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.
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
- Nearest big city
- 21 miles to St. Louis, MO
- To Great Lakes shore
- 245 miles
- Nearest airport
- 4 miles to Scott AFB/Midamerica (BLV)
How McKendree University compares
More selective than 60% · #25 most selective of 58 in Illinois
Higher than 47% · #36 of 58 in Illinois
Higher than 25%
Higher than 64% · #33 of 66 in Illinois
Cheaper than 29% · #46 cheapest of 57 in Illinois
Lower than 50%
Lower than 28%
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
- Undergraduate1,75273%
- Graduate63527%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Belleville Siu Rsch, IL US station (6.3 mi from campus).
What McKendree University graduates study — and earn
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 →
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa · Remote town · 92 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 1,379
- Admission
- 72%
- Net price
- $23k
- SAT
- 1218
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $60k
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, South Dakota · Midsize city · 1 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 1,965
- Admission
- 68%
- Net price
- $24k
- SAT
- 1195
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $59k
Adrian College
Adrian, Michigan · Distant town · 32 mi to Toledo
- Students
- 1,604
- Admission
- 73%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1034
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $56k
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana · Large suburb · 2 mi to South Bend
- Students
- 1,458
- Admission
- 76%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1246
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $59k
Gannon University
Erie, Pennsylvania · Small city · < 1 mi to Erie
- Students
- 2,365
- Admission
- 74%
- Net price
- $23k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $59k
Saint Ambrose University
Davenport, Iowa · Midsize city · 64 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 1,916
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1093
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $60k
Colleges near McKendree University
Southwestern Illinois College
Belleville, IL · Public · Certificate · 5,675 students
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL · Public · Bachelor's · 8,750 students
Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts
Saint Louis, MO · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 89 students
Ponce Health Sciences University-St Louis
St. Louis, MO · Private for-profit · Graduate
Harris-Stowe State University
Saint Louis, MO · Public · Bachelor's · 960 students
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 7,267 students
Aquinas Institute of Theology
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Career Center of Southern Illinois
Red Bud, IL · Public · Certificate · 36 students
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.













