About
Southern Illinois University (SIU) is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Chartered in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. SIU enrolls students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Originally founded as a normal college, the university today provides programs in a variety of disciplines. SIU was granted limited university status in 1943 and began offering graduate degrees in 1950. A separate campus was established in Edwardsville, Illinois in 1957, eventually becoming Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 29.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 203 Title IV programs, 75 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 126 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing75 · 36.9%
- No Data126 · 62.1%
- Failing2 · 1.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 24
Action history · 40
- Nov 2025Renewal of AccreditationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RADTT) - Programs for radiation therapists
- Nov 2025Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation RemovedAmerican Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
- Aug 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- May 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalCommission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
- Apr 2025Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: ProbationAmerican Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 4,006 students received $24.1M in Pell grants, alongside $65.7M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 3,734 borrowers who entered repayment, 91 (2.4%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at SIU
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 9
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus23
- Non-campus3
Includes 11 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Mae Smith Hall1 fireOtherDamage $0-$99
- 1902 Evergreen Terrace1 fireMachinery/IndustrialDamage $10,000-$24,999
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
SIU vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions SIU selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSouthern Illinois University-Carbondale | 62% | — | 11,790 | $13,297 | R2 Research |
| 63% | 89.2% | 26,940 | $15,739 | R2 Research | |
| 62% | 98.3% | 12,056 | $19,841 | R2 Research | |
| 58% | 73.5% | 9,501 | $15,882 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 55% | 89.3% | 40,674 | $16,805 | R2 Research | |
| 53% | 87.0% | 15,665 | $13,530 | R1 Research | |
| 60% | 98.8% | 10,619 | $19,858 | R2 Research | |
| 79% | 65.3% | 14,476 | $19,343 | R2 Research | |
| Peer group median | 61% | 89.2% | 13,266 | $16,344 |
Institutions like SIU
Explore the federal data for institutions in SIU's comparison group.
- R2 ResearchNorth Carolina
East Carolina University
Grad rate63%Admit rate89.2%Enrollment26,940Net price$15,739View data - R2 ResearchSouth Dakota
South Dakota State University
Grad rate62%Admit rate98.3%Enrollment12,056Net price$19,841View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsMissouri
Southeast Missouri State University
Grad rate58%Admit rate73.5%Enrollment9,501Net price$15,882View data - R2 ResearchTexas
Texas State University
Grad rate55%Admit rate89.3%Enrollment40,674Net price$16,805View data - R1 ResearchLouisiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Grad rate53%Admit rate87.0%Enrollment15,665Net price$13,530View data - R2 ResearchSouth Dakota
University of South Dakota
Grad rate60%Admit rate98.8%Enrollment10,619Net price$19,858View data - R2 ResearchVermont
University of Vermont
Grad rate79%Admit rate65.3%Enrollment14,476Net price$19,343View data
SIU Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research office at Southern Illinois University provides institutional data and resources, including an Interactive Fact Book and Common Data Set. David Shirley is the Executive Director, and contact details for further inquiries are provided.
Visit IR office page- David ShirleyExecutive Director
- Teal FeltonAssistant Director
- Wayne KessingerResearcher I
- Andy WalkerResearcher III
- Tim BogardPart-Time Analyst
- John JanecekPart-Time Analyst
Common Data Set
SIU's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C110,401 applied → 9,407 admitted (90.5%) → 1,621 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Accessible — 90.5% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 920–1170 (median 1040).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 19–27 (median 24).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Where grant aid comes from
H121% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H562% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $28,571 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 54%; first-year retention 69%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 12 pts below the overall rate (42% vs 54%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I361% of classes have under 20 students; 5% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~22% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B22% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B18,195 undergraduates and 3,164 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D11,995 transfer applicants → 1,914 admitted (96.0%) → 1,188 enrolled
Source publications
Reports & documents (6)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardirs.siu.edu
- Data dictionaryInteractive Fact Book2026Southern Illinois University's Interactive Fact Book provides online access to comprehensive institutional data about students, faculty, and staff. It covers areas such as admissions, enrollment, graduation rates, faculty headcounts, average salaries, operating budgets, and tuition. The data is presented through Power BI dashboards and can be downloaded or printed in various formats, facilitating analysis and interaction.irs.siu.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookInteractive Fact Book2026Southern Illinois University's Interactive Fact Book provides online access to institutional data related to students, faculty, staff, budgets, and other resources, allowing for interaction and analysis through Power BI dashboards. The data includes information on admissions, enrollment, graduation rates, employee counts, financials, and more.irs.siu.edu
- GlossaryUsing the Interactive Fact Book | Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research | SIUSouthern Illinois University's Interactive Fact Book is an online resource that provides comprehensive institutional data on students, faculty, and staff at the university, replacing the previous printed version. Users can interact with the data through Power BI dashboards, allowing for better analysis and understanding of various metrics. This glossary includes definitions of terms related to budget allocation, enrollment figures, faculty roles, and other institutional concepts, aiming to assist users in interpreting the information provided in the Fact Book.irs.siu.edu
- Strategic planIMAGiNE 20302026The IMAGiNE 2030 strategic plan by Southern Illinois University Carbondale outlines five key pillars aimed at transforming the university into a leader in diversity, sustainability, and innovation. Focusing on student success, the plan seeks to create a diverse and engaged student body while setting the university apart in research and community partnerships. With a goal to embrace a forward-thinking approach, the plan prioritizes reducing carbon footprint and fostering inclusivity and academic excellence.imagine2030.siu.edu
Notable alumni of SIU (5)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Jim BelushiEntertainment
- Hannibal BuressEntertainment
- Roland BurrisPolitics
- Bob OdenkirkEntertainment
- Richard RoundtreeEntertainment
Frequently asked questions about Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about SIU.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale?
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Who runs Institutional Research at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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