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

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

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

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.