SIUE vs. NSU

Should I go to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville or Northeastern State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SIUE or NSU 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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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville vs. Northeastern State University comparison
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Northeastern State University College 3 College 4
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Northeastern State University
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Overview

SIUE NSU
Location Edwardsville, IL Tahlequah, OK
Setting Large Suburban Remote Town
Enrollment 12,045 6,466
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #554 #929
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website siue.edu nsuok.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SIUE NSU
Tuition (In State) $9,576 $6,623
Tuition (Out of State) $9,576 $15,743
Room & Board $10,562 $10,494
Avg Net Price $15,182 $11,153
Avg Grant Aid $9,934 $7,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 83%

Admission

SIUE NSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,937 1,386
Admitted 8,688 1,375
Acceptance Rate 97.2% 99.2%
Enrolled % 18.4% 48.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.49
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 18/23
SAT Range 900/1160 920/1145
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 May 1, 2026

Academics

SIUE NSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

SIUE NSU
Graduation Rate 52% 26%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,000 $40,200
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 48%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,430 $18,000
Median Loan Payment $221 $186

Diversity

SIUE NSU
% Men 10% 6%
% Women 15% 17%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 73% 50%
% Black 15% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 19%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 17%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

SIUE NSU
% In-State 98% 93%
% Out-of-State 2% 5%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is larger than than NSU based on total student enrollment (12,045 students vs. 6,466 students)

SIUE vs. NSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SIUE or NSU?

  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is 44.6% more expensive to attend than NSU for in-state tuition ($9,576.00 vs. $6,623.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 64.4% higher at NSU than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($15,743.00 vs. $9,576.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northeastern State University than SIUE ($11,153 vs. $15,182)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northeastern State University are 0.6% lower than costs at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($10,494 vs. $10,562)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville than Northeastern State University (90% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students is 26% larger than aid received Northeastern State University ($9,934 vs. $7,886)

SIUE vs. NSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (1070) is 82 points higher than at NSU (988)
  • Incoming SIUE students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at NSU (21)
  • Accepted freshman SIUE students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at NSU (3.49)
  • NSU has a higher acceptance rate (99.2%) than SIUE (97.2%)

SIUE vs. NSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SIUE or NSU? 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 NSU and SIUE.

  • The graduation rate at SIUE is higher than Northeastern State University (52% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn on average $6,800 more per year than NSU graduates after ten years. ($47,000 vs. $40,200)
  • Northeastern State University students graduate with a $3,430 lower median federal student loan debt than SIUE graduates. ($18,000 vs. $21,430)
  • NSU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than SIUE graduates. ($186 vs. $221)
  • More SIUE graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSU students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 48%)

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