Eastern Illinois University is a fully-accredited, comprehensive institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The more than 100-year-old University is home to nearly 11,000 students, mostly full-time and residential.

Seventy campus buildings on 320 beautifully-landscaped acres display a variety of architectural styles. All buildings are within easy walking distance and are being made fully accessible. Adjacent to the central campus lie an expanse of recreational fields, a campus pond, wooded tracts, and a jogging trail.

The University's reputation reflects its mission to provide superior yet accessible undergraduate and graduate education in the arts, sciences, humanities, and professions. Instruction is usually delivered to small classes allowing close individual attention and guidance by distinguished faculty from some of the finest institutions of higher learning. All programs are accredited by the North Central Association. The teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. All other programs are fully accredited.

Eastern is large enough to provide a total educational experience, yet small enough to maintain a personal atmosphere.

Consider these facts about Eastern:

Size
On Eastern's attractive 320-acre campus, 10,816 students attend class with another 919 students enrolled in Eastern courses at satellite locations. Eastern is big enough to offer quality programs yet small enough to offer personal attention.

Cost
Last year, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine ranked Eastern Illinois University among the country's top 50 public colleges and universities "where students can graduate with a high-caliber education but without a mortgage-size debt." EIU's total costs are 12 percent below the national average for four-year public colleges (1998-1999 College Board survey), and Eastern maintains student room and board rates that are among the lowest of the state universities in Illinois.

Reputation
A recent survey of Eastern graduates, nearly 90 percent say they are satisfied with the University, listing class size, faculty attitude toward students, and instruction in the major as strengths. Eastern boasts of a graduation rate 13 percent higher than the national average for Division I public institutions.

Location
The EIU campus is located in Charleston, a pleasant community of 20,000 residents. The University is just seven miles from Interstate 57, three hours south of Chicago, two hours east of St. Louis, and two hours from Springfield.

Low Crime Rate
With its own police force of 28 officers. EIU is one of the safest public universities in Illinois and one of the safest campuses in the United States.

Small Classes
The Average EIU class size is 24. Alumni consistently list small class size as one reason for their satisfaction with Eastern.

Faculty
With 594 full-time faculty members, Eastern offers a 1:18 faculty/student ratio; 72 percent of the full-time faculty have terminal degrees in their academic disciplines.  Thirty-one percent of the faculty are full professors, and an additional 23 percent are associate professors. Less than 2 percent of our classes are taught by teaching assistants.

Complied from Sixteen Reasons You Should Consider Attending Eastern Illinois University

Eastern Illinois University is committed to cultural diversity and to building a pluralistic campus that celebrates and draws upon the talents of all its students and staff.

Currently, over 9% of the student body are members of minority groups and international students. Eastern's minority-student graduation rate is among the highest of the twelve public universities in Illinois.

General satisfaction among minority and female faculty members is high, as seen by the low rates of turnover among these groups. Their active leadership in University matters enriches campus life.

Members of minority groups are also visible and active leaders within the industrial and professional community of Coles County.

Charleston, Illinois, is a safe, affordable, and friendly community of 20,000.

Consider these facts about the community:

Quality of Life
Charleston offers many of the amenities and attractions found in larger communities, while still maintaining the familiarity, hospitality, and relaxed atmosphere of small-town life.

Education
Charleston has five schools - Charleston High School, Charleston Junior High, Jefferson Middle, Carl Sandburg Elementary, and Mark Twain Kindergarten.  Students consistently score above average on state achievement tests.

Health Care
The Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center provides acute care and general services to residents of Coles and surrounding counties. Specialists at the hospital and at outpatient clinics in the area provide a full range of medical services.  In addition, a newly constructed Carle Clinic medical complex provides medical services.

Several regionally recognized hospitals are located in nearby Champaign-Urbana.

Social, Cultural, and Recreational Opportunities
Eastern Illinois University serves as the primary cultural center for the area. Plays, concerts, art exhibitions, lectures, and symposia are a regular part of campus life. Many off-campus cultural activities are also held regularly, for example, poetry readings, historical reenactments, community theater, group discussions, and more.

State parks, national forests, and nature preserves encourage outdoor activities such as camping, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and climbing. Bicycling and horseback riding through the scenic countryside are also popular leisure activities in the area.

Eastern has an on-campus recreation facility with a full range of fitness programs and equipment.

Eastern is a Division I member of the NCAA.  There are eleven men's and eleven women's sports with most competing in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Most major religions are represented in the area. Churches, synagogues, and services for most groups can be found.

Location
Major nearby interstates link Charleston to several large cities, recreation areas, universities and research centers, and other points of interest. Mattoon, Illinois, located just 10 miles west of Charleston, connects the area with rail and bus service to Chicago, Carbondale, and New Orleans.

Coles County Regional Airport offers daily flights to Chicago O'Hare Airport. Willard Airport in Urbana provides connecting flights to Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Nashville, Detroit, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Professional and entertainment opportunities abound within easy commuting distances. Consider these distances to nearby, urban destinations:

• Urbana-Champaign/University of Illinois--50 miles
• Chicago--180 miles
• Bloomington-Normal, Illinois/Illinois State University--110 miles
• Decatur/Millikin University--55 miles
• St.Louis--135 miles
• Carbondale/Southern Illinois University--160 miles
• Bloomington, Indiana/Indiana University--100 miles
• Indianapolis--120 miles
• West Lafayette/Purdue University--140 miles
• Terre Haute/Indiana State University, Rose-Hulman Institute--50 miles

Charleston Chamber of Commerece - Mattoon Chamber of Commerece - Champaign-Urbana Visitors Information - Decatur Chamber of Commerece - Effingham Visitors Information - Terre HauteVisitors Information