Eastern Illinois University (EIU) vs Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Eastern Illinois University (EIU) and Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (SAU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics. EIU, located in Charleston, Illinois, boasts a higher acceptance rate (86%) compared to SAU's 78%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with EIU excelling in fields like Business, Education, and Health Professions, while SAU shines in areas such as Business, Education, and Nursing. EIU's student body is predominantly White (64%) and female (56%), while SAU's student population is more diverse, with a higher percentage of African American (34%) and male (52%) students. In terms of graduation rates, EIU has a slightly higher four-year graduation rate (30%) compared to SAU's 26%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects
Eastern Illinois University logo

Eastern Illinois University

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus logo

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Overview

Location Charleston, Illinois Magnolia, Arkansas
Campus setting Town: Distant Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 74.0% 64.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 71.7% 62.6%
Application fees $30 $25
SAT range 900 - 1140 930 - 1140
ACT range 17 - 23 18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score 56.0% 10.0%
Students submitting ACT score 66.0% 100.0%
Total number of applicants 7,145 2,813
Total number of admissions given out 5,126 1,761
Admitted students who chose to enroll 778 632
Yield rate 15.2% 35.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $25,316

Out of state: $27,684
In state: $26,411

Out of state: $31,631
Average net price $13,669 $14,141
Tuition
In state: $9,472

Out of state: $11,840
In state: $6,750

Out of state: $11,970
Room & board $10,548
Room/dormitory: $4,340

Meal plan: $3,444
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $10,756
98.0%
Average amount $8,861
Students receiving federal student loan 62.0%
Average amount $5,140
50.0%
Average amount $5,247
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $10,570
3.0%
Average amount $8,817

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,903
Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
3,160
Men 43.4% Women 56.6%
Graduate students 1,705
Men 37.5% Women 62.5%
1,274
Men 35.2% Women 64.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 9.6% 28.0%
International students 4.6% 7.5%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 4,304 2,032
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Indiana Ohio Missouri Texas Arkansas Texas Louisiana Oklahoma Alabama

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Business
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Health Professions
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Liberal Arts
  • Education
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Agriculture
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 50.7% 40.1%
Dropout rate 15.9% 23.3%
Transferred out 32.6% 35.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,607
  • Year 2: $54,386
  • Year 3: $65,635
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,284
  • Year 2: $59,350
  • Year 3: $64,761
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,936
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $64,356
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,964
  • Year 2: $50,677
  • Year 3: $61,384
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,053
  • Year 2: $46,673
  • Year 3: $59,023
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,088
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $57,084
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,985
  • Year 2: $53,894
  • Year 3: $56,317
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $49,482
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,479
  • Year 2: $41,565
  • Year 3: $47,585
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,850
  • Year 2: $40,768
  • Year 3: $47,302
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,230
  • Year 2: $58,402
  • Year 3: $70,408
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,929
  • Year 2: $55,151
  • Year 3: $62,262
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,925
  • Year 2: $42,458
  • Year 3: $42,763
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,784
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $38,968
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,986
  • Year 2: $30,228
  • Year 3: $35,029
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,781
  • Year 2: $33,565
  • Year 3: $33,986
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $28,923
Physics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,362
  • Year 2: $52,107
  • Year 3: N/A
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $58,402
  • Year 3: N/A

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