ISU vs. Louisville

Should I go to Illinois State University or University of Louisville? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or Louisville 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. University of Louisville comparison
Illinois State University University of Louisville College 3 College 4
Illinois State University University of Louisville
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Overview

ISU Louisville
Location Normal, IL Louisville, KY
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 20,683 22,017
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #493 #382
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website illinoisstate.edu louisville.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU Louisville
Tuition (In State) $11,840 $12,324
Tuition (Out of State) $23,681 $28,670
Room & Board $10,602 $10,668
Avg Net Price $20,551 $19,327
Avg Grant Aid $11,619 $12,216
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 97%

Admission

ISU Louisville
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,596 15,462
Admitted 16,899 12,608
Acceptance Rate 86.2% 81.5%
Enrolled % 23.6% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.64
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/27 19/27
SAT Range 1000/1210 1070/1270
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 Louisville
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (18%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

ISU Louisville
Graduation Rate 71% 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $45,200
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $19,656
Median Loan Payment $227 $203

Diversity

ISU Louisville
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 76%
% Black 8% 11%
% Hispanic 9% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

ISU Louisville
% In-State 96% 73%
% Out-of-State 3% 27%

Campus

ISU Louisville
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

  • University of Louisville is larger than than ISU based on total student enrollment (22,017 students vs. 20,683 students)

ISU vs. Louisville Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Louisville?

  • University of Louisville is 4.1% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($12,324.00 vs. $11,840.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 21.1% higher at Louisville than Illinois State University ($28,670.00 vs. $23,681.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Louisville than ISU ($19,327 vs. $20,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois State University are 0.6% lower than costs at University of Louisville ($10,602 vs. $10,668)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Illinois State University as University of Louisville (97% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Louisville students is 5.1% larger than aid received Illinois State University ($12,216 vs. $11,619)

ISU vs. Louisville Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Louisville (1159) is 69 points higher than at ISU (1090)
  • Incoming Louisville students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at ISU (24)
  • Accepted freshman Louisville students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.64) than students at ISU (3.41)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (86.2%) than Louisville (81.5%)

ISU vs. Louisville Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Louisville? 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 Louisville and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than University of Louisville (71% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Illinois State University earn on average $3,800 more per year than Louisville graduates after ten years. ($49,000 vs. $45,200)
  • University of Louisville students graduate with a $2,344 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($19,656 vs. $22,000)
  • Louisville graduates are paying $24 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($203 vs. $227)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Louisville students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 58%)

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