Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Southern Illinois University Carbondale Featured Rankings
- #2 Accelerated Online Bachelor's of Accounting
- #3 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Illinois
- #5 Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #10 Best Research Universities in Illinois 2026
- #11 Best Colleges in Illinois
- #11 Best Grad Schools Illinois 2026
- #13 15 Most Affordable Online Economics Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2026
About Southern Illinois University Carbondale
According to Wikipedia, Southern Illinois University is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. Chartered in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. SIU enrolls students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Originally founded as a normal college, the university today provides programs in a variety of disciplines, combining a strong liberal arts tradition with a focus on research. SIU was granted limited university status in 1943 and began offering graduate degrees in 1950. A separate campus was established in Edwardsville, Illinois in 1957, eventually becoming Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,401 | 87% | 67% | 59% | 1030 | 21 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Southern Illinois University Carbondale Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $13,544 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $10,536 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,034 |
| 48K - 75K | $8,884 |
| 75K - 110K | $14,051 |
| 110K+ | $23,744 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Southern Illinois University Carbondale Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Southern Illinois University Carbondale students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $57,388 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 12,745 | 9,134 | 3,611 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Southern Illinois University Carbondale?
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located at Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901-4512.
How Safe is Southern Illinois University Carbondale?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Southern Illinois University Carbondale publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Southern Illinois University Carbondale has a violent crime rate of 0.09% and a property crime rate of 0.10%. Carbondale has a violent crime rate of 1.04% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.75%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Southern Illinois University Carbondale Known For?
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Medical
- Communications
- Literature
- Earth Sciences
- Anthropology
- Engineering
- Philosophy
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Education
- Law
- History
- Economics
- Computer Science
- Physics
- Sociology
- Business
- Social Work
- Criminal Justice
Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Southern Illinois University Carbondale's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #171 in the U.S. and #435 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #218 in the U.S. and #758 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #219 in the U.S. and #783 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #221 in the U.S. and #635 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #221 in the U.S. and #946 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #239 in the U.S. and #738 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #240 in the U.S. and #1338 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #265 in the U.S. and #854 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #274 in the U.S. and #1091 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #282 in the U.S. and #1109 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #288 in the U.S. and #1454 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #299 in the U.S. and #1182 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #310 in the U.S. and #769 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #311 in the U.S. and #1291 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #313 in the U.S. and #1050 worldwide for influence in Law.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #322 in the U.S. and #900 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #346 in the U.S. and #2025 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #377 in the U.S. and #1748 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #385 in the U.S. and #1731 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #390 in the U.S. and #1371 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #475 in the U.S. and #1702 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #783 in the U.S. and #1907 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesSouthern Illinois University Carbondale ranks #787 in the U.S. and #1478 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWho Are Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Most Influential Alumni?
Southern Illinois University Carbondale's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Literature, and Communications. Here are some of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's most famous alumni:
- Robert Coover
- A Writer, teacher.
- Ravi Batra
- An Indian-American economist, author, and professor.
- Joseph Nechvatal
- An American artist.
- Loren Coleman
- An American cryptozoologist.
- Stuart Vyse
- An American psychologist specializing in superstition and irrational behavior.
- Charles R. Johnson
- An American fiction writer, essayist, and academic.
- Joan Higginbotham
- An American engineer and NASA astronaut.
- Jim Bittermann
- An American journalist.
- Fred Basolo
- An American chemist.
- Sami Al-Arian
- A Turkish civil rights activist.
- Bob Odenkirk
- An American actor, comedian and filmmaker.
- Walt Frazier
- An American basketball player.
