ISU vs. Dominican

Should I go to Illinois State University or Dominican University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or Dominican is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Illinois State University vs. Dominican University comparison
Illinois State University Dominican University College 3 College 4
Illinois State University Dominican University
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Overview

ISU Dominican
Location Normal, IL River Forest, IL
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 20,683 3,196
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #493 #551
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website illinoisstate.edu dom.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU Dominican
Tuition (In State) $11,840 $35,850
Tuition (Out of State) $23,681 $35,850
Room & Board $10,602 $11,050
Avg Net Price $20,551 $18,162
Avg Grant Aid $11,619 $25,315
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 100%

Admission

ISU Dominican
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,596 5,117
Admitted 16,899 4,581
Acceptance Rate 86.2% 89.5%
Enrolled % 23.6% 13.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.74
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/27 16/22
SAT Range 1000/1210 890/1140
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025 Aug 31, 2025

Academics

ISU Dominican
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (18%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (29%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

ISU Dominican
Graduation Rate 71% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $48,000
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $227 $258

Diversity

ISU Dominican
% Men 42% 26%
% Women 58% 74%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 38%
% Black 8% 7%
% Hispanic 9% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 0% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

ISU Dominican
% In-State 96% 90%
% Out-of-State 3% 9%

Campus

ISU Dominican
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Illinois State University is larger than than Dominican based on total student enrollment (20,683 students vs. 3,196 students)

ISU vs. Dominican Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Dominican?

  • Dominican University is 202.8% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($35,850.00 vs. $11,840.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 51.4% higher at Dominican than Illinois State University ($35,850.00 vs. $23,681.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dominican University than ISU ($18,162 vs. $20,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois State University are 4.2% lower than costs at Dominican University ($10,602 vs. $11,050)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dominican University than Illinois State University (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dominican University students is 117.9% larger than aid received Illinois State University ($25,315 vs. $11,619)

ISU vs. Dominican Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ISU or Dominican? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Dominican or ISU .

  • The average SAT score at Illinois State University (1090) is 80 points higher than at Dominican (1010)
  • Incoming ISU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Dominican (22)
  • Accepted freshman Dominican students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at ISU (3.41)
  • Dominican has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than ISU (86.2%)

ISU vs. Dominican Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Dominican? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Dominican and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than Dominican University (71% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Illinois State University earn on average $1,000 more per year than Dominican graduates after ten years. ($49,000 vs. $48,000)
  • Illinois State University students graduate with a $3,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Dominican graduates. ($22,000 vs. $25,000)
  • ISU graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Dominican graduates. ($227 vs. $258)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Dominican students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 64%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/