SIUE vs. Memphis

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

SIUE Memphis
Location Edwardsville, IL Memphis, TN
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 12,045 21,736
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #554 #926
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website siue.edu memphis.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SIUE Memphis
Tuition (In State) $9,576 $8,520
Tuition (Out of State) $9,576 $12,960
Room & Board $10,562 $10,344
Avg Net Price $15,182 $13,656
Avg Grant Aid $9,934 $11,234
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 93%

Admission

SIUE Memphis
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,937 15,640
Admitted 8,688 14,605
Acceptance Rate 97.2% 93.4%
Enrolled % 18.4% 17.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 17/24
SAT Range 900/1160 905/1205
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, 2025 Jul 1, 2025

Academics

SIUE Memphis
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (21%)
  • General Studies (11%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

SIUE Memphis
Graduation Rate 52% 38%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,000 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 37%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,430 $25,250
Median Loan Payment $221 $261

Diversity

SIUE Memphis
% Men 10% 10%
% Women 15% 13%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 73% 50%
% Black 15% 37%
% Hispanic 4% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

SIUE Memphis
% In-State 98% 80%
% Out-of-State 2% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Memphis is larger than than SIUE based on total student enrollment (21,736 students vs. 12,045 students)

SIUE vs. Memphis Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SIUE or Memphis?

  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is 12.4% more expensive to attend than Memphis for in-state tuition ($9,576.00 vs. $8,520.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.3% higher at Memphis than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($12,960.00 vs. $9,576.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Memphis than SIUE ($13,656 vs. $15,182)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Memphis are 2.1% lower than costs at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($10,344 vs. $10,562)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Memphis than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (93% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Memphis students is 13.1% larger than aid received Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($11,234 vs. $9,934)

SIUE vs. Memphis Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (1070) is 41 points higher than at Memphis (1029)
  • Incoming SIUE students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Memphis (22)
  • Accepted freshman SIUE students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at Memphis (3.48)
  • SIUE has a higher acceptance rate (97.2%) than Memphis (93.4%)

SIUE vs. Memphis Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at SIUE is higher than University of Memphis (52% vs. 38%)
  • Graduates from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn on average $4,800 more per year than Memphis graduates after ten years. ($47,000 vs. $42,200)
  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students graduate with a $3,820 lower median federal student loan debt than Memphis graduates. ($21,430 vs. $25,250)
  • SIUE graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than Memphis graduates. ($221 vs. $261)
  • More SIUE graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Memphis students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 37%)

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