Illinois College: Courses, Admission, Cost

The Illinois College was founded in 1829 by the Illinois Band consisting of Yale University students. It became Illinois' first college to confer a baccalaureate degree in 1835. Jacksonville Female Academy was incorporated in the college in 1903 making it a co-educational institution. Currently, it holds the accreditation of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Also, it holds the membership of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities (FIICU). It is also approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) and the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

Spread across an area of 80 acres, the campus of Illinois College is situated in Jacksonville. The campus is split into two areas by the Steuer Walkway; the upper quad and the lower quad. The upper quad is located on the north side of the campus and consists of numerous buildings including Sturtevant Hall, Crampton Residence Hall, Whipple Hall, and Tanner Hall. It also features the Beecher Hall which is the first building of the college and houses Phi Alpha Literary Society on the first floor and Sigma Pi Literary Society on the second. The lower quad is located on the south side of the campus and includes many residence halls, Caine Student Center and Bruner Fitness Center. Illinois College offers numerous programs in more than 45 areas of study such as accounting, art, agriculture, sciences, business, communication, computer science, languages, education, engineering, health sciences, management, nursing, sports, law, and psychology. The college features an excellent student to faculty ratio of 11:1. Besides academics, the students participate in community service for an average of 11,000 hours annually. One out of every three students takes part in a major research project with the guidance of faculty. The institution has collaborations with several international universities in various countries like Jamaica, Belize, Cuba, Greece, Japan, Ireland, Austria, and France. Also, it has an exceptional placement record with nearly 100% of the graduates employed or enrolled in the higher study within a year of graduation.

Many successful and notable people have graduated from Illinois College. Charles W. Bryan was Nebraska's 20th and 23rd governor. Nancy Farmer served as Missouri's 43rd State Treasurer. William Herndon was a lawyer best known for being the biographer of Abraham Lincoln. Fred Hoskins was the United Church of Christ's first co-president. William Jayne served as Dakota Territory's first governor. Marshall M. Parks was a successful ophthalmologist popularly known as 'the father of pediatric ophthalmology'. Many other distinguished personalities are associated with the college.