Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville maintains very accessible admissions alongside a declining national profile. In the 2027 U.S. News Best National Universities ranking, SIUE placed at 353, slipping from 293 in 2020. Admission is nearly universal, with an acceptance rate of 97.5% in 2025 that was higher than all peer schools in its comparison group of 29 public comprehensive universities. Only a small fraction of applicants were turned away. However, admitted students show modest interest in enrolling. The university recorded a 2025 yield rate of 15.7%, which was higher than 21% of peer schools. This dynamic indicates that while gaining admission to SIUE is straightforward, the campus functions primarily as an accessible option rather than a high-priority destination for those admitted.

Admissions standards at Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville present an accessible gateway for students with solid, foundational academic records. For the entering class of 2025, enrolled students who took the ACT posted a middle 50% composite score range of 20 to 27. On the SAT, the university reported a median total score of 1070, which was higher than 52% of peer schools in a comparison group of 23 public comprehensive universities. These figures indicate that applicants scoring near or slightly above national averages possess a realistic path toward securing general admission. While standardized testing policies accommodate a broad range of student backgrounds, meeting or exceeding these middle markers signals that a prospective student has acquired the academic preparation required for introductory coursework. Applicants aiming for competitive academic majors or institutional funding should focus on targeting the upper half of these score bands alongside consistent secondary school coursework performance.

SIUE shows clear concentrations in healthcare and business at the undergraduate level, while its highest-ranked offerings reside in graduate professional programs. In 2025, the three largest bachelor's programs—Registered Nursing, General Business Administration and Management, and General Psychology—represented 41% of all bachelor's graduates, showing notable concentration in just a few fields. SIUE's strongest national graduate rankings in the 2026 U.S. News listings were in healthcare, specifically pharmacy at 62 and nurse anesthesia at 91, whereas business programs ranked outside the top 100. International graduates are predominantly found in graduate technical disciplines rather than undergraduate tracks, earning over a quarter of master's degrees but very few bachelor's diplomas. For post-college pay, 2023 earnings data show that bachelor's degree recipients earned their highest early career compensation in engineering, led by Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering with median first-year earnings of $82,461.

Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville maintains an enrollment profile where demographic diversity varies substantially by academic level. International representation is most prominent within the graduate school, where 607 international students account for 20.6% of all degree-seeking graduate students. In contrast, international representation is much smaller among undergraduates, though incoming first-year classes continue to draw overseas learners. Asian students make up a very modest share of the campus community, totaling just 24 incoming freshmen, or 1.5% of the first-year cohort, with similarly limited presence observed among continuing undergraduates and graduate cohorts. White students form the clear majority across the undergraduate student body, while female students represent more than half of both undergraduate and graduate divisions. For prospective applicants considering the social and academic environment, these enrollment figures demonstrate an institution with an international presence primarily concentrated in graduate programs, alongside a comparatively small Asian student population.

Undergraduate education at SIUE is oriented almost entirely toward traditional college-aged students, while graduate programs serve early-career adults. In 2025, students aged 20 to 21 constituted 36.4% of the undergraduate student body, and those aged 18 to 19 made up another 30.6%. In total, nearly two-thirds of undergraduates are under 22 years old, establishing a conventional campus dynamic during daytime academic hours. In contrast, the graduate division is centered on young working professionals, with those aged 22 to 24 forming 29.6% of enrollment, closely followed by students aged 25 to 29. This separation produces an undergraduate campus experience defined by young adult life, complemented by career-focused graduate programs.

International student enrollment at SIUE is distinctly weighted toward graduate programs, though undergraduate international participation has expanded from a small starting point. In 2025, undergraduate international students accounted for 3.8% of undergraduates, a proportion that was higher than 87% of peer schools in its comparison group of 30 public comprehensive universities. Graduate international presence is substantially larger, with international scholars making up 20.6% of all graduate students that same year. Degree conferral data from 2025 reflect this divide: international scholars earned 27.4% of master's degrees, but just 2.2% of bachelor's degrees and 1.5% of doctoral degrees. At the master's level, international graduates were heavily concentrated in engineering programs such as Industrial Engineering and Civil Engineering, while remaining a very small minority in undergraduate business and nursing majors.

Families exploring SIUE can consider several other universities located within short driving distance across the greater St. Louis metropolitan area and southern Illinois. Just 16.8 kilometers away in Missouri is Saint Louis University, a private national university ranked 100th in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Also across the river is University of Missouri-St Louis, a public national university situated 17.8 kilometers away and ranked 276th. For applicants seeking an elite private institution, Washington University in St Louis is located 19.7 kilometers from campus and holds the 16th spot nationally. Those interested in a smaller undergraduate-focused setting can look to Principia College, a liberal arts college positioned 21.8 kilometers away and ranked 74th among National Liberal Arts Colleges. These institutions provide a variety of public, private, and liberal arts learning environments in the immediate region.

Campus safety reports for Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville point to an environment where routine administrative rule infractions constitute the primary activity. In 2025, the campus recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 2.1. When looking at category totals over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the overwhelming majority of incidents involved alcohol disciplinary referrals, which reached 181 cases. By comparison, serious law enforcement actions and interpersonal safety infractions occurred infrequently. Over those same three years, drug arrests totaled 12 incidents, while dating violence accounted for 10 reports. Other severe offenses, such as weapons violations and rape, each registered in single digits across the timeframe. These figures suggest that university safety officials primarily handle alcohol policy compliance rather than severe or violent criminal activity on campus.