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Northern Illinois Tennessee Illinois Louisville IU UC UIC Auburn Alabama WKU Purdue DePaul| Illinois State University | University of Kentucky | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
ISU | Kentucky | ||
| Location | Normal, IL | Lexington, KY | ||
| Setting | Small City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 20,989 | 32,703 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #501 | #421 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | illinoisstate.edu | uky.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
ISU | Kentucky | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $12,066 | $11,849 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $24,131 | $32,043 | ||
| Room & Board | $11,584 | $15,242 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $20,871 | $19,838 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $11,590 | $13,024 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 96% | 96% |
Admission |
ISU | Kentucky | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 20,884 | 28,233 | ||
| Admitted | 18,589 | 26,083 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 89% | 92.4% | ||
| Enrolled % | 22.3% | 24.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.41 | 3.59 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Average | Challenging | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 22/27 | 21/28 | ||
| SAT Range | 1010/1230 | 1080/1290 | ||
| 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 | Feb 15, 2025 |
Academics |
ISU | Kentucky | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 19:1 | 17:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
ISU | Kentucky | ||
| Graduation Rate | 71% | 59% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $49,000 | $51,000 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 74% | 62% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $22,000 | $22,750 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $227 | $235 |
Diversity |
ISU | Kentucky | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 4% | 9% | ||
| % Women | 8% | 17% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Low | Low | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 77% | 76% | ||
| % Black | 8% | 8% | ||
| % Hispanic | 9% | 4% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 3% | 3% | ||
| % International | 0% | 3% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 3% |
Students |
ISU | Kentucky | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 96% | 58% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 3% | 40% | ||
Campus |
ISU | Kentucky | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- University of Kentucky is larger than than ISU based on total student enrollment (32,703 students vs. 20,989 students)
ISU vs. Kentucky Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, ISU or Kentucky?
- Illinois State University is 1.8% more expensive to attend than Kentucky for in-state tuition ($12,066.00 vs. $11,849.00)
- Out of state tuition is 32.8% higher at Kentucky than Illinois State University ($32,043.00 vs. $24,131.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Kentucky than ISU ($19,838 vs. $20,871)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois State University are 31.6% lower than costs at University of Kentucky ($11,584 vs. $15,242)
- The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Illinois State University as University of Kentucky (96% vs. 96%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of Kentucky students is 12.4% larger than aid received Illinois State University ($13,024 vs. $11,590)
ISU vs. Kentucky Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, ISU or Kentucky? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Kentucky or ISU .
- The average SAT score at University of Kentucky (1143) is 53 points higher than at ISU (1090)
- Incoming Kentucky students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at ISU (24)
- Accepted freshman Kentucky students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at ISU (3.41)
- Kentucky has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than ISU (89%)
ISU vs. Kentucky Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, ISU or Kentucky? 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 Kentucky and ISU.
- The graduation rate at ISU is higher than University of Kentucky (71% vs. 59%)
- Graduates from University of Kentucky earn on average $2,000 more per year than ISU graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $49,000)
- Illinois State University students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than Kentucky graduates. ($22,000 vs. $22,750)
- ISU graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Kentucky graduates. ($227 vs. $235)
- More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Kentucky students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 62%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/