Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIU) vs Iowa State

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIU-C) and Iowa State University (ISU) are two distinct universities with unique offerings and characteristics. SIU-C, located in the heart of Southern Illinois, boasts a smaller student body and a more intimate learning environment, with an acceptance rate of 86%. ISU, situated in the vibrant city of Ames, Iowa, offers a larger and more diverse student population, with an acceptance rate of 89%. Both universities excel in different academic areas, with SIU-C being renowned for its programs in engineering, business, and education, while ISU is recognized for its strengths in agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including their graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors, to help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.

	Iowa State University	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Overview
Location	Ames, Iowa	Carbondale, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	88.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.1%	95.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1083 - 1330	930 - 1160
ACT range	21 - 28	20 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	13.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	63.0%	18.0%
Total number of applicants	20,357	6,987
Total number of admissions given out	18,550	6,648
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,387	1,422
Yield rate	29.0%	21.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,152 Out of state: $37,964	$29,903
Average net price	$15,422	$15,976
Tuition	In state: $8,324 Out of state: $24,136	$9,638
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,590 Meal plan: $4,498	Room/dormitory: $6,292 Meal plan: $4,330
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $8,833	91.0% Average amount $13,301
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,202	55.0% Average amount $5,362
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,630	8.0% Average amount $12,619

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	25,808 Men 56.1% Women 43.9%	8,147 Men 51.4% Women 48.6%
Graduate students	4,900 Men 50.6% Women 49.4%	3,119 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	17.5%
International students	8.2%	7.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	9,400	4,492
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Illinois Missouri Indiana Tennessee Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Agriculture Education Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Education Engineering Technologies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Transportation and Logistics
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.0%	45.3%
Dropout rate	6.1%	53.2%
Transferred out	16.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,739 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $101,292 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,956 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $95,081 Industrial Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,120 Year 2: $89,059 Year 3: $92,521 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $77,573 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $85,108 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,299 Year 2: $73,321 Year 3: $83,452 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,598 Year 2: $73,839 Year 3: $83,292 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,184 Year 2: $71,734 Year 3: $81,196 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,223 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $79,916 Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,580 Year 2: $70,083 Year 3: $77,479 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,534 Year 2: $67,156 Year 3: $76,113	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,053 Year 2: $104,597 Year 3: $108,594 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,138 Year 2: $65,905 Year 3: $75,851 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,097 Year 2: $64,068 Year 3: $70,959 Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $55,319 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $66,942 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,274 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $66,280 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,465 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $62,788 Architecture (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,426 Year 2: $53,219 Year 3: $62,608 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,372 Year 2: $55,211 Year 3: $62,306 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,213 Year 2: $55,061 Year 3: $62,169 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,024 Year 2: $49,840 Year 3: $62,089

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