Illinois Wesleyan University

The university's mission is to foster the traditional liberal arts of creativity, character, and knowledge. Its motto – Scientia et sapientia, or "Knowledge and wisdom" – was coined by famed explorer and Wesleyan Professor John Wesley Powell.

The university was founded in 1850 as a private four-year college in Bloomington, Illinois.

Illinois Wesleyan is an independent, residential, liberal arts university with an approximate enrollment of 1,700.[3] It offers over 80 majors, minors and programs.[3] The university maintains a low student/faculty ratio of 10 to 1, with an average class size of 15[4] Also, more than 9 in 10 IWU students receive a scholarship or need-based assistance.[5]

Illinois Wesleyan is ranked as one of the "best values" in the nation.[6] Illinois Wesleyan is also a member of the Annapolis Group and its strong foundations in the liberal arts have earned it chapters in the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies.

The university consists of the College of Liberal Arts, with 17 academic departments; the College of Fine Arts that includes three professional schools—the Ames School of Art, School of Music and the School of Theatre Arts; and the School of Nursing. Illinois Wesleyan's campus occupies approximately 82 acres (330,000 m2) a short walk north from downtown Bloomington in central Illinois.

IWU's School of Nursing was established in 1959. Applicants apply directly to the School of Nursing and typically graduate in 4 years with a BSN. The course work emphasizes clinical placement[citation needed]and individualized education[citation needed] and experience.

Bachelor's degree programs are offered in three Colleges:

• College of Liberal Arts (17 departments and 7 interdisciplinary programs, organized in 1906)
• College of Fine Arts (schools of art, music, and theatre arts organized in 1929, 1946, 1947 respectively)
• School of Nursing (established in 1959)