Admit rate has ranged 54%–75% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Millikin University is a small, private liberal arts institution in Decatur, Illinois, that operates with a distinctive 'teaching-first' ethos. Its identity is a compelling hybrid: a robust conservatory-level performing arts scene coexists with a practical, career-focused business school and a strong nursing program, all wrapped in a highly accessible admissions process. This is a campus where the spotlight on stage is as bright as the focus on a post-graduation paycheck.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,382
In-state tuition
$26,892
Out-of-state tuition
$26,892
Graduation Rate
55%
Financial Aid Reach
100% of full-time beginners receive grants/scholarships
First-Year Retention
75%
Median Earnings (10yr)
$51,262
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$51,262
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.3×
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
55%
First-year retention
75%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
64%
Pell (lower-income) share
38%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
32%
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Management Information Systems and Services$58,402
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$56,521
Accounting and Related Services$52,607
Marketing$50,439
Business Administration, Management and Operations$41,193
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
92
Summer high
83°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
42.2"
Annual snow
17.7"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
72
Scholarly works
764
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.1%
Bottom → top quintile
26%
From bottom quintile
4%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Millikin University?
Millikin University's acceptance rate is approximately 67% (Decatur, IL), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Millikin University?
Admitted students at Millikin University typically score 860–1130 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Millikin University cost?
At Millikin University, the average net price (after aid) is about $21,989 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Millikin University?
Millikin University enrolls approximately 1,382 undergraduate students.
Where is Millikin University located?
Millikin University is located in Decatur, IL.
Admissions
Millikin's admissions process is characterized by its accessibility and student-friendly policies. The university is less selective, with an of 67% for undergraduate applicants. For the 2024 cycle, it received 5,144 applications. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students who submitted scores is 860–1130, and the ACT range is 18–25. A significant policy is that admission is test-optional; applicants are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores if they feel the tests do not showcase their abilities. The Regular Decision acceptance rate for 2024 was reported at 54%. While sources discuss the general importance of demonstrated interest in college admissions (often detailed in the 's C7 section), no specific source from the provided list confirms whether Millikin explicitly considers it as a factor in its own evaluation process.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$39,369
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$34,908
Communication and Media Studies$33,459
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Millikin offers over 50 majors and programs across a curriculum that blends traditional liberal arts with pre-professional training. The academic culture is explicitly teaching-focused, typical of small liberal arts colleges, with an emphasis on pedagogy and high student-faculty contact. The most popular majors reveal the university's dual identity in the arts and practical professions. For 2024 graduates, the top fields were: Visual and Performing Arts (21%), Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (18%), and Education (15%). Niche data corroborates this, listing Nursing, Performing Arts, Business, and Drama and Theatre Production among the most popular. The university provides detailed Plans of Study by Major that outline all graduation requirements for each program.
Campus life at Millikin is orchestrated by a dedicated Campus Life office located in the University Commons, which serves as the hub for engagement. The office promotes a calendar of events, from day-long quad festivals with music and free food to more formal functions in banquet rooms. Student life encompasses housing, a wide array of student organizations, and campus events designed to foster community. The office actively uses social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to connect with students, advertise events, and share campus happenings. Reviews on Niche cover aspects of housing, food, athletics, and clubs, indicating an active, if traditional, residential campus experience in Decatur, Illinois.
Millikin promotes its graduate success, highlighting a salary range of $40,000–$85,000 for 60.9% of its graduates, with 16.2% of that group reporting an income of $60,000 or more. The median earnings 10 years after entry are $51,262. The first-year retention rate is 75%. Graduation rates show some variance across sources: the 4-year graduation rate is 61%, while the 6-year rate is 69%. Another source cites an overall graduation rate of 59%, with a notable gender gap: a 69% rate for female students versus 49% for male students. These figures place Millikin's outcomes in a context where a significant portion of graduates find economic footing in the middle-income range shortly after college.
Financial aid is widely available at Millikin, with 100% of full-time beginning undergraduates receiving some form of grant or scholarship aid. The average net price after aid is $21,989. The university encourages the use of its Calculator for early financial planning and states that aid packages include academic scholarships, loans, government assistance, and student employment. To maintain eligibility for all Millikin financial assistance, students must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate program. One source lists the net price as $25,204 after scholarships and grants, with an average aid package of $36,341. There is no information in the provided sources indicating that Millikin University has a policy of meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need or a "no-loan" policy where loans are replaced by grants.
Millikin University stands out for its unapologetic synthesis of two often-separate worlds: the conservatory and the career college. It’s a place where a student might spend their morning in a demanding theatre rehearsal and their afternoon in a business strategy class, all within a small, teaching-focused environment that prioritizes direct faculty interaction. This creates a specific kind of graduate—one with both the creative discipline of an artist and the practical savvy of a business or nursing professional. The university’s high and policy make this distinctive educational model broadly accessible. Its outcomes data, highlighting a cluster of graduates in the $40k-$85k salary range, reflects this mission: preparing students not just for a life of the mind or a life on stage, but for a viable, middle-class career immediately after graduation.
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