Western Illinois University
Public College in Macomb, IL. Six-year graduation rate 45%. Median 10-year earnings $54,163.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $54,163 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. Six-year completion sits at 45%, near the national average for undergraduate institutions. Graduates carry a median of $25,251 in debt — in line with the national norm.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
Western Illinois University accepts 71% of applicants, which makes it accessible to most students who meet the baseline requirements. 8,674 students applied in the most recent cycle — a mid-sized pool drawn mostly from the surrounding region. Yield is low at 10%, so most admitted students do not end up enrolling.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Western Illinois University →Academics
Completion is middling: 45% finish inside six years. First-year retention is 61% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. Retention and completion are close, which places the gap between entering and finishing almost entirely in year one. With 31% transferring out, this functions substantially as a stepping stone. The part-time picture is harder: 18% return, against 61% full-time.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 4,939 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $14,208 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. The income table below is the number that matters — $6,941 at $0–30k versus $19,701 at $110k+. 63% of students receive grant aid, averaging $12,943 — common but not automatic. Federal borrowing reaches 32% of students.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 951 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $6,941 |
| $30–48k | $8,787 |
| $48–75k | $12,062 |
| $75–110k | $16,294 |
| $110k+ | $19,701 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 1,595 of these 4,939 students, totalling $13,246,196 — an average of $8,305 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (McDonough County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)