Illinois State University (Illinois State or ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. In fall 2026, the university enrolled 21,577 students. The university offers more than 200 academic degree programs across its seven colleges. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The university's athletic teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference.