Private nonprofit · University

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois · Large suburb

71.7%
Admit rate
$24,717
Avg net price
53%
Graduation rate
$58,572
Median earnings

McKendree University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Lebanon, Illinois (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,752 undergraduates. It has a United Methodist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,752 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 72% admitNCAA Division II with football · Great Lakes Valley ConferenceCold winters

About Lebanon, Illinois

Lebanon is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. Lebanon is home to McKendree University, the oldest college in Illinois. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
245 miles
Nearest airport
4 miles to Scott AFB/Midamerica (BLV)

How McKendree University compares

Selectivity71.7%

More selective than 60% · #25 most selective of 58 in Illinois

Graduation rate53%

Higher than 47% · #36 of 58 in Illinois

First-year retention67%

Higher than 25%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$58,572

Higher than 64% · #33 of 66 in Illinois

Average net price$24,717

Cheaper than 29% · #46 cheapest of 57 in Illinois

Median debt at graduation$23,250

Lower than 50%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment1,752

Larger than 53%

Percentiles compare McKendree University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Illinois.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,387students
  • Undergraduate1,75273%
  • Graduate63527%

Undergraduates by gender

1,752undergrads
  • Women95154%
  • Men80146%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White54%
  • Black9.1%
  • Hispanic4.7%
  • Asian0.7%
  • Other or multiracial32%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,752
Graduate enrollment
635
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
34%
First-generation students
33%
Students over 25
13%
Median family income
$49,041
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$63,621
Endowment
$40,151,472

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 436 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Illinois55%
  • Other U.S. states32%
  • International14%

A regional draw: about 54% of first-years come from Illinois, the rest from elsewhere.

14% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
71.7%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$34,740
Room & board
$12,742
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$48,845
Average net price
$24,717

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
53%
Graduated on time (4 years)
42%
First-year retention
67%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,439
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$58,572
Median debt at graduation
$23,250
Students with federal loans
42%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
51%

About 12% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
42%
Low-income (Pell)
45%
First-generation
44%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,056
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
60%
Housing charge (year)
$5,470
Meal plan (year)
$6,360
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Great Lakes Valley Conference
Varsity athletes
1,157 (706 men · 451 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (18)

Other Sports202
Football163
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)140
Wrestling95
Baseball86
Soccer75
Ice Hockey53
Water Polo50
Bowling42
Swimming and Diving (combined)37
Volleyball37
Basketball34
Golf32
Tennis26
Lacrosse25
Swimming24
Softball20
Beach Volleyball16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
9
Property offenses (2022–2024)
10

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,392 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

6.3reported offenses a year
3.0 violent a year3.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
3.0
Rape
2.0
Aggravated assault
0.7
Fondling
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$21,928
$30–48k
$21,432
$48–75k
$21,041
$75–110k
$28,333
$110k+
$29,066

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$91,112

$21,041/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

87%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$18,928
average award, among those who get one

McKendree University discounts heavily: 87% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $18,928. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 497 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$58,572
Typical debt at graduation
$23,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
40%
Out-earn a HS grad
65%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$56,032
Men
$62,412

Men out-earn women by $6,380 (11%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
90°F
Winter low
24°F
Annual rain
43.4″
Annual snow
11.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Belleville Siu Rsch, IL US station (6.3 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to McKendree University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare McKendree University side by side →

Colleges near McKendree University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.