ISU vs. WLC

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

ISU WLC
Location Normal, IL Milwaukee, WI
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 20,683 1,086
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #493 #532
Religious Affiliation - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website illinoisstate.edu wlc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU WLC
Tuition (In State) $11,840 $33,210
Tuition (Out of State) $23,681 $33,210
Room & Board $10,602 $11,380
Avg Net Price $20,551 $22,682
Avg Grant Aid $11,619 $23,128
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 100%

Admission

ISU WLC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,596 1,474
Admitted 16,899 1,383
Acceptance Rate 86.2% 93.8%
Enrolled % 23.6% 22.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.54
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/27 22/27
SAT Range 1000/1210 1038/1243
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

Academics

ISU WLC
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (18%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Communication (19%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

ISU WLC
Graduation Rate 71% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $43,000
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $227 $258

Diversity

ISU WLC
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 83%
% Black 8% 5%
% Hispanic 9% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

ISU WLC
% In-State 96% 66%
% Out-of-State 3% 33%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Illinois State University is larger than than WLC based on total student enrollment (20,683 students vs. 1,086 students)

ISU vs. WLC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or WLC?

  • Wisconsin Lutheran College is 180.5% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($33,210.00 vs. $11,840.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 40.2% higher at WLC than Illinois State University ($33,210.00 vs. $23,681.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Illinois State University than WLC ($20,551 vs. $22,682)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois State University are 7.3% lower than costs at Wisconsin Lutheran College ($10,602 vs. $11,380)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wisconsin Lutheran College than Illinois State University (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wisconsin Lutheran College students is 99.1% larger than aid received Illinois State University ($23,128 vs. $11,619)

ISU vs. WLC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wisconsin Lutheran College (1101) is 11 points higher than at ISU (1090)
  • Incoming ISU students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at WLC (24)
  • Accepted freshman WLC students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at ISU (3.41)
  • WLC has a higher acceptance rate (93.8%) than ISU (86.2%)

ISU vs. WLC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than Wisconsin Lutheran College (71% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Illinois State University earn on average $6,000 more per year than WLC graduates after ten years. ($49,000 vs. $43,000)
  • Illinois State University students graduate with a $3,000 lower median federal student loan debt than WLC graduates. ($22,000 vs. $25,000)
  • ISU graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than WLC graduates. ($227 vs. $258)
  • More WLC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ISU students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 74%)

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