Skip to content
College Path Hub

Compare colleges

Up to 4 at once. Figures are from the 2022-23 reporting year and are averages, so they will differ from what any one student pays or experiences.

  • Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
  • University of Illinois Chicago

What stands out

University of Illinois Chicago has the lower average net price, University of Illinois Chicago reports the higher graduation rate, University of Illinois Chicago reports higher median earnings ten years on, while University of Illinois Chicago leaves graduates with less median federal debt. Which of those matters more depends on what you need, and none of it predicts your own cost or your own chance of admission.

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale compared with University of Illinois Chicago
MetricSouthern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, ILPublic · 4-yearUniversity of Illinois ChicagoChicago, ILPublic · 4-yearLowest net priceHighest graduation rateHighest retentionLowest median debtHighest median earnings
Cost
Average net priceWhat students on federal aid actually paid per year, after grants.$13,297$10,974lowest
Published costSticker price before aid. Few students pay it.$28,329$27,521
In-state tuition$13,334$14,338
Out-of-state tuition$13,334$29,884
Admissions
Acceptance rate87%77%
SAT midpoint1,0451,195
ACT midpoint2427
Outcomes
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time. Excludes transfer students.59%61%highest
Retention rateFirst-year students who come back for a second year.67%80%highest
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only. Private and parent loans are not included.$21,543$16,704lowest
Median earnings, 10 yrsReflects the subjects a college teaches and where it sits, not only its teaching.$53,390$68,740highest
Campus
Undergraduates8,49422,170

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2022-23. Blank figures mean the college did not report that measure, not that the value is zero. Acceptance rate and enrollment carry no highlight because neither a lower acceptance rate nor a larger campus is better in itself. How this works.