SIUE vs. NSU

Should I go to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville or Northwestern State University of Louisiana? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SIUE or NSU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville vs. Northwestern State University of Louisiana comparison
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Northwestern State University of Louisiana College 3 College 4
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Northwestern State University of Louisiana
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Overview

SIUE NSU
Location Edwardsville, IL Natchitoches, LA
Setting Large Suburban Remote Town
Enrollment 12,519 9,389
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #506 #975
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website siue.edu nsula.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SIUE NSU
Tuition (In State) $9,306 $5,180
Tuition (Out of State) $9,306 $15,968
Room & Board $10,272 $10,269
Avg Net Price $13,586 $14,238
Avg Grant Aid $10,649 $9,499
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 89%

Admission

SIUE NSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,325 2,903
Admitted 9,093 2,843
Acceptance Rate 97.5% 97.9%
Enrolled % 20.5% 35.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.3
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26 18/23
SAT Range 930/1160 955/1135
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2024

Academics

SIUE NSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (39%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)

Outcomes

SIUE NSU
Graduation Rate 52% 37%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,000 $38,100
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 46%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,430 $21,531
Median Loan Payment $221 $222

Diversity

SIUE NSU
% Men 42% 29%
% Women 58% 71%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 73% 54%
% Black 15% 31%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

SIUE NSU
% In-State 79% 98%
% Out-of-State 16% 2%

Campus

SIUE NSU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is larger than than NSU based on total student enrollment (12,519 students vs. 9,389 students)

SIUE vs. NSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SIUE or NSU?

  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is 79.7% more expensive to attend than NSU for in-state tuition ($9,306.00 vs. $5,180.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 71.6% higher at NSU than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($15,968.00 vs. $9,306.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville than NSU ($13,586 vs. $14,238)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern State University of Louisiana are 0% lower than costs at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($10,269 vs. $10,272)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville than Northwestern State University of Louisiana (96% vs. 89%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students is 12.1% larger than aid received Northwestern State University of Louisiana ($10,649 vs. $9,499)

SIUE vs. NSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SIUE or NSU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between NSU or SIUE .

  • The average SAT score at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (1070) is 62 points higher than at NSU (1008)
  • Incoming SIUE students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at NSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman SIUE students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at NSU (3.3)
  • NSU has a higher acceptance rate (97.9%) than SIUE (97.5%)

SIUE vs. NSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SIUE or NSU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between NSU and SIUE.

  • The graduation rate at SIUE is higher than Northwestern State University of Louisiana (52% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn on average $8,900 more per year than NSU graduates after ten years. ($47,000 vs. $38,100)
  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students graduate with a $101 lower median federal student loan debt than NSU graduates. ($21,430 vs. $21,531)
  • SIUE graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than NSU graduates. ($221 vs. $222)
  • More SIUE graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSU students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 46%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/