Blackburn College
Acceptance rate
63.2%
2025
Peer median 69.4%
Tuition per year
$28,149
$38,064 with room and board
Peer median $33,770
Undergraduates
513
Student-faculty ratio 11:1
Peer median 11 : 1
Graduation rate
24.9%
4-year; 6-year rate 35.5%
Peer median 45.1%
“Peers” are all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S. (by Carnegie Classification).
About
- Type
- Private nonprofit, 4-year
- Location
- Carlinville, Illinois
- Website
- www.blackburn.edu
- Undergraduates
- 513
- Student-faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
This collegeRanked colleges nearby
- Setting
- Distant town
- Nearest major city
- St. Louis, about 50 mi
- Nearest international airport
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), about 45 mi
- Academic calendar
- Semester
- Religious affiliation
- Presbyterian Church (USA)
- President
- Larry K. Lee (President)
- Phone
- 2178543231
- City
- Carlinville, Illinois
- Address
- 700 College Ave, Carlinville, IL 62626
Rankings & Admission
Peer median 69.4% · all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
Acceptance rate by gender, 2025
In 2020: men 55.4%, women 58.3%.
Test Scores
SAT/ACT not considered, even if submitted IPEDS (US Department of Education) has no recent SAT/ACT data for admitted students here. GPA, course rigor, essays and activities matter more.
How Hard Is It to Get In
about 6 in 10
910 applicants in 2025, 63.2% admitted
575 admitted 335 not admitted Yield 25.7%
Degrees & Majors
Graduates in 2025 (first major)
U.S. studentsInternational
All majors, graduates and earnings IPEDS · College Scorecard
*Depends on whether majors have graduates in 2025 or not, Yes / No
**Move mouse on can check deitaled graudates number, click for major detailed information
***Due to privacy policy, graduate salaries are not shown for some majors that has few gradautes
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Special Education and Teaching, General. | - | |
| Elementary Education and Teaching. | $41,466 | |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | $41,466 | |
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching. | - | |
| Social Studies Teacher Education. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General. | - | |
| Organizational Leadership. | - | |
| Accounting. | - | |
| Marketing/Marketing Management, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | - | |
| Environmental Biology. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Visual and Performing Arts, General. | - | |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General. | - | |
| Art/Art Studies, General. | - | |
| Music, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Sport and Fitness Administration/Management. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice/Safety Studies. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Communication, General. | - |
Students
513 students in 2025 · Undergraduate men to women 42:58 · Freshman retention 67.2%
- Continuing undergraduates 290
- First-year undergraduates 148
- Transfers and others 75
Undergraduate race and ethnicity (513)
International Students
International share over the last 10 years · gray line: median of all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
0 in 2025 · 0.0% in 2016
Cost
2025 cost per year
$38,064
- Undergraduate tuition
- $28,149
- Room and board
- $9,915
Peer median tuition + room and board $46,780 · all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
Tuition rose 38% from 2016 to 2025; room and board rose 41%.
Finances · fiscal year 2024
Revenue$22.2M
Expenses$17.9M
Average faculty salary · 2025 (9-month equivalent)
Dark gray ticks: median pay for the same rank at all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
Campus Life
Athletics and varsity athletes NCAA · St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: basketball, baseball, cross country
| NCAA Division III without football | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Soccer | 34 | 15 |
| Track and Field and Cross Country (combined) | 32 | 14 |
| Baseball | 40 | - |
| Basketball | 20 | 12 |
| Softball | - | 20 |
| Golf | 11 | 5 |
| Wrestling | 9 | 3 |
| Volleyball | - | 11 |
| NCAA Division III without football | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Soccer | 28 | 15 |
| Basketball | 20 | 14 |
| Baseball | 30 | - |
| Softball | - | 19 |
| Volleyball | - | 16 |
| Cross Country | 11 | 4 |
| Golf | 8 | 5 |
| Track and Field (Indoor) | 11 | 2 |
| Track and Field (Outdoor) | 11 | 1 |
| NCAA Division III without football | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Soccer | 29 | 13 |
| Baseball | 35 | - |
| Basketball | 21 | 14 |
| Softball | - | 21 |
| Track and Field (Indoor) | 10 | 11 |
| Track and Field (Outdoor) | 9 | 11 |
| Cross Country | 9 | 10 |
| Volleyball | - | 18 |
| Golf | 8 | 6 |
Nearby & Safety
Ranked colleges nearby
-
Principia CollegeElsah · 34.8 mi
Liberal Arts #74
-
University of Missouri--St. LouisSaint Louis · 46.4 mi
U.S. News #276
-
Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis · 49.1 mi
U.S. News #100
-
Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis · 50.1 mi
U.S. News #16
-
Illinois State UniversityNormal · 96.4 mi
U.S. News #219
-
Bradley UniversityPeoria · 98.3 mi
U.S. News #169
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign · 103.9 mi
U.S. News #34
-
Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale · 114.3 mi
U.S. News #288
-
Knox CollegeGalesburg · 117.4 mi
Liberal Arts #85
Peer median 8.9 · all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
Incidents, 2023–2025
From the Clery Act campus safety reports schools file, covering on-campus, non-campus and public property.
Notable Alumni
Notable alumni of Blackburn College include Mark Kirk (Former U.S. senator from Illinois), Mary Hunter Austin (Writer, author of The Land of Little Rain) and Bruce Pavitt (Co-founder of independent label Sub Pop).
-
Mark Kirk 1959–
Former U.S. senator from Illinois
-
Mary Hunter Austin 1868–1934
Writer, author of The Land of Little Rain
-
Bruce Pavitt 1959–
Co-founder of independent label Sub Pop
-
Charles Cleveland Nutting 1858–1927
Zoologist, professor and museum curator
-
Peter F. Mack, Jr. 1916–1986
Former U.S. Representative from Illinois
-
Truman H. Landon 1905–1986
U.S. Air Force general, commander of USAFE
-
Anthony Beale 1967–
Alderman of Chicago's 9th ward
-
Dennis Phillips 1954–
Professional poker player
-
Clarence J. Goodnight 1914–1987
Zoologist who studied freshwater annelids and harvestmen
More alumni (1, by field)
Science and academia
-
Charles Robertson 1858–1935
Entomologist specializing in bees and flower-visiting insects
From Wikidata “educated at” records (including people who attended without graduating), ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions. Degrees and years follow Wikidata and are left out where it has none.
References and Data Sources
Data from IPEDS (U.S. Department of Education), U.S. News, THE, QS, ARWU and Clery Act campus safety reports. Data insights are written by the Forward Pathway data team from public data.