Spring is a great time for prospective students and families to visit and tour the SIU Carbondale campus. (Photo by Yenitza Melgoza)
January 30, 2025
SIU Carbondale’s spring 2025 enrollment rises, following a remarkable fall
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s spring 2025 enrollment is up 3.3%, or 344 students, compared to last year. The increase – the second year in a row of over 3% – follows a fall that saw the highest overall boost in the number of students in 33 years.
“This exciting news is the result of strategic planning and the ongoing, dedicated efforts of many Salukis – our faculty and staff, our alumni and friends, and members of the community – who imagine ambitious goals that often defy the odds and then work to achieve them,” said Chancellor Austin A. Lane. “I personally thank everyone in Saluki Nation for all they have done to attract students and help them succeed from orientation to graduation.”
A total of 10,869 students are pursuing their degrees at Southern this spring. (Spring enrollment is usually less than fall because of December graduations.)
This past fall, the university enjoyed a second year in a row of rising enrollment for the first time since 2000. And the freshman class increased for the fifth consecutive year. This is the fifth consecutive semester that the university has enjoyed rising enrollment.
Enrollment for undergraduates this spring is up 3.6% from spring 2024, including a 4% increase of transfers, while graduate enrollment rose 2.5%. Fully online new and transfer students increased 24% and continuing students rose 11%. More Illinois students are choosing Southern. Over 7,800 Illinois residents attend the university, 5% more than last year.
“In recent years, we have made concerted efforts to red carpet the Southern Illinois region, and they continue to pay off. Enrollment from the region rose 18%,” Lane said.
Southern has remained accessible by launching the Saluki Commitment and Saluki Transfer Commitment, which covers tuition and fees for students who qualify, and in 2023, the university raised the family income limit to $103,040. In the last four years, SIU has joined One Click Admit, streamlined the application process for students at many high schools with the Say Yes initiative, signed agreements with several schools and youth organizations in the Southern Illinois region and the Metro East, and more strategically recruited students. In addition, Lane said, he appreciated local community colleges for the partnerships to make it easier for transfer students to earn their bachelor’s degrees.
Lane said the university remains on track to enroll 15,000 students by 2030, as envisioned in the Imagine 2030 strategic plan.
“While we celebrate our recent successes, we continue to recruit students for summer and fall 2025. This is a highly competitive endeavor, and we love to compete. We are a first-class research university with a lot to offer students,” Lane said, “and we will continue to reach out to students and let them know of the rare opportunities for research and creativity that we have.”