ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã

About ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã

About WIU

A University Rooted in Purpose: Driven by You

Immerse yourself in a learning environment shaped around one core mission: to help you succeed. ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã (WIU) offers robust academic programs, purposeful mentorship, and a welcoming community that transforms your dreams into plans and realities. As a top public university in Illinois, we pride ourselves on our commitment to your personal growth and success, all while expanding your worldview with interdisciplinary, regional, and global perspectives.

“Best Bang for the Buckâ€
-Washington Monthly College Guide

“Best Midwestern Universityâ€
-U.S. News & World Report

“Military Friendly Schoolâ€
for 15 Consecutive Years

The WIU Advantage: Why Students Choose Us

Our top-ranked educational programs, accessible approach to education, abundant opportunities for growth, and deep-rooted commitment to community set WIU apart from other institutions. ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã is known for being more than a good school: it’s one of the best.

Quality College Education within Reach

Keeping a WIU education affordable is a cornerstone of our philosophy. We offer a cost guarantee, meaning you will have a set tuition rate for up to four years, and our tuition is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. These cost savings help Leathernecks prepare for competitive careers and achieve their goals soon after graduation.

In addition to affordable tuition, WIU offers a wide range of scholarships, grants, and financial aid opportunities to reduce the cost of your degree further.

Supportive and Student-Centered Culture

All ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã faculty and staff members are committed to helping you grow and flourish. Our close-knit community is saturated with resources, opportunities, and connections that empower your success.

Limitless Opportunities on and off Campus

Conduct leading-edge research, make social connections in a student organization, compete as a Leatherneck athlete, earn your stripes in an internship, and so much more. Explore your full potential—academically and beyond—at WIU.

Our Campuses

ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã is located across two campuses in Illinois: our main hub in Macomb and our accessible metro location in the Quad Cities.

Macomb Campus

This gorgeous residential campus of ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã is in Macomb, Illinois. It features seven residence halls, 60 buildings, and Leatherneck athletics. Here, study criminal justice, agriculture, psychology, liberal arts and humanities, and more.

Quad Cities

Our Moline-based commuter campus is the only public four-year university serving the Quad Cities region. The top programs on our Quad Cities campus are related to science and innovation, as well as education and museum studies.

ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã Online

Leathernecks learn all over the world in ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã’s rigorous online degree programs and courses taught 94% by full-time faculty. WIU online equips you for lasting impact—on a schedule that works for you.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

Every aspect of life and learning at ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã is designed around our vision to be leaders in high-quality, affordable education. We have cultivated a dynamic and diverse community that fosters academic excellence, educational opportunity, personal growth, and social responsibility. WIU’s student-centered undergraduate and graduate programs open doors through innovative teaching, research, and service.

Learn about our core values

Our Story: A Legacy of Access and Excellence

ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã laid its foundations in 1899 as the ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã Illinois State Normal School, which became ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã Illinois State Teachers College in 1921. As our legacy grew, we took on the mantle of ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã Illinois State College in 1947 before finally settling into our most lasting title ten years later: ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã.

Initially a small-scale operation, ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã opened the flagship Macomb campus in 1902. We launched the WIU-Quad Cities campus more than 50 years later—and it remains the only public university in the Quad Cities. Between our two campuses, we offer over 100 majors and programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, preparing thousands of students each year for a life of community, public service, and professional fulfillment.

Fast Facts about WIU

6K
Students

12:1
Student-to-Faculty Ratio

94%
Classes Taught by Full-Time Faculty

FAQs

What are some of the most well-known majors at WIU?

Is ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã accredited?

ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Program-specific accreditations include AACSB for business degrees, ABET for engineering degrees, and Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

View all Accreditations

News

McCains Support Goldfarb Center, Invest in Music Business Students

McCains Support Goldfarb Center, Invest in Music Business Students

ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã alumna and former Music faculty member Claudia McCain was able to experience a breathtaking moment when the highly anticipated ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã College of Fine Arts and Communications (COFAC) Recital Hall opened in the early 2000s. Now, she and her husband, Jim, will soon experience something similar when the Goldfarb Center for the Performing Arts opens this fall.

WIU Professor Leads Eighth Annual Chicago Race Riot Tour on July 25

WIU Professor Leads Eighth Annual Chicago Race Riot Tour on July 25

The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project (CRR19) will mark a historic milestone with its eighth annual eight-mile historic bike and bus tour from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Saturday, July 25, in Chicago.

WIU SHRM Student Chapter Receives Merit Award 2025-26

WIU SHRM Student Chapter Receives Merit Award 2025-26

Today, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the trusted authority on all things work, workers and the workplace, awarded a 2025-26 Merit Award designation to the ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã SHRM student chapter for providing superior growth and development opportunities to its student members.

WIU Alumna Represents Illinois at National Rural Education Summit

WIU Alumna Represents Illinois at National Rural Education Summit

ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã alumna Ruth Owusu-Ansah, a special education teacher at Bushnell-Prairie City High School and graduate of WIU's Organization, Leadership and Education (OJEI) doctoral program, recently represented Illinois at the Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC) 2026 Rural Education Summit in Madison, WI.

Just Hired: Olivia Rueschhoff

Just Hired: Olivia Rueschhoff

Meet Olivia Rueschhoff, a ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã mathematics graduate who has accepted a full-time position as an Analyst in Data Analytics with the Walgreens Segment and Contracting Department at the company's corporate headquarters in Deerfield, IL.