Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Positioned only 25 minutes from the downtown hub of St. Louis with its nationally known Fortune 500 companies for unparalleled practical learning opportunities, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located on a vast 2,660-acre campus of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. With around 13,850 students and an impressive student-teacher ratio of 17:1, SIUE is well-known for offering the advantages of a small public liberal arts college with one of the lowest tuition rates among the 12 Illinois state universities.

As the younger and smaller of the two major institutions in the university system, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was established in 1957 as an extension of the Southern Illinois University Carbondale due to a lack of public higher education in the growing metro-east area during the post-World War II economic expansion. Growing rapidly and maturing as an increasingly independent institution of its parent school, SIUE saw enrollment double within just two years. Maintaining its historic ties to the communities of Alton and East St. Louis, SIUE is a premier metropolitan university with programs ranging from liberal arts to professional studies.

Recognized among the top 60 master's universities in the entire nation by Washington Monthly magazine, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is currently ranked as the 42nd best college and 9th top public school in the Midwest by the U.S. News and World Report. Fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA), SIUE offers 65 bachelor's degrees, 8 post-baccalaureate certificates, 49 master's degrees, and 4 doctoral degrees. From the university's eight academic divisions, the highest ranked programs are in business administration, fine arts, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and speech pathology.

Being named to the annual President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the fourth consecutive year, SIUE is home to over 170 student club, Greek organizations, intramural sports teams, and service learning programs. Nicknamed the Cougars with their famous mascot Eddie the Cougar, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a member of the NCAA Division I Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) with a total of 17 National Championships under its belt. Some of the most notable Cougar alumni include Olympic gold medalist Ken Flach, college basketball referee Ed Hightower, comedienne Kathleen Madigan, reporter Paige St. John, and two-time Wimbledon doubles winner Robert Seguso.