Illinois State University

What Illinois State University does

Illinois State University is a public state university located in Normal, Illinois, founded in 1857 as Illinois' first public institution of higher education. The university serves undergraduate, graduate, international, and non-traditional students across more than 200 degree options, with 85% of classes taught by professors rather than graduate assistants. Its four core revenue streams are academic tuition and fees, athletics (including six Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championships in seven years and a 2026 FCS national championship game appearance), philanthropic donations and endowments such as the Hagge Endowment for Innovation in Education, and external research grants (e.g., $150,000 NSF REGGIE award, HHS funding, ARCS Foundation grants).

The institution is diversifying into specialized learning environments: the SEAT Center houses over 1,200 assistive technology items for inclusive education, the Studio Teach makerspace supports STEM and arts-integrated teacher training, and the Education Now Lab conducts research into generative AI, simulations, and gaming for educational challenges. The Hagge Innovation Institute operates cross-disciplinary pilots including a Social Innovation Lab with YWCA McLean County and student-led geothermal feasibility research for campus operations. ISU also partnered with OSF HealthCare on a Kaggle-based Data Science Project Competition where 14 student teams built binary classification models to predict patient no-shows.

On the technology side, ISU recently previewed an AI-driven student experience pilot (Modo My Agent) at the HEUG Alliance Conference in March 2026, unifying access to PeopleSoft, Canvas, and Engage through a single mobile conversational interface. Distribution centers on on-campus instruction in Normal, Illinois, supplemented by mobile apps, virtual tours, and direct-to-consumer admissions channels (open houses, campus visits, virtual counselor appointments). The institution is publicly funded by the State of Illinois, governed by the Illinois Board of Higher Education with its own Board of Trustees, and is not investor-owned. Recent cost-side pressures include the February 2026 elimination of the tennis program amid NCAA revenue-sharing redistribution and an active AFSCME labor dispute over alleged strikebreaker hiring.

Name

Illinois State University

Legal name

Illinois State University

Website

https://IllinoisState.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Illinois State University is a public university in Normal, Illinois, founded in 1857, serving undergraduate, graduate, international, and education-major students across 200+ degree programs with a focus on teacher preparation, assistive technology training, and applied AI research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAFAA

Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Teacher Training Colleges (Education Schools)

SECONDARYEDAHAAAD

Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Public Research Universities

SECONDARYEDAJAAAJ

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Public K–12 Schools & Districts

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Teacher education
• Public university

Headquarters

HQ city

Normal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Academic Programs: University generates revenue through tuition and fees from over 200 degree options including undergraduate majors, minors, and graduate programs serving students across various demographics including freshmen, transfers, international, and non-traditional students.
2. Athletics: Athletic programs generate revenue and recognition, with the university winning MVC All-Sports Championships and participating in national competitions including FCS playoffs.
3. Donations and Endowments: Alumni and community donations support scholarships, programs, and initiatives including the Sharon and Steve Hagge Endowment for Innovation in Education and various capital campaigns.
4. Research Grants: University faculty and researchers secure external funding including NSF grants ($150,000 for REGGIE project), internal research grants, and specialized program grants such as ARCS Tier II grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Illinois State University is a public higher education institution that delivers undergraduate and graduate academic programs across 200+ degree options, including majors, minors, and graduate degrees. It supplements classroom instruction with specialized teacher-preparation facilities such as the SEAT Center (1,200+ assistive technology items) and the Studio Teach makerspace, while also operating an AI-driven student experience platform (Modo My Agent) that unifies access to PeopleSoft, Canvas, and Engage through a mobile app.

Product overview

Illinois State University operates as a comprehensive public university offering educational programs and services. The institution provides an integrated technology ecosystem for students through the Modo My Agent AI-driven platform that unifies access to PeopleSoft, Canvas, and Engage systems. Specialized educational support includes the SEAT Center (offering 1,200+ assistive technology items) and Studio Teach makerspace for teacher training. Research and innovation programs include the Education Now Lab (exploring generative AI in education), Social Innovation Lab (community-focused design thinking), and annual data science competitions. Sustainability initiatives include the Front Yard FreeCycle program and Share Shop secondhand store. The university supports research through grant programs including NSF-funded projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs
• Graduate Degree Programs
• Teacher Preparation Programs with SEAT Center and Studio Teach
• Athletics Programs (Redbirds)
• International Student Programs

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hagge Innovation InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Hagge Innovation Institute facilitated student research on geothermal energy feasibility for campus operations and partnered with YWCA for Social Innovation Lab pilot, demonstrating university commitment to innovation and community engagement.
• OSF HealthCarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026OSF HealthCare partnered with Illinois State University to host the Data Science Project Competition on Kaggle, challenging students to build machine learning models predicting patient no-shows for medical appointments. Fourteen teams participated in the two-month competition, providing hands-on healthcare data science experience.
• ModocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026Modo collaborated with Illinois State to preview AI-driven student experience using Modo My Agent, integrating with PeopleSoft, Canvas, and Engage systems through a unified mobile app interface to help students access grades, schedules, financial information, and assignments.
• YWCA McLean CountyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Illinois State students partnered with YWCA McLean County for a Social Innovation Lab pilot under the Hagge Innovation Institute, studying high child care costs using systems mapping and design thinking methodology. Students presented research and recommendations to YWCA's CEO.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northern Illinois University: Public Illinois regional comprehensive university of similar scale (~14K-20K students) offering undergraduate/graduate programs with comparable state-funded operating model and Midwest peer positioning.
• Western Illinois University: Illinois public regional comprehensive university of comparable scale, offering similar undergraduate breadth, teacher education, and Division I athletics, with overlapping recruitment geography.
• Missouri State University: MVC athletic conference peer with similar comprehensive public university scale and program mix, serving as a direct conference and regional recruitment comparable.
• Indiana State University: MVC peer and former state Normal school with similar teacher preparation legacy and comparable mid-sized public university footprint, competing for similar Midwest student demographics.
• Ball State University: Indiana public university of similar comprehensive scale and teacher education reputation (Teachers College heritage), with overlapping Midwestern recruitment territory and comparable NCAA Division I profile.
• University of Northern Iowa: Missouri Valley Conference peer institution with comparable size, teacher education heritage (also a former 'Normal' school), and Division I athletics profile — a direct athletic and academic peer.
• Southern Illinois University Carbondale: Illinois public research university with a comparable mix of comprehensive undergraduate programs, teacher education, and Division I athletics, sharing the same state funding and regulatory environment.
• Eastern Illinois University: Mid-sized Illinois public comprehensive university with similar teacher preparation heritage and small-campus footprint, competing for the same in-state applicant pool as ISU.
• Truman State University: Missouri public liberal arts and teacher preparation university of comparable size, with strong overlap in teacher prep and education program offerings that compete for similar student profiles.

Broad incumbents

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Illinois' flagship public research university operating at much larger scale; competes with ISU for top in-state applicants and faculty talent while sharing the same state-funded public higher education ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IllinoisStateU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IllinoisStateUniv
• Facebookfacebook.com/IllinoisStateUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/edu/school?id=18266
• Instagraminstagram.com/illinoisstateu
• TikToktiktok.com/@illinoisstateu?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois State University