SIU: the complete school report for parents

What does SIU actually weigh in admissions?

SIU rates 2 of the 18 factors "Very Important": GPA, class rank. It does not consider 13 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is SIU's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

57% of enrolled students had a 3.25 GPA or above. The average was 3.291 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.5% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

SIU admitted 95.7% of 1,976 transfer applicants, against 94.4% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

SIU reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

SIU requires 15 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.

What will SIU actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $13,297 a year at SIU after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $9,833. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 63.2% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 342 merit awards averaging $5,169 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

What families at each income level actually paid:

57% of SIU graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $29,123 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $228 a month in repayment. SIU’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from SIU pay off?

Graduates earn a median $53,390 ten years after entering, and $43,087 at six years. 74% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 51% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$106,322 to $28,119, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at SIU:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

67% of first-years return for a second year. 45% graduate within four years and 59% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 50.2% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 66.1% of everyone else, a gap of 15.9 points.

How big are the classes?

61% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 1% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 79% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Higher Learning Commission.

What is life at SIU like?

8,421 undergraduates, 14.75% of first-years from out of state. 96.6% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 42.43% across all undergraduates. 35% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $59,313.

What this means for your student

• 57% of enrolled students are at a 3.25 GPA or above, averaging 3.291. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• Its highest-earning major returns $106,322 five years out against $28,119 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about SIU

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