Founded in 1857 as Illinois'' first public university, Illinois State University, IllinoisState.edu, is one of only 27 institutions nationwide to earn both Research 2 (R2) and Opportunity Colleges and Universities (OCU) designations by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which recognizes campuses that foster student success and research. ISU''s student-operated, faculty-advised radio station, 103.3 WZND, trains 130 student interns each semester, is the only station to have won the Broadcast Education Association''s Signature Station Award four times and was named College Broadcasters Inc.''s inaugural Radio Station of the Year in 2025.