Illinois State University campus

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ISU Ratings and Reviews

  • 6/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Normal, IL
  • 4.8 4 reviews
#5 Best Public Universities in Illinois
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ISU Ratings and Reviews

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Ratings

ISU is rated within the top 47% of four-year colleges nationally and earns a CollegeSimply grade of 6 out of 10.

  • Overall Rating
    6 out of 10
  • Academics
    6 out of 10
  • Resources
    4 out of 10
  • Outcomes
    8 out of 10
  • Value
    5 out of 10
Learn how ratings are calculated

Student Review Summary

4.8

Approved reviews

4 student reviews

4 out of 4 (100%) reviewers rated 4 stars or higher

Students rate Overall Rating highest and Value for Money lowest.

Rating snapshot

  • 5 stars
    3
  • 4 stars
    1
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Average by category

  • Overall Rating
    4.8
  • Academics
    4.5
  • Value for Money
    4.2
  • Professors / Faculty
    4.2
  • Campus Atmosphere
    4.8
  • Housing
    4.2
  • Campus Safety
    4.5
  • Student Life
    4.5
  • Party and Bar Scene
    4.5

Student and Parent Reviews

If you are a student, former student, faculty member or parent, please help guide other prospective students by sharing your personal experiences at this college. What is it really like to go to Illinois State University?

Dec 7, 2019
Rating 5 out of 5

ISU is a bargain financially and an extremely underrated school academically. Undergrads have a large and varied choice of activities, and can even participate in research that at a lot of other schools is only done by graduate students. Nearby highly ranked schools, large and small, often piggyback on ISU because they don't support the kind of student activities and competitions that ISU offers. There isn't the grad inflation or last minute course drops available as with other schools. Ultimately, the education and value accumulated at ISU tops the vast majority of other schools, including countless schools with bigger name reputations.

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Nov 7, 2017
Rating 5 out of 5

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Oct 20, 2017
Rating 4 out of 5

Great value for the $. Beautiful campus located in the heart of Normal. IL. Everything is perfectly situated for academic & social success. ISU is truly underrated.

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May 3, 2016
Rating 5 out of 5

ISU is a fantastic institution. The academics are great here, but you have to study and put forth effort unlike other state schools in Illinois. The party scene is awesome and gets way better when you turn 21. The girls here are just simply beautiful! If you're looking for a state school in Illinois that is very reputable but still a fun place to be then ISU is the place for you.

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
Dating and Social Life
Party and Bar Scene

Rate Illinois State University

Share your ratings for ISU across academics, campus life, and more to help prospective students understand what it's really like to attend.

Your Overall Experience *

If a friend asked whether ISU was worth it, what would your gut say?

Academics *

Did classes challenge you and leave you feeling like you actually learned something?

Value for Money *

Considering tuition, aid, and what you got out of it, did the cost feel justified?

Professors and Faculty *

Were instructors accessible, engaged, and invested in students or mostly going through the motions?

Campus Atmosphere *

Did the campus feel welcoming and full of energy, or more like a place you simply passed through?

Student Housing *

Were dorms and residence halls somewhere you'd want to live, or a constant source of frustration?

Campus Safety *

Did you feel comfortable walking around at night, or did safety ever weigh on your mind?

Student Life *

Was it easy to find your people, make friends, and stay socially connected?

Party and Bar Scene *

Do weekends have a pulse here, or does the social scene quiet down once classes end?

We will review your college review for suitability and publish it if approved. We reserve all rights to reject and edit reviews deemed incomplete, inappropriate or malicous or critical of individuals. By submitting this review you agree for it to be published on this website. Your full name will not be published.

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=145813.

Last updated: August 2026