Illinois State University (ISU), established in 1857, is a well-known four-year public university and the first public university in Illinois. Located in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, it is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the Midwest.

ISU is ranked as a National Tier 1 university by US News & World Report and among the top 80 public universities in the US. It is the only public university in Illinois designated as a "National Doctoral Research University" by the Carnegie Foundation.

The university emphasizes high-quality undergraduate education, with most second- and third-year courses having around 20 students, maintaining a student-faculty ratio of 1:17. ISU offers 63 undergraduate majors across 160 research fields and spans 850 acres with 61 buildings.