Cost & financial aid brief
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does SIU cost after financial aid?
The sticker-to-net gap is $15,032, and aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Average net prices range from $9,415 in the lowest income band to $23,254 in the highest, with $8,497, $10,308, and $17,724 in the bands between.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,839. Lower average net prices at lower incomes is the pattern one would expect from a need-based aid system.
The published cost of attendance at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is $28,329. Azimuth ranks the university #301 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $9,415, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $10,308, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $23,254. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,839.
Aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price across all bands to $13,297. That is $771 below the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,543 in federal student loans, $314 above the peer median of $21,229. 86.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $19,500 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $245 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Borrowing is common at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale: 86.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and the median federal student debt for borrowers who complete a degree is $21,543. That median sits above the $21,229 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $314, a narrow gap.
For a separate population of parent borrowers, the median Parent PLUS loan is $19,500.
The investment picture at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is one of solid, middle-of-the-road earnings paired with a debt load that is typical for its peer group. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $61,484, at the 55th percentile nationally.
Graduates earn about $2,808 more than expects for similar students, placing the gap at the 65th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from $44,965 in a downside case to $85,380 in an upside case, with $61,484 as the typical outcome.
On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $21,543, which is $314 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $245 a month if repaid over ten years.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $19,500. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $245.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $19,500
- Estimated parent payment
- $248/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 14.6% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 6.6% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 3.1% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 2.0% | Safe |
The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. Open the parent tool for your own numbers. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $21,543
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $19,500
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $245/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $248/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $493/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $61,484, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
7.8% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.