-minded and progressive in the teaching style of their professors. The entire school is truly set up for one to succeed in their field of choice.

    Read all  25 answers
  10. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    I wish I had more information regarding housing financial requirements. I also would have liked to have had more information about requirements of the major I am in. I didnt learn REAL details until arriving here at school.

    Read all  21 answers
  11. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    The people that go to my school, Western Illinois University are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Because it is located in such a small town, people get pretty close. Everyone seems to be extremely respectful. It was one of the first places that almost everyone holds the door open for you, and says please and thank you. Classrooms are filled with kind people who are willing to give you help, inside the class and out. The people are really great, which is the most appealing quality to me.

    Read all  19 answers
  12. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    I tell them about the great friends i have made at school.

    Read all  18 answers
  13. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    The most frustrating thing about my school is the large amount of people in my lecture classes.

    Read all  17 answers
  14. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    The main stereotype for students at my school is that we are all just a bunch of crazy part animals. Everyone says that WIU is one of the biggest part schools in the Midwest. This is not completely accurate. There are quite a few people who go out multiple times a week, but the only reason that people know that is because it's all they have to talk about. Most of the people I talk to on a daily basis tend to spend most of their time busying themselves with other things and only going out every now and then. WIU only seems like a huge party school because the kids who go out all the time are very vocal about it and pride themselves on their partying abilities. Those kids are the minority of students, they just tend to be the most vocal about their private lives. Most students at WIU don't typically party a lot, but they may go out every now and then. This school gets a bad rap because of its loud students and even louder parties, like the Wheeler Street block party.

    Read all  11 answers
  15. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    Western is a school that for most is far enough away from their hometown that they don't go home most weekends. It is not too big where you get lost but not small enough that you run into the same people everyday. There are a lot of education and law enforcement majors. A lot of military men and women. There is also a number of people from small towns which allows you to get to know people from various areas and backgrounds. It's easy to get into bars, but the cops have cracked down so be careful if you're underage.

    Read all  9 answers
  16. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    Greeks are always popular!

    Read all  8 answers
  17. What are the academics like at your school?

    The academics are what you make of it, you get out what you put in. Great for teaching or if you want to be a cop. There's actually a surprising amount of people in fashion merchandising as well. Core classes can be big in the lecture hall but once you get into your major's classes, they're smaller so you can get to know your professors/classmates.

    Read all  6 answers
  18. Why did you decide to go to this school?

    I decided to go to WIU because it is close to home and the tuition is not crazy. I've heard it's a really good school for psychology majors. I also wanted to go to a smaller size campus where I can get to know my classmates and the faculty better.

    Read all  4 answers
  19. What's the Greek scene like?

    It is ok but not as active

    Read all  2 answers
  20. What's the dating scene like?

    There are barely on campus dating people normally date people at other Universities.

    Read all  2 answers
  21. I don't drink. Will it be hard for me to go to parties?

    no i do not drink as well but i still manage to have a blast

    Read all  1 answers

Student Body

Students

51%

female

49%

male

8,543

Total Undergrad Enrollment

1,830

Total Grad Students

6%

Out-Of-State

93%

In-State

1%

International

Organizations

198

Student Organizations

16

Fraternities

11

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

35%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
1%
% Black or African-American
21%
% Hispanic/Latino
12%
% White or Caucasian
60%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

87% of students attending Western Illinois University receive some sort of financial aid. 50% were awarded federal grants. While 70% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$16,680

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$900

Books and Supplies

$9,580

Room and Board

27,160

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$13,936
$30 - $48K
$14,156
$48 - $75K
$18,461
$75 - $110K
$21,235
$110K & UP
$22,470

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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