BaccalaureatePrivate (nonprofit)

Blackburn College

Carlinville, Illinois·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·blackburn.edu

Blackburn College's acceptance rate is 63.2% (2024). Its six-year graduation rate is 57% and its four-year rate is 50% (2024). Tuition and fees are $28,149 (2024). Fall enrollment is 513 students, and 581 enrolled over the full 12-month year (2024). Source: IPEDS.

Acceptance
63.2%
-10.2pp vs Baccalaureate
6-yr graduation
57%
+12.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
513
peer median 883
Avg net price
$18,460
-$1.7k vs Baccalaureate
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About

Blackburn College is a private college in Carlinville, Illinois. It was established in 1837 and named for Gideon Blackburn. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
910
910 candidates competed
Admitted
575
63.2% acceptance rate
Enrolled
148
25.7% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
57%
4-year graduation
50%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
57%+12.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Full-time retention
67%

Pell equity

2.3pp gap
Pell recipients
56%40 of 71
Non-Pell (all)
58%56 of 96
Subsidized loan, no Pell
69%56 of 81
No Federal Aid
0%0 of 15

Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.3-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 38 Title IV programs, 3 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 35 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
38
Passing
3
7.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

38programs
  • Passing3 · 7.9%
  • No Data35 · 92.1%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
3
No data
35

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

3
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+32.2%
$46,004 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+33.0%
$46,283 vs $34,808
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+56.8%
$54,587 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

2
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
53%
$24,373 debt · $46,283 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
43%
$23,250 debt · $54,587 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1931Next review Aug 2031
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1918

Action history · 1

  1. May 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$16,838
$30–48k$14,781
$48–75k$12,329
$75–110k$23,013
$110k+$23,305

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$18,460
-$1,745vs Baccalaureate median $20,205
Federal loans
61.4%
Tuition and fees
$28,149

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 251 students received $1.5M in Pell grants, alongside $2.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
251
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$1.5M
$1,476,984 total
Direct Loans
$2.6M
582 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$978K
249 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$941K
270 loan awards
Parent PLUS$645K
63 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 204 borrowers who entered repayment, 6 (2.9%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.9%
+0.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
204
Defaulted
6
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
13.8%
2017
12.8%
2018
8.6%
2019
2.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Blackburn College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs40
UndergraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

54 total completions
01Education
2138.9%
02Business
814.8%
03Visual/Performing Arts
713.0%
04Biological Sciences
713.0%
05Parks/Recreation
47.4%
06Security/Protective
23.7%
07Computer Sciences
23.7%
08Communication
11.9%
09Psychology
11.9%
10Mathematics
11.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
513
12-mo unduplicated
581
Undergraduate
581
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
47%274
Women
53%307

Race / ethnicity composition

White
75.0%
Black
13.8%
Hispanic
9.6%
Two or more
0.9%
Unknown
0.9%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
173
116 M · 57 W
Women athletes
32.9%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$1.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$11K
$14K
Head-coach salaries
$41K
$34K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 8

Soccer
34 M · 15 W
$240K
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
32 M · 14 W
$75K
Baseball
40 M · —
$186K
Basketball
20 M · 12 W
$387K
Softball
— · 20 W
$155K
Golf
11 M · 5 W
$55K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 389 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago5.241 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
2
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor016

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    IPEDS
    Student-to-faculty
    11.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    43

    Blackburn College vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Blackburn College selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    6-yr gradRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectBlackburn College
    		57%63.2%513$18,460Baccalaureate
    Alice Lloyd College
    		39%75.2%589$18,600Baccalaureate
    Arizona Christian University
    		40%70.6%1,421$32,839Baccalaureate
    Bethany College
    		36%56.0%615$27,686Baccalaureate
    Blue Mountain Christian University
    		44%89.0%968$24,016Baccalaureate
    Concordia University Ann Arbor
    		49%69.2%1,135$32,811Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Eureka College
    		41%85.0%527$17,349Baccalaureate
    Greenville University
    		40%97.5%1,104$19,533Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Illinois College
    		64%78.2%942$18,298Baccalaureate
    Iowa Western Community College
    		—Open admission5,540$14,629Community College
    Kentucky Wesleyan College
    		46%71.6%887$17,131Baccalaureate
    Lake Forest College
    		78%56.8%1,837$28,673Baccalaureate
    McPherson College
    		34%76.8%878$26,441Baccalaureate
    Monmouth College
    		65%90.9%713$17,133Baccalaureate
    Philander Smith University
    		30%Open admission780$14,224Baccalaureate
    Principia College
    		74%44.4%339Not reportedBaccalaureate
    Quincy University
    		45%50.9%1,210$20,359Baccalaureate
    Rockford University
    		47%92.9%1,241$22,436Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Southwestern Adventist University
    		52%78.4%764$22,778Baccalaureate
    Sterling College
    		41%48.2%694$22,371Baccalaureate
    Tabor College
    		34%64.6%621$20,205Baccalaureate
    Unity Environmental University
    		29%81.8%7,165$19,104Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    University of the Ozarks
    		51%59.5%778$17,360Baccalaureate
    Wilson College
    		48%92.1%1,907$21,741Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
    Peer group median45%73.4%883$20,205

    Institutions like Blackburn College

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Blackburn College's comparison group.

