Western Illinois University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Aid covers about 54% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, so pricing changes sharply with family income. The sticker-to-net reduction is $15,317, bringing the published cost of $28,254 to an average net price of $12,937 for aid recipients.

Average net prices are $6,941 for families under thirty thousand dollars, $8,787 from thirty thousand one dollars through forty-eight thousand dollars, $12,062 from forty-eight thousand one dollars through seventy-five thousand dollars, $16,294 from seventy-five thousand one dollars through one hundred ten thousand dollars, and $19,701 above that range. This pattern shows larger average reductions at lower income levels, alongside a higher price for the highest band.

The published cost of attendance at Western Illinois University is $28,254. Azimuth ranks the university #404 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $6,941 for families earning under $30,000, $12,062 for families earning $48,001 to $75,000, and $19,701 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,760.

Aid covers about 54% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $12,937, which is $1,131 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $25,251 in federal student loans. That is $4,022 above the $21,229 peer median.

91.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $20,764.

If repaid over ten years, the median student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $287 a month.

Federal borrowing is widespread at Western Illinois University, where 91.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans and completing borrowers have median federal student loan debt of $25,251. The school’s median is $4,022 above the $21,229 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $20,764.

Affordability is the stronger part of the picture at Western Illinois University, while return measures are less favorable. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $57,453 four years after completion.

Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 41st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are also below the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $3,221 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places this measure in the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For modeled program-mix earnings scenarios, the typical case matches the reported median, with a downside scenario of $45,278 and an upside scenario of $75,147. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $25,251, $4,022 above the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $287 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower-than-expected earnings and higher borrowing point in the same direction.

Parent borrowing adds a separate part of the family cost picture: median Parent PLUS borrowing is $20,764 for parent borrowers. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $287 a month if repaid over ten years.

Sources and reporting periods: methodology.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.