This fall 1,037 students are enrolled on campus and online at Illinois College, making it the fourth year in a row the College has enrolled more than 1,000 students and one of the largest student bodies since the College’s founding.
This semester brings IC’s largest-ever cohort of international students representing 16 nations. Enrollment includes 287 new students. These students come from 20 different states and include 55 transfer students, with 18 transfers from nearby Lincoln College, which closed this year. The average GPA of incoming students was 3.61.
Ali Daoud ’26 is an international student from Lebanon enrolled in the IC Scholars Honors Program and double majoring in physics and pre-medicine. A member of the debate and speech team, and getting involved with the English club and Greek life, he’s finding community and making himself at home on campus.
“I’m enjoying my time here and the small campus community. Everyone knows each other and it’s nice to see the same friendly faces every day,” Daoud said. “It feels good because I’m making new connections and friends.”
In recent years, expanded academic program offerings on campus and online have contributed to the growth of the student body. IC Online has made career advancement more accessible for teachers, nurses and business professionals with 10 fully online programs.
Among the highlights both on campus and online, additions of new, innovative programs in the health sciences — such as nursing, neuroscience, health science, exercise science, RN-to-BSN, health care management, and a Master of Science in Nursing — are preparing students for 21st-century careers and meeting the growing need in the health care industry in the region and the country.
“Academic innovation with hands-on experiences like internships and global study that prepares students for success defines an Illinois College education,” said Vice President of External Relations Stephanie Elpers Chipman, who oversees enrollment. “Students see that they are part of a caring community at IC that is dedicated to their success and know they will absolutely Graduate READY for the next step.”
Illinois College’s welcoming and diverse environment, coupled with excellent, personalized academics and relationship-building faculty, have helped the College continue to build global connections. The student body hails from a total of 25 countries. Students from Aruba, Canada, Cameroon, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Nepal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe are new to IC this fall.
International students are able to experience the local community and share their own culture while pursuing their education. Resources like the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging and the Office of Global Programming are available to assist students from diverse backgrounds in finding connections and acclimating to college life.