Quad

Head-to-head

Buena Vista
Illinois

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Buena Vista's yield is 12 pts higher than Illinois's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Illinois is more diverse (index 0.47 vs. 0.37)

    Diversity index
  3. 3

    Buena Vista has 5 pts more Pell recipients than Illinois (44% vs. 38%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  4. 4

    Illinois graduates 5 pts more of its students than Buena Vista (67% vs. 62%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    Buena Vista is a bit larger (1,366 vs. 930)

    Undergrads
  6. 6

    Buena Vista has 4 pts more first-gen students than Illinois (35% vs. 31%)

    First-generation students

The shape of each school

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

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Buena Vista admits 78%, Illinois 78%; Buena Vista's yield is higher, at 21%.

Acceptance rate
Buena Vista78%
Illinois78%
Quad's selectivity
  • Buena VistaAccessible
  • IllinoisAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
Buena VistaNot reported
Illinois
883–1180
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Buena VistaGPA required
  • IllinoisGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Buena Vista is a bit larger than Illinois (1,366 vs. 930 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Buena Vista1.4K
Illinois930
Pell Grant share
Buena Vista44%
Illinois38%

Majors and faculty

Elementary Education and Teaching leads at Buena Vista, and Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology at Illinois.

Students per faculty member
Buena Vista13 to 1
Illinois12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Buena VistaElementary Education and Teaching24%
  • IllinoisExercise Physiology and Kinesiology10%

What each costs

Only Buena Vista reports an average cost ($20.4K).

Average cost, all students
Buena Vista$20.4K
IllinoisNot reported
Aid generosity
Buena Vista63%
IllinoisNot reported

What each pays off

Illinois's former students earn more, a median $52.6K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Buena Vista$49.2K
Illinois$52.6K
Graduation rate
Buena Vista62%
Illinois67%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Buena VistaGrowing+13%
  • IllinoisGrowing+39%
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;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