Quad
Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL · Public

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Psychology, General (9% of graduates). 14 students for every faculty member, more than at 58% of colleges. 77% of faculty are full-time. Spends $10,847 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

1,132 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 31% of graduates; 57 programs in 22 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Psychology, General 42.01018.6% 97
    Graduates in this field earn $49,478 4 years out
  2. Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 24.01018.1% 92
    Graduates in this field earn $52,078 4 years out
  3. Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.01015.0% 57
    Graduates in this field earn $53,725 4 years out
  4. Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 51.38014.9% 55
  5. Exercise Science and Kinesiology 31.05054.7% 53
    Graduates in this field earn $50,502 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Health professions, 3.1% → 10% of graduates since 2014–15 (116 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians$81,362 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $58,817

    4 years after completion$81,362
    National median: $80,890About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $65,871 · Non-Pell: $70,327(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $22,000 · 2 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Computer and Information Sciences, General$72,220 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $42,284

    4 years after completion$72,220
    National median: $92,374Below typical

    Median federal debt: $21,500 · 13 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Finance and Financial Management Services$70,704 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $51,370

    4 years after completion$70,704
    National median: $83,343Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $69,530(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $15,478 · 49 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Accounting and Related Services$66,840 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $48,070

    4 years after completion$66,840
    National median: $76,194Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $70,926 · Non-Pell: $69,353(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $22,229 · 39 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Marketing$62,994 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $46,844

    4 years after completion$62,994
    National median: $69,303Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $47,583 · Non-Pell: $58,613(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $22,625 · 59 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college14 to 1
14 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 58% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 14 to 1 in its Common Data Set (5,674 students, 420 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

53%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 2% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–917318%
10–1933435%
20–2929330%
30–3910010%
40–49424%
50–99182%
100+30%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Accelerated program
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • English as a Second Language
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Teacher certification
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in arts, English composition, a foreign language, humanities, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty77%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$84,987

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$10,847
$10,847
← Lessmore than 52% of 557More →
Endowment per student$11,725
$11,725
← Lessmore than 48% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Eastern Illinois University Common Data Set 2017–18, Fall 2017;Eastern Illinois University Common Data Set 2017–18, 2017–18;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)