Cost & financial aid brief
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does SIUE cost after financial aid?
The pricing pattern places lower-income aid recipients at lower average net prices than higher-income aid recipients. Against the published cost of $28,919, average financial aid savings are $14,030, leaving an average net price of $14,889.
Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across the income bands, the lowest-band average is $8,483, followed by $8,587 and $11,116 in the middle bands; the next-highest band averages $19,351, and the highest band averages $24,684.
The $16,201 spread between the endpoints shows that average aid reductions are larger in the lower-income bands.
The published cost of attendance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $28,919. Azimuth ranks the university #337 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 $8,483, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,116, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $24,684. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,201.
Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the overall average net price to $14,889. That figure is $821 above the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
The published tuition and fees are $12,922, with room and board adding $14,490. Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $20,500 in federal student loans.
That is $729 below the median of $21,229 for comparable institutions. 87.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow through the federal Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $21,500. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, although typical completer debt sits below the peer benchmark. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,500.
Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median federal debt of $21,229, with the university's median $729 below that level. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $21,500.
At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, graduates earn about $8,294 more than expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Median earnings four years after completion are $65,199, in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios tied to the program mix place earnings at $46,501 in the downside case and $88,204 in the upside case; the typical scenario matches the median earnings figure.
Median federal student debt at completion is $20,500, $729 below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years.
Above-expected earnings and debt below peers point in the same direction, even as the earnings scenarios span a broad range.
Parent PLUS borrowing is separate from student borrowing: parent borrowers have a median of $21,500. The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years.
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
- $21,500
- Estimated parent payment
- $273/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $20,500
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $21,500
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $233/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $273/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $506/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 $65,199, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.6% 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, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 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.