The student population at Western Illinois University is 6,332 (4,525 undergraduate and 1,807 graduate students) . The number of students has decreased by 4,762 (42.92%) over the past decade.
- Class Level: The percentage of undergraduate students at Western Illinois is 71.46% which is decreased by 4,616 over last 10 years. The graduate student population decreased by 146 and it has been decreasing.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 68 male students for every 100 female students, down from 93 in 2015.
- 1,607 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 78.95% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 8,303 where 6,332 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 1 year-over-year increase and 8 decreases. It peaked at 11,094 students in 2016 and was lowest at 6,332 in 2025. Overall, enrollment dropped from 11,094 to 6,332 students, a net loss of 4,762 (42.9%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Western Illinois University since 2015.
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the last 11 years is 6,410 where 4,525 students are attending the Undergraduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Western Illinois University since 2015.
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the last 11 years is 1,893 where 1,807 students are attending the Graduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Western Illinois University since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 57.09%. The percentage was 63.11% 10 years ago and Western Illinois still has a high percentage of white students. 1.42% of enrolled students is Asian and 15.26% is black students. Hispanic students comprise 10.44% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 63.11% to 57.09%. Asian enrollment grew from 0.95% to 1.42%. Black student enrollment decreased from 17.08% to 15.26%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 9.46% to 10.44%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.6388 which indicates that moderately diverse. This increased from 0.5630 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Western Illinois University over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
1,607 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 25% of total students. The number of online students has increased 78.95% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Western Illinois University from 2015 to 2025.