By now, you’ve probably heard Eastern Illinois University is the No. 4 public regional university in the Midwest according to the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings released last week. A quick look at the listing shows EIU is the top Illinois school in that category.
We’re proud to receive this kind of recognition from such a well-respected publication -- also note that U.S. News also bumped us up five spots to a No. 31 ranking among hundreds of Midwestern regional universities offering master’s degree programs -- but we can’t say we’re surprised to see we rank as high as we do compared to our peers in Illinois and the 12-state Midwest region. After all, the combination of academic excellence, student life opportunities, and superior value offered at EIU isn’t easily matched!
Academic Excellence
At Eastern, our 14:1 student-faculty ratio and average class size of 17 guarantee our students will always have access to the kind of personal relationships with their instructors they can’t find at just any institution.
Students who choose EIU appreciate this, too, as illustrated by the fact that we continue to tout the highest freshman retention rate (79 percent) and the highest graduation rate (60 percent) among all Illinois public universities in our class.
You don't have to just take our word for it, though! You can find examples of the great opportunities we provide all over campus:
- A great deal of innovative faculty research is happening here all the time, like the high school mentoring program implemented by Counseling and Student Development faculty member Heidi Larson at nearby Mattoon High School. Undergrad and graduate students frequently get involved -- or even take the lead -- in a great deal of this research.
- Our Office of Study Abroad provides additional opportunities for hundreds of students every to get out in the world and experience unique educational opportunities on foreign soil.
- Faculty-student interactions, like the seven-year bond between Kate Henry and music faculty member Rebecca Johnson, are commonplace at EIU.
- Many programs, like our athletic training major, offer students hands-on learning experiences to replicate what they'll face in a professional setting.
- Our departments work tirelessly to facilitate and prepare students for terrific internship possibilities, like the one biology alumnus Emily Schrock enjoyed working with dolphins last summer.
A Living-Learning Community
A college student's opportunity for growth shouldn't begin and end in a classroom or laboratory, and at Eastern we take that belief to heart. We present myriad opportunities for growth as a person through participation in one -- or many -- of our hundreds of registered student organizations covering a wide variety of interests and subjects like the ones we've featured here.
In addition, our active Office of Student Community Service serves as a representation of our university's commitment to volunteerism. Beginning from the first days an EIU student spends on campus, the importance and personal benefits of community are instilled upon them.
We think this shows in the number of additional hours our students put into volunteering during the remainder of their stay, which recently went over a half million.
All This For a Fantastic Value!
In a time when skyrocketing tuition and slashed admission standards are a reality at nearly every other similar school, we’ve done neither.
Our already affordable tuition rates -- available not only to in-state students but also residents of neighboring states -- remained constant from last year to this year.
At the same time, we’ve managed to maintain the same standard of excellence you’ve grown to expect for students entering our university. We truly believe you could search the entire region and not find a better bang for your buck!
