Quad

Head-to-head

Illinois Wesleyan
Union

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Illinois Wesleyan graduates 18 pts more of its students than Union (82% vs. 64%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    Union's yield is 18 pts higher than Illinois Wesleyan's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Illinois Wesleyan grads earn $16.9K more ten years out than Union's ($70,871 vs. $53,990)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    Union has 15 pts more first-gen students than Illinois Wesleyan (33% vs. 18%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Illinois Wesleyan's grants cover 59% of its full price on average, vs. 51% at Union

    Aid generosity
  6. 6

    Illinois Wesleyan is 1.5× more selective than Union

    Acceptance rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Illinois Wesleyan admits 39%, Union 60%; Union's yield is higher, at 30%.

Acceptance rate
Illinois Wesleyan39%
Union60%
Quad's selectivity
  • Illinois WesleyanVery selective
  • UnionSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
Illinois Wesleyan
1120–1340
Union
1160–1390
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Illinois WesleyanRigor very important
  • UnionGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Illinois Wesleyan and Union are about the same size; Illinois Wesleyan has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Illinois Wesleyan1.6K
Union1.6K
Pell Grant share
Illinois Wesleyan26%
Union25%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Illinois Wesleyan, and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse at Union; Union has 9 students per faculty member to Illinois Wesleyan's 12.

Students per faculty member
Illinois Wesleyan12 to 1
Union9 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Illinois WesleyanBusiness/Commerce, General12%
  • UnionRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse21%

What each costs

Illinois Wesleyan and Union cost about the same a year on average; Illinois Wesleyan's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Illinois Wesleyan$29K
Union$29.2K
Aid generosity
Illinois Wesleyan59%
Union51%

What each pays off

Illinois Wesleyan's former students earn more, a median $70.9K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Illinois Wesleyan$70.9K
Union$54K
Graduation rate
Illinois Wesleyan82%
Union64%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Illinois Wesleyan but held steady at Union; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Illinois WesleyanGrowing+179%
  • UnionSteady−1%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Illinois Wesleyan University Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2023;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why