Close to Everything
Our campus is in Normal, just a short drive from Chicago and St. Louis. Uptown Normal’s and Bloomington’s put us within a few hours of most major U.S. cities.
Bloomington-Normal Quick Facts
- 132,600+ population
- #1 Most educated county in Illinois
- #10
- #3
Things to Do
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Parks and Recreation
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Retail
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Entertainment and Culture
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Local Sports
Living in B-N
Uptown Normal
Our campus is steps away from locally owned shops, restaurants, and hotels in this thriving central business district.
Why is it called Normal?
Our hometown got its name from “Illinois State Normal University,” our old moniker. Back then, we were a teachers’ college and “normal” meant teaching.
Top Local Employers
Our students can intern at several large companies headquartered in Bloomington-Normal or nearby.
- State Farm Insurance Co.*
- Illinois State University
- Rivian Electric Vehicles
- COUNTRY Financial*
- Unit 5 Schools
- OSF HealthCare
- Carle BroMenn Healthcare
- McLean County Government
- Afni, Inc.*
- District 87 Schools
*Headquartered in Bloomington-Normal
Economic Engine
Researchers find that spending by Illinois State and its employees and students directly contributes more than $550 million to the local economy.