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Knox College
Knox College says yes to 70.8% of applicants. Focus less on getting in and more on what's below — starting with the $54,820 median earnings.
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Knox College anchors the college town of Galesburg, IL, where the private campus and town largely share a footprint. International students are a visible presence here — 26.6% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Economics, where graduates median $62,144 four years out. 30.9% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 1,127 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 83.1% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1120 and 1385 — above the IL middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Knox College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Knox College received 4,136 applications and admitted 2,942 (71.1%), with 249 enrolling.
Knox College is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 1120–1385 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically Knox College's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 530 | 630 | 680 |
| SAT Math | 590 | 620 | 705 |
| ACT Composite | 21 | 26 | 30 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Knox College compares
| Knox College | Illinois median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 70.8% | 77% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $57,903 | $31,360 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $54,820 | $58,572 | $53,781 |
At $54,820, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($58,572). Look at Knox College's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $57,903 regardless of where you're from. At Knox College, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 1,127 — Knox College is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
67.7% graduate within six years. Roughly 32% don't — ask a Knox College tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at Knox College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Economics | $62,144 |
| Political Science and Government | $54,341 |
| Biology, General | $53,231 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $50,828 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | $45,120 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $38,967 |
Median earnings for these 6 Knox College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $54,820 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 33 additional Knox College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Knox College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1120–1385 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 70.8% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Knox College's acceptance rate?
71.1% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,942 admitted from 4,136 applicants.
How much does Knox College cost?
At Knox College, published tuition is $57,903 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Knox College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Knox College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $54,820 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Illinois
- Lewis University — 71.3% admitted
- Loyola University Chicago — 81.6% admitted
- McKendree University — 71.7% admitted
- Illinois College — 78.2% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.