ISU vs. SIUE

Should I go to Illinois State University or Southern Illinois University Edwardsville? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or SIUE is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Illinois State University vs. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville comparison
Illinois State University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College 3 College 4
Illinois State University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
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Overview

ISU SIUE
Location Normal, IL Edwardsville, IL
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 20,683 12,519
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #493 #506
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website illinoisstate.edu siue.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU SIUE
Tuition (In State) $11,840 $9,306
Tuition (Out of State) $23,681 $9,306
Room & Board $10,602 $10,272
Avg Net Price $20,551 $13,586
Avg Grant Aid $11,619 $10,649
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 96%

Admission

ISU SIUE
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,596 9,325
Admitted 16,899 9,093
Acceptance Rate 86.2% 97.5%
Enrolled % 23.6% 20.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.54
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/27 19/26
SAT Range 1000/1210 930/1160
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025 May 1, 2025

Academics

ISU SIUE
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (18%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

ISU SIUE
Graduation Rate 71% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $47,000
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 61%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $21,430
Median Loan Payment $227 $221

Diversity

ISU SIUE
% Men 42% 42%
% Women 58% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 77% 73%
% Black 8% 15%
% Hispanic 9% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

ISU SIUE
% In-State 96% 79%
% Out-of-State 3% 16%

Campus

ISU SIUE
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Illinois State University is larger than than SIUE based on total student enrollment (20,683 students vs. 12,519 students)

ISU vs. SIUE Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or SIUE?

  • Illinois State University is 27.2% more expensive to attend than SIUE for in-state tuition ($11,840.00 vs. $9,306.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 154.5% higher at ISU than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($23,681.00 vs. $9,306.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville than ISU ($13,586 vs. $20,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are 3.2% lower than costs at Illinois State University ($10,272 vs. $10,602)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Illinois State University than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (97% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Illinois State University students is 9.1% larger than aid received Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($11,619 vs. $10,649)

ISU vs. SIUE Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ISU or SIUE? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between SIUE or ISU .

  • The average SAT score at Illinois State University (1090) is 20 points higher than at SIUE (1070)
  • Incoming ISU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at SIUE (23)
  • Accepted freshman SIUE students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at ISU (3.41)
  • SIUE has a higher acceptance rate (97.5%) than ISU (86.2%)

ISU vs. SIUE Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or SIUE? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between SIUE and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (71% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Illinois State University earn on average $2,000 more per year than SIUE graduates after ten years. ($49,000 vs. $47,000)
  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students graduate with a $570 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($21,430 vs. $22,000)
  • SIUE graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($221 vs. $227)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SIUE students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 61%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/