ISU vs. Carthage

Should I go to Illinois State University or Carthage College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or Carthage is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Illinois State University vs. Carthage College comparison
Illinois State University Carthage College College 3 College 4
Illinois State University Carthage College
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Overview

ISU Carthage
Location Normal, IL Kenosha, WI
Setting Small City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 20,683 2,667
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #493 #604
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website illinoisstate.edu carthage.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU Carthage
Tuition (In State) $11,840 $34,500
Tuition (Out of State) $23,681 $34,500
Room & Board $10,602 $12,648
Avg Net Price $20,551 $26,209
Avg Grant Aid $11,619 $20,535
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 100%

Admission

ISU Carthage
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,596 8,112
Admitted 16,899 6,638
Acceptance Rate 86.2% 81.8%
Enrolled % 23.6% 11%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/27 20/27
SAT Range 1000/1210 980/1200
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2024

Academics

ISU Carthage
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (18%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

ISU Carthage
Graduation Rate 71% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $48,800
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $227 $279

Diversity

ISU Carthage
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 75%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 9% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 11%

Students

ISU Carthage
% In-State 96% 34%
% Out-of-State 3% 64%

Campus

ISU Carthage
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Illinois State University is larger than than Carthage based on total student enrollment (20,683 students vs. 2,667 students)

ISU vs. Carthage Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Carthage?

  • Carthage College is 191.4% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($34,500.00 vs. $11,840.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.7% higher at Carthage than Illinois State University ($34,500.00 vs. $23,681.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Illinois State University than Carthage ($20,551 vs. $26,209)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois State University are 19.3% lower than costs at Carthage College ($10,602 vs. $12,648)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Carthage College than Illinois State University (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Carthage College students is 76.7% larger than aid received Illinois State University ($20,535 vs. $11,619)

ISU vs. Carthage Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ISU or Carthage? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Carthage or ISU .

  • The average SAT score at Carthage College (1145) is 55 points higher than at ISU (1090)
  • Incoming Carthage students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at ISU (24)
  • Accepted freshman ISU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at Carthage (3.36)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (86.2%) than Carthage (81.8%)

ISU vs. Carthage Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Carthage? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Carthage and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than Carthage College (71% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Illinois State University earn on average $200 more per year than Carthage graduates after ten years. ($49,000 vs. $48,800)
  • Illinois State University students graduate with a $5,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Carthage graduates. ($22,000 vs. $27,000)
  • ISU graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than Carthage graduates. ($227 vs. $279)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Carthage students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 73%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/