Bragging Points

Illinois Wesleyan stands out among the thousands of colleges and universities in the nation, compared on a wide range of factors by a growing number of publishers. See our rankings, or check out fast facts about the University.

Our students get involved locally, and our community of Bloomington-Normal (#BloNo) is continually ranked among the Best College Towns.

By the Numbers:

Graduation Rates

79% of students graduate within 8 years of entering this school for the first time* and on average, 93% of students who continue at IWU for four years graduate on time.
*Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Retention

From first to second year: 85%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, National Center for Education Statistics

 

Job placement

IWU ranks #7 in the nation and ＃1 in Illinois on Zippia's 2023 list of The Best Colleges for Getting a Job, based on Department of Education College Scorecard data.

97.3% of Illinois Wesleyan graduates in the class of 2022 are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation
Source: Hart Career Center survey according to guidelines from the National Association of Colleges and Employers

#1 Undergraduate Institution in Illinois in Job Placement
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Zippia (2019)

 

Salaries

10 years after attending: $66,591 (almost $30K higher than the national median for all schools)
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard 2023

Starting salary after graduating: $51,387
Source: Hart Career Center data for Class of 2021

#1 Small School in Illinois for Highest Earning Graduates
Source: Zippia, U.S. Dept. Of Education's College Scorecard (2018)

 

Transforming Students from Low Incomes to High Earners

Illinois Wesleyan is in the top 2.9% of colleges and universities in the nation for promoting social mobility (moving children from the bottom fifth of incomes as students to the top fifth of incomes as adults) 62nd among all 2,137 colleges in the Chetty college mobility study, according to data on "Chance a poor student has to become a rich adult" published in The New York Times

 

Average class size: 16

 

 

Student/faculty ratio: 11:1

 

 

Quality Faculty

96% of full-time faculty hold a Ph.D. or terminal degree in their field

As an undergraduate-only institution, all classes are taught by a faculty member (not graduate assistants)

 

Internships

 

79% of students participate in internships (>28% report completing multiple internships)
Source:  Hart Career Center data  

 

Diversity

31% of students self-identify as a student of color

30 countries represented in IWU student body

 

Student Athletes

150 Academic All Americans – a total that's No. 9 nationally in Division III and 25th in the nation among all colleges and universities, across all divisions.

#5 in the nation among Best Colleges For Esports And Gaming By Value Gamer

 

Affordability

Over 95% of incoming students from all backgrounds qualify for scholarship or grant assistance

We're more affordable than you think! Learn more

 

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Not only is Illinois Wesleyan "... the model of the effective, responsive, well designed, thoroughly successful small liberal arts college/university, it is also an institution that hums with positive energy and which engenders deep feelings of attachment and loyalty among its students and graduates." — Peter Arango, author of America's Best Kept College Secrets