    IPEDS
    • BaccalaureateKentucky

      Alice Lloyd College

      Grad rate
      39%
      Admit rate
      75.2%
      Enrollment
      589
      Net price
      $18,600
    • BaccalaureateArizona

      Arizona Christian University

      Grad rate
      40%
      Admit rate
      70.6%
      Enrollment
      1,421
      Net price
      $32,839
    • BaccalaureateKansas

      Bethany College

      Grad rate
      36%
      Admit rate
      56.0%
      Enrollment
      615
      Net price
      $27,686
    • BaccalaureateMississippi

      Blue Mountain Christian University

      Grad rate
      44%
      Admit rate
      89.0%
      Enrollment
      968
      Net price
      $24,016
    • Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsMichigan

      Concordia University Ann Arbor

      Grad rate
      49%
      Admit rate
      69.2%
      Enrollment
      1,135
      Net price
      $32,811
    • BaccalaureateIllinois

      Eureka College

      Grad rate
      41%
      Admit rate
      85.0%
      Enrollment
      527
      Net price
      $17,349
    • Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsIllinois

      Greenville University

      Grad rate
      40%
      Admit rate
      97.5%
      Enrollment
      1,104
      Net price
      $19,533
    • BaccalaureateIllinois

      Illinois College

      Grad rate
      64%
      Admit rate
      78.2%
      Enrollment
      942
      Net price
      $18,298
    • Community CollegeIowa

      Iowa Western Community College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      5,540
      Net price
      $14,629
    • BaccalaureateKentucky

      Kentucky Wesleyan College

      Grad rate
      46%
      Admit rate
      71.6%
      Enrollment
      887
      Net price
      $17,131
    • BaccalaureateIllinois

      Lake Forest College

      Grad rate
      78%
      Admit rate
      56.8%
      Enrollment
      1,837
      Net price
      $28,673
    • BaccalaureateKansas

      McPherson College

      Grad rate
      34%
      Admit rate
      76.8%
      Enrollment
      878
      Net price
      $26,441
    • BaccalaureateIllinois

      Monmouth College

      Grad rate
      65%
      Admit rate
      90.9%
      Enrollment
      713
      Net price
      $17,133
    • BaccalaureateArkansas

      Philander Smith University

      Grad rate
      30%
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      780
      Net price
      $14,224
    • BaccalaureateIllinois

      Principia College

      Grad rate
      74%
      Admit rate
      44.4%
      Enrollment
      339
      Net price
      Not reported
    • BaccalaureateIllinois

      Quincy University

      Grad rate
      45%
      Admit rate
      50.9%
      Enrollment
      1,210
      Net price
      $20,359
    • Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsIllinois

      Rockford University

      Grad rate
      47%
      Admit rate
      92.9%
      Enrollment
      1,241
      Net price
      $22,436
    • BaccalaureateTexas

      Southwestern Adventist University

      Grad rate
      52%
      Admit rate
      78.4%
      Enrollment
      764
      Net price
      $22,778
    • BaccalaureateKansas

      Sterling College

      Grad rate
      41%
      Admit rate
      48.2%
      Enrollment
      694
      Net price
      $22,371
    • BaccalaureateKansas

      Tabor College

      Grad rate
      34%
      Admit rate
      64.6%
      Enrollment
      621
      Net price
      $20,205
    • Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsMaine

      Unity Environmental University

      Grad rate
      29%
      Admit rate
      81.8%
      Enrollment
      7,165
      Net price
      $19,104
    • BaccalaureateArkansas

      University of the Ozarks

      Grad rate
      51%
      Admit rate
      59.5%
      Enrollment
      778
      Net price
      $17,360
    • Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPennsylvania

      Wilson College

      Grad rate
      48%
      Admit rate
      92.1%
      Enrollment
      1,907
      Net price
      $21,741

    Blackburn College Institutional Research office

    The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

    Office
    Office of Institutional Research
    Phone
    800.233.3550
    Address
    Butler Hall #12, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL 62626

    The page for the Office of Institutional Research at Blackburn College provides the office's physical address and contact phone number. Additional information such as the office mission or staff details are not provided on this page.

    Visit IR office page
    Team
    1 member
    • Dr. Tim Morenz
      Director of Institutional Research

    Reports & documents (1)

    Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

    Grants & funding (1)

    Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

    USA Spending

    Frequently asked questions about Blackburn College

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Blackburn College.

    What is the acceptance rate at Blackburn College?

    Blackburn College's acceptance rate is 63.2% (575 admitted from 910 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

    What is the graduation rate at Blackburn College?

    Blackburn College's six-year graduation rate is 57% and its four-year rate is 50%, per 2024 IPEDS data.

    How many students attend Blackburn College?

    Blackburn College reports a total enrollment of 513 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Blackburn College?

    The average net price at Blackburn College is $18,460 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at Blackburn College?

    Blackburn College's yield rate is 25.7%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is Blackburn College located?

    Blackburn College is located in Carlinville, Illinois 62626.

    Who runs Institutional Research at Blackburn College?

    Blackburn College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    U.S. Department of Education
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    U.S. Department of Education
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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