Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL wiu.edu 4,939 students

Western Illinois University's main campus is located in Macomb, a rural setting in western Illinois. The university is known for its strong sense of community and a welcoming atmosphere. WIU has a reputation for its agriculture program, and its location provides students with opportunities for hands-on learning in that field. The school also maintains a second campus in Moline, offering a more urban experience.

Programs

Analyzed in dataset

Earnings

$42,540

Average graduate, 1 yr after

Outlook

48/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

Tuition

$14,952

Sticker price (est.)

Financial Aid

The sticker price is rarely what families actually pay. Western Illinois University's grant and scholarship aid lowers the net price for most income brackets. 28% of students receive Pell Grants; 31% take federal loans.

Key Insight

Average net price across income brackets is $12,020, roughly 20% lower than the published tuition.

Net Price by Family Income

Academic Year 2025

Income Bracket	Avg Net Price	4-Year Net Cost
$0 – $30K	$6,968	$27,872
$30K – $48K	$7,391	$29,564
$48K – $75K	$11,608	$46,432
$75K – $110K	$16,515	$66,060
$110K+	$17,621	$70,484
Sticker price (no aid)	$14,952	$59,808

Net price = tuition + fees + room & board minus grants and scholarships, by reported family-income bracket. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey via College Scorecard.

Programs at Western Illinois University

30 degree programs ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any program for AI scenario analysis and 10-year earnings projections.

Degree Program	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
Nursing Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare across schools →	81	$74,490/yr	High	12.4x
Construction Management Compare across schools →	77	$70,789/yr	High	13.2x
Information Sciences Computer and Information Sciences, General Compare across schools →	76	$62,578/yr	Very High	11.3x
Accounting Accounting and Related Services Compare across schools →	69	$49,900/yr	Very High	9.9x
Business Administration Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare across schools →	63	$45,137/yr	High	9.3x
Criminal Justice Criminal Justice and Corrections Compare across schools →	60	$40,898/yr	Moderate	9.9x
Engineering Technology Engineering Technology, General Compare across schools →	59	$64,762/yr	High	11.9x
Subject-Area Teaching Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Compare across schools →	58	$44,376/yr	High	7.6x
Marketing Compare across schools →	56	$39,977/yr	Very High	10.1x
Health and Medical Administrative Services Compare across schools →	52	$40,261/yr	High	6.9x
Engineering Engineering, General Compare across schools →	51	$66,112/yr	High	10.1x
Human Resources Human Resources Management and Services Compare across schools →	51	$47,467/yr	High	7.1x
Teacher Education Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Compare across schools →	49	$40,544/yr	High	6.4x
Chemistry Compare across schools →	48	$31,980/yr	High	11.0x
Special Education and Teaching Compare across schools →	45	$46,729/yr	High	7.1x
Fire Protection Compare across schools →	44	$41,432/yr	Moderate	5.9x
Agriculture Agriculture, General Compare across schools →	43	$48,509/yr	High	8.7x
Social Work Compare across schools →	42	$39,641/yr	Moderate	6.9x
Health & Physical Education Health and Physical Education/Fitness Compare across schools →	40	$28,315/yr	Moderate	9.0x
Parks Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management Compare across schools →	39	$28,978/yr	Moderate	5.9x
Biology Biology, General Compare across schools →	37	$34,052/yr	High	7.5x
Linguistics Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services Compare across schools →	36	$37,155/yr	Very High	5.2x
Communication and Media Studies Compare across schools →	36	$34,142/yr	High	7.6x
Political Science Political Science and Government Compare across schools →	35	$32,359/yr	Very High	6.0x
Music Compare across schools →	34	$32,666/yr	High	6.8x
Psychology Psychology, General Compare across schools →	33	$30,471/yr	High	6.8x
Liberal Arts & Humanities Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare across schools →	32	$38,196/yr	Low	7.0x
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Compare across schools →	32	$27,462/yr	High	6.5x
Fine Arts Fine and Studio Arts Compare across schools →	29	$26,196/yr	Moderate	6.2x
English English Language and Literature, General Compare across schools →	25	$30,652/yr	Very High	5.0x