Knox in a nutshell. More than anything else, it's our students who make Knox, well, Knox. They come from as close by as Peoria and as far away as Pakistan. They leave to become doctors and dramatists, lawyers and librarians, engineers and entrepreneurs. While they're here, they share their passion for art, music, science, sports, and pop culture. As one first-year student put it, "There are enough people here like me that I feel at home, and enough people here who are not like me at all that I'm always learning something new." Here's a little more info:

Number: 1,351

Points of Origin: 45 states; 44 countries

Credentials: 67 percent graduated in the top quarter of their high school class; 32 percent graduated in the top tenth. ACT Composite Mid-50 Percent Range: 25-30; SAT Mid-50 Percent Range: 1120-1360.

Diversity: 56 percent women; 44 percent men; 15 percent students of color (4 percent African American, 6 percent Asian American, 4 percent Hispanic, 1 percent Native American); 7 percent international.

Other info from surveys:

86.9 percent are more than 100 miles from home when at school
76 percent come from public high schools
22.3 percent come from private high schools
91.5 percent perform volunteer work
91.1 percent intend to obtain a degree beyond their B.A.
85.5 percent are active in a club or organization
44 percent have a car on campus

Since entering Knox:

80.3 percent have worked on independent study projects
86.5 percent took interdisciplinary courses
95.4 percent studied with other students
92.6 percent have been a guest in a professor's home
59.8 percent have participated in intramural sports
62.6 percent have taken an ethnic studies course
81.5 percent performed volunteer work
77.3 percent visited an art gallery or museum
70.9 percent read the editorial page in the daily newspaper

Top reasons why students chose Knox:

1. Academic reputation
2. Financial assistance
3. Visit to campus
4. Size of school
5. Graduates get good jobs
6. Graduates gain admission to top graduate/professional schools