The real 4-year cost of Illinois Wesleyan University in Illinois
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Illinois Wesleyan University went from $32,434 to $61,208, an average of 3.4% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $61,208Tuition $61,004 + student activity fee $204.source
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $32,434 | – | – |
| 2009 | $33,982 | – | – |
| 2010 | $35,256 | – | – |
| 2011 | $36,572 | – | – |
| 2012 | $37,954 | – | – |
| 2013 | $39,316 | – | – |
| 2014 | $40,844 | – | – |
| 2015 | $42,490 | – | – |
| 2016 | $44,142 | – | – |
| 2017 | $45,856 | – | – |
| 2018 | $47,636 | – | – |
| 2019 | $49,488 | – | – |
| 2020 | $51,336 | – | – |
| 2021 | $52,512 | – | – |
| 2022 | $53,814 | – | – |
| 2023 | $55,704 | – | – |
| 2026 | $61,208 | $61,208 | – |
| 2027 | – | $63,273 | $62,925–$63,621 |
| 2028 | – | $65,408 | $64,690–$66,130 |
| 2029 | – | $67,615 | $66,505–$68,737 |
| 2030 | – | $69,896 | $68,371–$71,447 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $61,208 |
| Year 2 | $63,273 |
| Year 3 | $65,408 |
| Year 4 | $67,615 |
| 4-year total | $257,504 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $217,504
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $129,223
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $14,440/ yr
- rising 3.6% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $60,945
School’s own published rateStandard double $8,796 + meal plan $5,644.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Illinois Wesleyan University4-year schools with similar prices in Illinois
Closest to Illinois Wesleyan University by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Loyola University Chicago$58,376
- Knox College$55,587
- Illinois Institute of Technology$55,048
- Lake Forest College$54,202
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago$52,604
- Augustana College$49,834
- Northwestern University$73,062
- Wheaton College$49,266
Use this data
Published figures for Illinois Wesleyan University from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.