SIUE Debuts Among Washington Monthly’s Top National Universities

EDWARDSVILLE, IL – After being classified as a master’s-large institution for most of its history, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was reclassified in January 2019 by The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education to the newly created doctoral/professional universities category. The classification upgrade is significant as Washington Monthly has ranked SIUE 115th in its 2019 National University Rankings of 395 doctoral institutions.

SIUE was fourth among Illinois public institutions, behind the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois-Chicago, and Illinois State University. SIUE was rated ahead of a significant number of regional peers, including Missouri State (154), University of Missouri-St. Louis (176), SIU-Carbondale (257), Saint Louis University (259) and Lindenwood University (327). For the previous nine years, SIUE was in Washington Monthly’s Top 100 nationally for master’s universities.

For the complete listing, visit washingtonmonthly.com/2019college-guide/national. For the fourth consecutive year, SIUE is also included in the “Best Bang for the Buck” among Midwest institutions.

Unlike conventional college rankings, Washington Monthly evaluates an institution’s “contribution to the public good” in three broad categories: social mobility—educating low-income students; research—producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs; and service—encouraging students to give something back to their communities. The data is based on the three most recent fiscal years.

Washington Monthly’s annual rankings are significant as SIUE follows through on its mission to shape a changing world,” says SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook. “It is impressive for this emerging university to be included in the top third of institutions nationally.”

SIUE has invested an average of nearly $19 million in research expenditures during the past three fiscal years. This investment allows a significant number of SIUE undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in research projects in their fields of study.

SIUE students have many opportunities to work on service projects throughout the year through the university’s Kimmel Student Involvement Center. Those initiatives include service-learning through coursework, volunteer projects, the SIUE Experience, scholarship requirements, the AmeriCorps America Reads program, and student organizations that track their service hours.

About Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research, and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of more than 13,000.

Featured

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.