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Carbondale , IL
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) is a prestigious public university located in Carbondale, Illinois. Established in 1869, SIUC has a rich history of academic excellence and is known for its extensive range of programs and opportunities for students. With a sprawling campus spread across 1,136 acres, SIUC offers a vibrant learning environment with state-of-the-art facilities and resources.
SIUC offers over 200 undergraduate majors and minors, as well as numerous graduate and professional programs, providing students with a wide array of choices to pursue their academic interests. The university is particularly renowned for its programs in engineering, business, agriculture, and the arts. With a dedicated faculty of distinguished professors who are experts in their fields, students receive a top-quality education while engaging in hands-on learning experiences and research opportunities.
Apart from academics, SIUC provides a lively campus life, with over 300 registered student organizations and an array of cultural, athletic, and recreational activities. The university's Saluki athletics teams compete in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference, offering students ample opportunities to participate in or support a wide variety of sports. With its strong emphasis on community involvement and service, SIUC fosters a sense of belonging and offers a well-rounded college experience for students seeking personal and professional growth.
Located in Carbondale, IL, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public university. This school follows a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 86%. The freshman retention rate at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is 66.8% and the six-year graduation rate is 57%.
Here are some recent data on important things to consider about Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Quick Facts
8,553
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
11:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
57%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
In order to increase your chances of getting admitted, you need to know as much as possible about the university's criteria for admission. Read on to find out some essential information about admission policy and requirements at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
According to the newest information reported, this institution uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 9,433 in 2025.
Test Scores
36.8% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 8.13% submitted ACT scores, out of the overall number of those who submitted test scores. 1.77% of the new students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 16.05% between 1,200 and 1,399, 39.97% between 1,000 and 1,199, 32.74% of the students between 800 and 999, 9.31% of the students between 600 and 799, and 0.16% of the students between 400 and 599. The percent of freshmen who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 8.39, 31.47 between 24-29, 39.86 in the range between 18-23, and 20.28 between 12-17.
The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 3.23. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Retention Rate
What is the freshman retention rate? The freshman retention rate is the percentage of full-time students who entered the institution as freshmen in the previous academic year and returned for the fall term of the current academic year. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for Southern Illinois University Carbondale was 66.8%.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. This rate shows how many students complete their degrees in a certain number of years. This academic institution has the six-year graduation rate of 57%.
Student Body
Making the choice of which school is the right place for you is not easy. Obtaining a better insight into a school's student body helps you learn more about its culture and life.
Main Student Body
The overall number of students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2025 was 11,790.
The school reported an out-of-state student body portion of 17.35% for that year. There was a total of 8,553 undergrad students, including 147 international students. 1,209 students enrolled as transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
With a coeducational student body, the school had 4,360 male and 5,216 female full-time students in 2025.
Student Population Diversity
The importance of student diversity cannnot be denied, when it comes to the overall feeling of inclusion and beloning among the students of any school. A diverse student body brings together individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Learn more about all the ethnic communities you might encounter at this institution.
This school had 146 Asian students and 1,472 Afro-American students in 2025. 875 students at this school identified as Hispanic/Latino and 333 as multirace. The school also had 8 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 18 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 4 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
The financial aspect is one of the most important things to think about before applying to any college or university. The latest information on the expenses that most students at this school incur are detailed below.
Tuition and Fees
If you were wondering how much the tuition cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is, here are some recent data that will come in handy.
For local residents, public county and municipal institutions reported that tuition costs were $9,638. For students who don't live in the state in which the university is located, the tuition was $9,638 in 2025. For international students, tuition fees at this school came to $24,094. Full-time students in 2025 had to pay additional fees in the amount of $3,696.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $9,638 | $3,696 | $13,334 |
| In-State | $9,638 | $3,696 | $13,334 |
Books and Supplies
The estimated price of books and supplies for a college or university should also be taken into account as another significant expense. The estimated expense of books and supplies for a full-time student of this school is $1,100.
Boarding
The cost of dorm rooms and meals in the school's cafeteria is for sure something to take into consideration. What do schools typically charge for accommodation and meals?
In 2025, room and board cost at Southern Illinois University Carbondale amounted to $12,341 a year. If you only wanted a dorm room, you had to pay $11,260 for the 2025 academic year.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 9,638 |
| Room and Board | $ 12,341 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,100 |
| Total Expense | $ 23,079 |
Financial Aid
Grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs: these are all types of financial aid for students. If you are interested in finding out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, here are some recent data you should take into consideration.
The most recent figures show that financial help was given to 1,238 freshmen. The average amount of financial aid given to students was $19,011.
Need-based
Financial aid that a student can receive if they are determined to have financial need and meet other eligibility requirements is known as need-based aid.
3,573 students obtained some form of need-based financial aid. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is available to international students. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need ended up being 4,723. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution summed up to $25,435,822, and state $29,662,936. The students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $13,151,725, and external in the amount of $1,273,245.
$5,330
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based aid is any type of financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid. The most popular forms of non-need-based financial aid for students are loans and grants, like Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
3,255 students, including freshmen, got institutional non-need-based financial aid at this institution in 2025. Institutional help in the form of non-need-based scholarships or grants was given to 919 full-time freshmen. The total dollar amount of federal non-need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the studens at this school was $25,435,822 while the state aid is $703,645. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $10,208,984. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $1,575,199 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Majors
Faculty
11:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Getting information about the faculty at a school can help you estimate the quality of education you will receive there.
In 2025, this ratio at Southern Illinois University Carbondale was 11:1. That means that there were 11 times more students than teachers at this school. According to the most recent information, there are 1,000 faculty members at this school. Out of that number, there were 556 men and 444 women.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
It is not all about learning and grades at Southern Illinois University Carbondale: campus life is a crucial component of your educational experience. Check out some info about students' life at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are run by students of an institution, and its membership typically consists exclusively of current students and/or alumni.
Sororities and fraternities are included in that number. 5 percent of male and 4 of female students take part in in different organizations at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Students interested in music can join the Southern Illinois University Carbondale band or chorus. There is a drama club you can join if acting is something that interests you. For individuals with an interest in media and communication, Southern Illinois University Carbondale publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers a number of services crucial for a pleasant and secure life on campus.
24/7 emergency phone and alarm devices are available. The school's dormitory entrances are operated electronically. There is a security patrol that operates 24 hours a day. The transport/escort service operates during late hours.
All in all, campus life at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Career Counselling
At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, there is both group career counseling for full-time students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a job bank and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
FAQ
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, IL.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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This school uses standardized test scores for admission.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is 86%.
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The most recent reported freshman retention rate for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is 66.8%.
Contact Information
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
1263 Lincoln Drive
Carbondale , IL
62901-4701
618 453-2121
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.