Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Public · Moderately Selective · IL

Photo: Tristan Denyer (Public domain)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationIL · Midwest

SettingSuburban

Undergrads8,750

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate37.3%

6-yr grad rate57%

Drop-out rate24.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$13k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity35%

Gender diversity57.7%

International3.6%

Identity—

Overview

SIUE is a public university in the Illinois suburbs of metro St. Louis, part of the Southern Illinois University system alongside its larger sibling campus in Carbondale. Its spacious, wooded campus, built around a large campus lake, offers a quieter alternative to city life while still keeping St. Louis's internship, healthcare, and job opportunities within easy reach across the Mississippi River. The university functions as a practical, career-oriented option for students from the Metro East and downstate Illinois.

Academics

Nursing, engineering, business, and pharmacy are the university's core strengths, each drawing on the metro St. Louis area's healthcare, manufacturing, and corporate presence for practical training, clinical placements, and internships. The School of Pharmacy is a particularly notable offering, one of relatively few in Illinois, and gives SIUE a professional-school profile that many regional universities its size don't have. Nursing and engineering both maintain close clinical and industry partnerships across the river in St. Louis.

Campus & student life

The wooded, spread-out campus, built around a scenic campus lake, gives SIUE a more residential, traditional college feel than many commuter-heavy regional universities, while still being close enough to St. Louis for students to work or intern across the river. Student life balances a laid-back suburban setting with real access to a major metro area's culture, sports, and entertainment, and Cougars athletics give the campus its own identity separate from the Carbondale flagship.

Getting in

Admissions are moderately accessible, with the university drawing heavily from the greater St. Louis region and downstate Illinois, and particular strength in attracting students interested in nursing, pharmacy, or engineering, some of which have their own competitive secondary admission points later in a student's program. The application process itself is straightforward and not heavily essay-driven.

After graduation

Nursing and pharmacy graduates are well placed across the St. Louis metro area's hospital systems and pharmacies, and engineering and business graduates similarly benefit from the region's manufacturing and corporate presence. The alumni network is strongest regionally, concentrated in the Metro East and greater St. Louis area.

Worth knowing

SIUE's pharmacy program is a distinctive offering not every regional public university has, and its proximity to St. Louis gives students internship access comparable to schools located directly in the city, without the city's cost of living. The campus's genuinely scenic, wooded layout also sets it apart from the flat, commuter-lot feel of many comparable regional universities.

siue.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate97.5%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 950–1190 · ACT 20–27

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying