Eastern Illinois University

Eastern Early Decision Results Release Date 2021

Eastern will release their Early Decision results on Wednesday December 15th. Share results and connect with other early applicants in the Eastern Community discussion.

Good luck to all early applicants!

Eastern Illinois University Overview

Eastern Illinois University is a public, state school in a small town setting in Charleston, Illinois. Eastern was founded in 1895 and now enrolls around 7,806 students a year, including 6,229 undergrads. Eastern provides housing for up to 5,385 students. Most students live in off campus housing, and 58% of students spend their weekends on campus .

There are many ways for students to get involved at Eastern! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of Eastern's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Eastern students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Thinking of pledging? Eastern has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? Eastern has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Eastern on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at Eastern on the Student Life page.

Is Eastern a Good School?

Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Let's take a closer look at each of these factors to get a clearer idea of what Eastern offers and if it might be the right college for you.

Eastern Acceptance Rate 2021

It is moderately difficult to get into Eastern. Eastern admitted 52% of all applicants in 2021. Out of 8,859 applications received in 2021, 4,651 students were offered admission.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Eastern

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Eastern, around 73% are still enrolled the next year. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outcomes for Eastern Grads

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. Within six months of graduating, 56% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

The average starting salary for recent Eastern grads is $43,689 a year. Average starting salaries vary by discipline, but the average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year.

Eastern's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. As of 2021, the total market value of the school endowment was $87 million. The average college endowment was $905 million in 2021. For each full-time student, Eastern spends about $18,276 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Eastern

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. Eastern meets 54% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $14,301 a year.

Graduates in the class of 2021 had an average of $29,483 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Eastern. Based on this information, how does Eastern sound? Remember, the best school for one person may not be the right school for another! So ask yourself: Is Eastern a good school for you?

If Eastern Illinois University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Doing Your Research?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about Eastern:

Admissions

Student Life

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Eastern Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting into some of the most popular colleges and universities in the U.S.

Where is Eastern Illinois University Located?

Eastern is located in the small town setting of Charleston, Illinois.

If you want to see Eastern for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 57 to Charleston, or book a flight to the nearest airport, University of Illinois Willard.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Eastern and Charleston are like without leaving home.

Considering Going to School in Illinois?

See a full list of colleges in Illinois and save your favorites to your college list.