Eureka College

Eureka College was founded by abolitionists from Kentucky who were members of a religious movement known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and were committed to providing young people a broad, liberal education. These pioneers believed in an education infused with values as a basis for leadership. Chartered by the Illinois Legislature in 1855, Eureka was the first college in the state and third in the nation to admit men and women on an equal basis.

Eureka College was designated by the National Park Service as a Campus Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places in June 2010.

The campus architecture spans a number of popular styles from the past 150 years, including Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Colonial Revival and Collegiate Gothic Revival. The oldest remaining building on campus, Burrus Dickinson Hall, was constructed in 1858.

Our Vision, Mission & Values:

One of the reasons Eureka College faculty, students and alumni find success is because we are guided by a common purpose greater than our individual goals. All Eureka College members subscribe to and aim to learn, lead and serve in accordance with our vision, mission & values.

Vision:

Eureka College will be a regional model for institutional sustainability.

Mission:

Eureka College provides a student-centered experience that cultivates the essential skills to serve with passion, lead with purpose, pursue growth opportunities and learn for life.

Core Values at Eureka College:

Eureka College’s core values dictate our behavior, our action, and who we are as an institution. While we can’t put everything we value into one simple list, our core values consist of:

• Building lifelong relationships & partnerships
• Demonstrating integrity, character & empathy
• Embracing equity, inclusion & sustainability
• Ensuring a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement & learning
• Cultivating a challenging & innovative learning environment
• Expanding students’ funnel of opportunity and growth

Goals at Eureka College:

The educational experience at Eureka College is designed to help the student achieve ten goals. Those ten goals are:

• Development of the intellect: The ability to analyze, compare, evaluate and reason, and the ability to deal with abstract concepts.
• Development of communication skills: Reading, writing, speaking, listening, visual communication, and mathematics.
• Development of aesthetic awareness: Through encounters with great works of art, music, and literature, and through self-expression in the arts.
• Development of cultural awareness: Through the knowledge of the outstanding events and personalities of our common heritage.
• Development of understanding of the natural environment: As revealed by science and the social environment created by human cultures.
• Development of physical fitness, alertness, and vitality
• Development of competence in at least one academic or professional field
• Development of greater social awareness and a greater sense of personal responsibility: Through participation in a community of living and learning.
• Development of personal values: Based on an awareness of the various challenges facing the individual, the family, the community, the nation, and the world, with an effort to find the best solutions proposed by various thinkers of our cultural heritage.
• Involvement: In the search for ways to use knowledge in leadership and service to further the welfare of humanity.

Fast facts:

Enrollment:

• Over 550 undergraduates enrolled 63% live on campus
• More than 41% of Eureka College students are first generation

In the classroom:

• 32 majors
• 14 pre-professional programs
• 19 minors

Outcomes:

• 99% career or grad school placement rate
• 82% medical school acceptance rate (national average is 41%)
• 98% of students would recommend Eureka
• 99% of students feel prepared to succeed upon graduation

Athletics, Clubs and Organizations:

• 14 NCAA III athletic teams
• 30+ student clubs and organizations

Rankings:

• U.S. News and World Report ranked Eureka College 23rd in the Best Regional Colleges Midwest in 2022, up two places since 2021 for our focus on undergraduate education.

• The Princeton Review listed Eureka College in its 2021 Guide to Green Colleges

• U.S. News and World Report ranked Eureka College 9th in Best Value Regional College in the Midwest, up from 22nd, based on academic quality and net cost.

• U.S. News and World Report ranked Eureka College 21st in Social Mobility Regional College in the Midwest for enrolling and graduating large proportions of financially-disadvantaged students awarded Pell Grants.  

Our Academic Standing:

Located in Central Illinois, Eureka College provides numerous professional programs. We're recognized as a top college in Illinois for vocations like teacher education, nursing, communications, and criminal justice, and we're adding new courses for emerging careers like early childhood and sports management.

A Eureka College education prepares you for more than just your first job: it equips you to become a leader in your field and community. 

In addition to your transcripts, supplemental application materials including those listed below may be required.

• GPA First-Year Student: 2.25 minimum
• GPA Transfer Student: 2.0 minimum (including only transferrable coursework)

English language requirements:

• IELTS: 6.0 minimum
• TOEFL: 79 minimum
• PTE Academic: 53 minimum

Note: English test score waived if student has attended a US college or university and classes in English with “B” grade or higher; ACT score of 17, or SAT (ERW+M) score of 930.

For additional information on admission requirements, kindly contact our admissions counsellor!