Public · University
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, Illinois · Distant town
- 86.9%
- Admit rate
- $13,297
- Avg net price
- 62%
- Graduation rate
- $53,390
- Median earnings
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Carbondale, Illinois (distant town setting), enrolling 8,494 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 86.9%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 900–1160
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.04
Enter a test score to see where you land against Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, Illinois, United States, within the Southern Illinois region informally known as "Little Egypt". In August 1853, Daniel Harmon Brush, John Asgill Conner, and Dr. William Richart bought a 360-acre (1.5 km2) parcel of land between two proposed railroad station sites (Makanda and De Soto) and two county seats (Murphysboro and Marion). In addition to Southern Illinois University, which presents regular concerts and theatrical productions, as well as art and history exhibits, the city has a variety of unique cultural institutions. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Distant town
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 83 miles to St. Louis, MO
- To Great Lakes shore
- 288 miles
- Nearest airport
- 11 miles to Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (MWA)
How Southern Illinois University-Carbondale compares
More selective than 31% · #42 most selective of 58 in Illinois
Higher than 18%
Higher than 64% · #23 of 58 in Illinois
Higher than 24%
Higher than 48% · #45 of 66 in Illinois
Cheaper than 80% · #13 cheapest of 57 in Illinois
Lower than 61%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 87%
Percentiles compare Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Illinois.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate8,49472%
- Graduate3,23728%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women4,15949%
- Men4,33551%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White65%
- Black17%
- Hispanic10%
- Asian1.7%
- Other or multiracial6.0%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 8,494
- Graduate enrollment
- 3,237
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 39%
- First-generation students
- 35%
- Students over 25
- 19%
- Median family income
- $37,454
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $76,509
- Endowment
- $212,993,823
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 1,621 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Illinois83%
- Other U.S. states16%
- International1.0%
Most first-years stay in state — Southern Illinois University-Carbondale draws overwhelmingly from Illinois.
1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 86.9%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 900–1160
- SAT average
- 1055
- SAT reading
- 470–590
- SAT math
- 430–570
- ACT composite
- 18–25
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.04
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $13,334
- Room & board
- $12,341
- Books & supplies
- $1,100
- Total cost of attendance
- $28,329
- Average net price
- $13,297
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 62%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 40%
- First-year retention
- 67%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,087
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $53,390
- Median debt at graduation
- $21,543
- Students with federal loans
- 45%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 45%
About 22% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 4,492
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 53%
- Housing charge (year)
- $6,292
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,330
- Application fee
- $40
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I-FCS
- Football conference
- Missouri Valley Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 531 (289 men · 242 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.5 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 28
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 25
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (11,790 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$10,308/year × about 4.5 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 78% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,855. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,486 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $53,390
- Typical debt at graduation
- $21,543
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 40%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 60%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $14,209 (30%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 88°F
- Winter low
- 23°F
- Annual rain
- 49″
- Annual snow
- 11.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL US station (3 mi from campus).
What Southern Illinois University-Carbondale graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Southern Illinois University-Carbondale side by side →
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Whitewater, Wisconsin · Distant town · 37 mi to Madison
- Students
- 9,405
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1050
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $55k
Radford University
Radford, Virginia · Fringe town · 35 mi to Roanoke
- Students
- 6,038
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1060
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $54k
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas · Large city · 7 mi to Corpus Christi
- Students
- 8,034
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1086
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $52k
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Small city · 43 mi to Green Bay
- Students
- 6,877
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $56k
East Texas A&M University
Commerce, Texas · Distant town · 61 mi to Dallas
- Students
- 9,912
- Admission
- 92%
- Net price
- $12k
- SAT
- 1076
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $50k
Angelo State University
San Angelo, Texas · Small city · 102 mi to Midland
- Students
- 5,643
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1054
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $50k
Colleges near Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
John A Logan College
Carterville, IL · Public · Associate · 2,016 students
Shawnee Community College
Ullin, IL · Public · Certificate · 698 students
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, MO · Public · Bachelor's · 6,373 students
Rend Lake College
Ina, IL · Public · Certificate · 1,175 students
Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Cape Girardeau, MO · Private nonprofit · Associate · 200 students
Renaissance Beauty Academy
Cape Girardeau, MO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 66 students
Trend Setters School
Cape Girardeau, MO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 65 students
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Cape Girardeau, MO · Public · Certificate · 159 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












