by our College Data Analytics TeamWestern Illinois University is a public institution in Macomb, Illinois enrolling 4,410 undergraduates. It accepts 71% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 45%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #810 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 16%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Western Illinois University ranks #810 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 16%.
College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.
Western Illinois University was awarded 107 badges in the 2027 rankings.
WIU is ranked #810 out of 5,159 schools in the nation for overall quality on College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges list. This puts it in the top 20% of all schools in the nation.
Within the state, WIU holds the #41 spot on the Best Colleges in Illinois ranking.
See all of the rankings for Western Illinois University.
The acceptance rate at Western Illinois University is 71%. That’s higher than the rate at many schools, but still low enough to be considered somewhat selective. If you want to get in, you’ll need good grades and to be able to show that WIU is a good fit for you.
Learn more about Western Illinois University admissions.
At WIU, the student to faculty ratio is an excellent 12 to 1. That’s much better than the national average of 15 to 1. This indicates that many classes will probably be small, and students will have ample opportunities to work closely with their professors and classmates.
When estimating how much access students will have to their teachers, some people like to look at what percentage of faculty members are full time. This is because part-time teachers may not have as much time to spend on campus as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Western Illinois University is 85%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
The freshmen retention rate is a sign of how many full-time students like a college or university well enough to come back for their sophomore year. At Western Illinois University this rate is 61%, which is a bit lower than the national average of 68%.
The on-time graduation rate for someone pursuing a bachelor’s degree is typically four years. This rate at WIU for first-time, full-time students is 45%, which is better than the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Western Illinois University.
The current enrollment includes 4,410 undergraduates at WIU.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Western Illinois University.
The overall average net price of WIU is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $6,941 | $8,787 | $12,062 | $16,294 | $19,701 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of WIU, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At WIU, approximately 32% of students took out student loans averaging $8,305 a year. That adds up to $33,220 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 5.1%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for Western Illinois University.
Although some majors pay more than others, students who graduate from Western Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree go on to jobs where they make an average salary of $54,163 in their early years. This is good news for future Western Illinois University graduates since it is 10% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year.
See which majors at Western Illinois University make the most money.
Western Illinois University is a public institution found in Macomb, Illinois. The surrounding location of Macomb is ideal for students who enjoy the charms of a college town. Get more details about the location of Western Illinois University.
Contact information for Western Illinois University can be found below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455 |
| Phone: | 3092981414 |
| Website: | www.wiu.edu |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Illinois_University |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/wiu.edu |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/WIUNews |
During the most recent year for which we have data, students from 25 majors graduated from Western Illinois University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 1,927 | NA |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | 189 | $39,409 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 170 | $40,664 |
| Business Administration & Management | 117 | $54,288 |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 115 | $36,956 |
| Computer Information Systems | 105 | $56,058 |
| General Psychology | 80 | $28,046 |
| General Agriculture | 62 | $40,735 |
| Behavioral Science | 56 | NA |
| Educational Administration | 54 | $68,346 |
3,319 students took at least one online class at Western Illinois University.
Online learning options are becoming more and more popular at American colleges and universities. Online classes are great for students who have busy schedules or for those who just want to study on their own time.
Learn more about online learning at Western Illinois University.
Interested in comparing WIU? Match them up using College Combat, a free interactive tool for comparing colleges on the features you care about.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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