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Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIU or SIUC) is a small, public university with a campus located in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1869, it is situated in a rural setting roughly an hour from St. Louis. The school is part of the Southern Illinois University network and offers certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and graduate degrees to attending students.


Overview of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIU)


Their most popular programs are accounting, automotive engineering, education, and healthcare. SIU had a population of around 11,700 as of 2021, with the majority of students enrolled as undergraduates. Students can live on or off campus, experience all four seasons, and have the opportunity to visit Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis for various cultural and educational events. Applying to the school requires the usual documentation such as school transcripts, an application, an application fee, and either ACT or SAT results.

General Information


School Type Public
Campus Setting City: Small
Campus Housing Yes
Student Faculty Ratio 10:1
Graduation Rate 45%
Year Founded 1869

Student Enrollment


Total Students11,266

Undergraduate
8,147
Graduate
3,119

Undergraduate Student

Male 4,155
4,155
Female 3,992
3,992

Graduate Student

Male 1,591
1,591
Female 1,528
1,528

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SIU-Carbondale Acceptance Rate and Admissions


APPLICATIONS6,987

Male 2,788
Female 4,193

ACCEPTANCE6,638

Male 2,621
Female 4,025

Acceptance Rate95%

Male 94%
Female 96%

Enrollment 1,394

Male 681
Female 725
Admissions
Application Fee $40
High School GPA Required
High School Rank Recommended
High School Transcripts Required
College Prep Courses Required
Recommendations N/A
SAT/ACT Considered But Not Required
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Considered But Not Required
Application Deadline Rolling
Common Application Accepted No

SIU-Carbondale Tuition Cost & Financial Aid


The cost of an education is a definite consideration when choosing the right school. Below is the cost information for those who attend Southern Illinois University.

Tuition for a full-time in-state student: $11,268 + $4,894 in fees

Tuition for a full-time out-of-state student: $28,170 + $4,894 in fees

Room and board for students who live on campus: $10,622

Total cost of tuition and room and board: $26,784 for in-state students and $43,686 for out-of-state students

As many as 98% of students who attend Southern Illinois University receive some form of financial aid. Sixty-one percent of students take out student loans to cover the costs of tuition and room and board, while 92% of students receive Pell grants, scholarships, and other forms of aid. Once the scholarship and grant funds have applied to the cost, students are left with an average net price of $15,976, though your actual net price will depend on the amount of financial aid you are able to receive (this is usually based on your family income for the previous year). The remaining net price is the amount the student must cover to pay for school out of pocket, and many students use student loans to cover the balance of their education.

Average net price 2020-2021
Net Price $15,976
Average Total Aid $13,301
Students Receiving Financial Aid 95%
Room & Board $10,622

Sticker Price


  • Tuition In-State - $15,240
  • Tuition Out-of-State - $15,240
  • Books and Supplies - $1,100
  • Room & Board - $10,622
  • Other - $2,941

Academics


Retention Rate – Southern Illinois University has a retention rate of 75%. This means that, out of 100 incoming freshmen, 75 students return for their sophomore year. From a student perspective, this means that you will likely have the chance to graduate with students you’ve known since you started. This makes forging solid friendships and eventual networking opportunities easier.

Graduation Rate – Forty-eight percent of Southern Illinois students graduate within six years, and 32% graduate within four years. Some students finish sooner, and others need longer than six years to complete their degree. But a graduation rate of 48% indicates that either students do not finish their degrees or they transfer to other schools to complete their education. However, transfers can strongly affect this data point, so you might also be interested to know that around 54% of Carbondale students are transfers. They may not be included in graduation statistics because those statistics generally refer only to first-time students, which transfers are not. Additionally, the transfer-out rate from SIU-Carbondale has averaged under 3% for the last decade, which is excellent.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 12:1. This indicates that there are 12 students to each instructor. Though this does not directly reflect class size, it does mean that classes are likely to be relatively small compared with other schools, which tend to have ratios closer to 16:1 or 20+:1. This means that students should be able to interact in classrooms more and more easily reach their professors for help when they need it. For students who want intimate class sizes and more opportunities to get to know their fellow classmates, Southern Illinois is an option worth considering.

Student Population Total


Student Population 11,266

Undergraduate
8,147
Graduate
3,119
Evening Classes : No
Online Learning : Yes

Most Popular Programs & Majors

(# of Diplomas Awarded by Subject)


All Education Majors 264 Total Graduates / 11%
Trade and Industrial Teacher Education 140 Graduates
Elementary Education and Teaching 60 Graduates
Special Education and Teaching, General 26 Graduates
Early Childhood Education and Teaching 11 Graduates
All Business Majors 256 Total Graduates / 11%
Accounting 105 Graduates
Management Science 52 Graduates
Finance, General 30 Graduates
Marketing/Marketing Management, General 26 Graduates
Health Professions and Related Programs 215 Total Graduates / 9%
Health/Health Care Administration/Management 85 Graduates
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist 65 Graduates
Dental Hygiene/Hygienist 35 Graduates
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 15 Graduates
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other 15 Graduates
All Engineering Majors 204 Total Graduates / 8%
Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician 92 Graduates
Industrial Technology/Technician 84 Graduates
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other 17 Graduates
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician 10 Graduates
Transportation and Materials Moving 154 Total Graduates / 6%
Aviation/Airway Management and Operations 117 Graduates
Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General 37 Graduates
All Other Diplomas 55%

Outcome & Salary


Graduates of Southern Illinois University can expect to earn around $45,400 in the early stages of their careers, and they usually gain an income increase to $67,200 by their mid-career. This makes their projected 10-year income potential is $657,214. With an average educational cost of $63,904, students can expect to earn enough to pay back any loans they needed to complete their studies.

Graduates Salary
College Grads Early Career Salary $53,000
College Grads Average Salary $73,000
College Grads Mid Career Salary $95,800
Return on Investment (ROI)
10 Year Salary Earnings Potential $730,000
20 Year Salary Earnings Potential $1,688,000
Cost of Education (Net Price) 4 Year $63,904
10 Year Projected ROI $666,096
20 Year Projected ROI $1,624,096
No College Education Salary Comparison
National Average Salary $38,792
10 Year Projected Income $387,920
20 Year Projected Income $775,840

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