Illinois State University, the oldest and one of the largest public universities
in Illinois, is a comprehensive, coeducational, residential university placing
strong emphasis on an undergraduate education and selected graduate programs.
The University was founded, with the assistance of attorney Abraham Lincoln, in 1857. Its motto, "Gladly We Learn and Teach," reflects its traditional commitment to teaching excellence.
Illinois State is accredited by the North Central Association, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. In addition, 18 programs hold discipline-based accreditation.
In his book How to Get an Ivy League Education at a State University, Dr. Martin Nemko ranked Illinois State among the best public universities in the nation and cited its rigorous Honors Program as one of its greatest assets.
Annually, more than 1,000 employers in the United States and several foreign countries offer Illinois State students internships, which provide practical experience to supplement classroom learning.
Students will find more than 270 student organizations providing recreational, social, religious, political, and general interest activities and entertainment. These include 24 fraternities, 16 sororities, more than two dozen honorary associations, three student political organizations, three communication media programs, six venues for musicians and more.
Study-abroad programs offer students a chance to live and learn in another country, while hundreds of international students bring a global perspective to campus and the Bloomington-Normal community.
Bloomington-Normal's rich quality of life prompted Money magazine to name it one of the 50 most livable communities in the nation. The community is in McLean County, midway between Chicago and St. Louis, accessible by car, train and plane. The area is one of the state's fastest growing and is economically vibrant. Planners project that McLean County's population of 130,000 will swell to more that 200,000 by 2020.
Illinois State's tree-studded, 850-acre campus consists of 60 major buidings, most of which were built in the last 30 years and are handicapped accessible. Facilities include the Bone Student Center and Braden Auditorium, which seats 3,500; Redbird Arena, which seats 10,200; the Center for the Performing Arts, a brand-new theatre and concert hall completed in 2002; 14 residence halls; a 350-acre farm; a fish farm; and the six-floor Milner Library with a collection of more than 2.5 million items. A $35 million, 113,000 square foot Science Laboratory building was dedicated in 1997.
