Established in 1899, Western Illinois Normal and Training School opened its doors Sept. 23, 1902 to 229 students. Throughout the years, Western Illinois grew and its name changed from Western Illinois State College to Western Illinois University on July 5, 1957.

Today, Western Illinois University offers a variety of bachelor's and master's degree programs, pre-professional programs, a doctorate degree in education, and certificate programs to more than 12,200 students.