About
Illinois Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell recipients here graduate at a 3.4-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.
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.
Of 45 Title IV programs, 7 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 37 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing7 · 15.6%
- No Data37 · 82.2%
- Failing1 · 2.2%
Severity spectrum
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.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 2
Action history · 4
- Jan 2023Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
- Jan 2020Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
- Jan 2013Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 513 students received $3.1M in Pell grants, alongside $11.2M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 366 borrowers who entered repayment, 3 (0.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at Illinois Wesleyan
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 13
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus8
Includes 3 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Illinois Wesleyan vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Illinois Wesleyan selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectIllinois Wesleyan University | 75% | — | 1,582 | $28,199 | Baccalaureate |
| 73% | 62.7% | 2,570 | $22,736 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 20.4% | 2,128 | $25,407 | Baccalaureate | |
| 79% | 17.4% | 2,394 | $40,007 | Baccalaureate | |
| 75% | 57.2% | 1,917 | $22,264 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 28.2% | 1,808 | $36,425 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 31.0% | 2,249 | $38,512 | Baccalaureate | |
| 68% | 70.8% | 1,136 | $24,595 | Baccalaureate | |
| 77% | 63.9% | 1,417 | $23,401 | Baccalaureate | |
| 87% | 28.5% | 2,138 | $32,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 85% | 50.4% | 1,861 | $28,585 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 48.3% | 3,124 | $23,874 | Baccalaureate | |
| 74% | 59.5% | 1,738 | $23,458 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 79% | 49.3% | 1,917 | $25,407 |
Institutions like Illinois Wesleyan
Explore the federal data for institutions in Illinois Wesleyan's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateIllinois
Augustana College
Grad rate73%Admit rate62.7%Enrollment2,570Net price$22,736View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Carleton College
Grad rate90%Admit rate20.4%Enrollment2,128Net price$25,407View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Denison University
Grad rate79%Admit rate17.4%Enrollment2,394Net price$40,007View data - BaccalaureateIndiana
DePauw University
Grad rate75%Admit rate57.2%Enrollment1,917Net price$22,264View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Franklin and Marshall College
Grad rate84%Admit rate28.2%Enrollment1,808Net price$36,425View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Kenyon College
Grad rate82%Admit rate31.0%Enrollment2,249Net price$38,512View data - BaccalaureateIllinois
Knox College
Grad rate68%Admit rate70.8%Enrollment1,136Net price$24,595View data - BaccalaureateWisconsin
Lawrence University
Grad rate77%Admit rate63.9%Enrollment1,417Net price$23,401View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Macalester College
Grad rate87%Admit rate28.5%Enrollment2,138Net price$32,149View data - BaccalaureateTennessee
Rhodes College
Grad rate85%Admit rate50.4%Enrollment1,861Net price$28,585View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
St Olaf College
Grad rate84%Admit rate48.3%Enrollment3,124Net price$23,874View data - BaccalaureateOhio
The College of Wooster
Grad rate74%Admit rate59.5%Enrollment1,738Net price$23,458View data
Illinois Wesleyan Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The primary mission of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness is to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret institutional data and intelligence for the purposes of strategic planning, decision-making, and program evaluation.
Visit IR office page- Michael D. ThompsonAssociate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness
- Jenny HandInstitutional Effectiveness Specialist
Common Data Set
Illinois Wesleyan's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C19,558 applied → 3,757 admitted (39.2%) → 461 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Selective — 39.2% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 1120–1320 (median 1240).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 25–30 (median 29).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Where grant aid comes from
H10% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H569% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $40,508 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 75%; first-year retention 80%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 1 pts below the overall rate (73% vs 75%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I364% of classes have under 20 students; 1% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B25% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D1262 transfer applicants → 96 admitted (36.6%) → 37 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.
Reports & documents (6)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardiwu.edu
- Data definitionCommon Data SetThe page provides information about Illinois Wesleyan University's Common Data Set, a part of Institutional Effectiveness efforts aimed at enhancing data quality and reducing reporting burdens. It mentions the 2025-2026 data set and provides contact information for the Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness.iwu.edu
- Data dictionaryInstitutional Effectiveness2026The Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Illinois Wesleyan University, led by Dr. Michael D. Thompson, focuses on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of institutional data to support strategic planning and decision-making. It manages databases, publishes an annual electronic fact book, responds to various surveys, conducts special research projects, and assists faculty with data preparation for grant proposals and assessment plan development.iwu.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookIWU Fact Book2024The IWU Fact Book provides a comprehensive collection of statistical information about Illinois Wesleyan University, focusing on both financial and non-financial trends. It is an evolving document, regularly updated with new data, covering key metrics such as enrollment details, financial summaries including the FY 2024 Financial Summary, faculty and staff details, and important outcomes related to retention and graduation rates. The document is managed by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness led by Michael Thompson.iwu.edu
- Strategic planIWU 20202026The Illinois Wesleyan University Strategic Plan, known as IWU 2020, is a comprehensive guide set to establish institutional priorities for the next six years. Pending approval by the Board of Trustees, this plan has been completed by the Strategic Planning and Budgeting Committee. It aims to effectively direct university objectives and goals, enhancing overall effectiveness through strategic planning.iwu.edu
Notable alumni of Illinois Wesleyan (10)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Florence Fifer BohrerPolitics
- Bill BradyPolitics
- Frankie FaisonEntertainment
- Lester C. HuntPolitics
- Duane SwansonAthletics
- Sandra SteingraberScience
- Kevin DunnEntertainment
- Cal NeemanAthletics
- Ralph C. SmedleyEducation
- John A. SterlingPolitics
Frequently asked questions about Illinois Wesleyan University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Illinois Wesleyan.
What is the graduation rate at Illinois Wesleyan University?
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Who runs Institutional Research at Illinois Wesleyan University?
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.
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