Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL · Public · Town (distant) · Carnegie R1/R2 · SIUC
Public institution in Carbondale, IL · 8,116 undergraduates · 90% acceptance rate · $53,390 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 14%Undergraduates
- Top 23%Out-of-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $16,177762nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $13,244853rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $13,244460th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $29,268905th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,543857th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $53,390892nd highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,0871,016th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 56.3%904th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 68.7%1,313th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 90.4%1,253rd most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1060801st highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 24421st highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 8,116309th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 11.0:1619th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 36.6%863rd highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 178 mi (BNA)
On 3 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $40
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 89 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire ProtectionHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $92,632 | — |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $70,009 | $65,905 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $64,281 | $64,068 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $61,728 | $54,644 |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $61,516 | $58,673 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $58,360 | $56,087 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $58,266 | $55,211 |
| Electrical Engineering Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $57,705 | $50,465 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $57,657 | $58,221 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $57,318 | — |
| Engineering Technology, GeneralEngineering Technology | bachelors | $57,318 | $38,829 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $51,482 | $47,260 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1869source
- Motto: "Deo Volente"source
- Athletic nickname: "Salukis"source
- Saluki Stadium seats about 15,000source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- Mascot: Salukisource
- Formerly known as "Southern Illinois Normal University" (1869–1947)source
- Athletic conference: FCSsource
- Fight song: ""Go! Southern! Go!""source
- Notable alum: Melissa McCarthysource
- Notable alum: Jim Belushisource
- Notable alum: Bob Odenkirksource
- Notable alum: Jenny McCarthysource
- Notable alum: Randy Savagesource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $6,119,714 (M $3,655,386 · W $2,464,328)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitesiu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 149222)
- Compare colleges in ILRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in IllinoisEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Southern Illinois University-Carbondale vs University of ChicagoHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.