Southern Illinois University System

What Southern Illinois University System does

Southern Illinois University System is a public university system created by Illinois statute in 1869 and operated as a governmental instrumentality of the State of Illinois under the governance of a Board of Trustees, with the President serving as chief executive. The system comprises two main residential campuses — Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) — plus the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton, and the SIUE East St. Louis Center. It serves current and prospective students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, alongside faculty/staff, alumni/donors, regional businesses, state policymakers, and media. The IRS recognizes the system as exempt from federal income tax under IRC §115(1) and as a 501(c)(3) public charity.

The system's signature operational product is the SIU System Online Course Exchange, launched in Fall 2023, which enables students at either campus to enroll in online courses offered by the other institution through a streamlined intercampus registration process. The platform integrates with D2L (Desire2Learn) and Blackboard learning management systems, Banner student information system, Degree Works degree audit, and textbook services via RedShelf and the campus BKCSTR bookstore. The system was selected as one of four schools to participate in the National Association of System Heads (NASH) funded curricular flexibility initiative, targeting expanded course sharing access by the end of Spring 2026. Other operational products include a Student Services Portal, Faculty and Staff Resources (research, HR, compliance), and Business and Industry Services encompassing Small Business Development Centers, incubators, and workforce development programs. The system also maintains jointly controlled University-Related Organizations including two foundations, a medical practice plan (SIU Physicians and Surgeons Inc.), and research/university parks at both campuses.

The business model is a public university funding model: tuition and fees are set by the Board of Trustees, with revenue drawn from state appropriations, tuition, grants, and auxiliary operations. The system documents extensive tuition and fee waiver policies, including mandatory waivers (Teachers Scholarships, ROTC, Senior Citizen Courses) and discretionary waivers capped at 3% of undergraduate tuition revenue per IBHE guidelines. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed in the source materials. Distribution occurs through campus admissions offices (direct), the online Course Exchange platform (self-serve), and economic development centers serving regional businesses. The 2022-2026 Strategic Plan centers on Academic Innovation and Student Success with an explicit objective to increase college degree attainment in the Southern Illinois region.

Name

Southern Illinois University System

Legal name

Southern Illinois University System

Website

https://siusystem.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southern Illinois University System is a public, state-governed university system founded in 1869, comprising SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville plus Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine, serving undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in Southern Illinois through on-campus programs and the cross-campus SIU System Online Course Exchange platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Academic Application Support (EDALAMAC), Higher Education SIS & Campus Management Systems (EDAFAEAB), Enrollment Management & Admissions Administration (EDADAKAD)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Public university
• Online courses
• Workforce development
• Medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Carbondale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southern Illinois University System is a public university system that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across two main campuses (SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville), the School of Medicine in Springfield, and the School of Dental Medicine in Alton. Its primary product is the SIU System Online Course Exchange, which allows students at SIUC and SIUE to enroll in each other's online courses through a unified registration, transcript, and advising infrastructure. The system also provides workforce development, small business support, and economic development services to the Southern Illinois region.

Product overview

Southern Illinois University System operates as a two-campus university system (SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville) offering educational services through its core SIU System Online Course Exchange platform, which enables cross-campus course sharing. The system provides student services (admissions, student life), faculty and staff resources (research, HR, compliance), and business/industry engagement programs including small business development and workforce training. The main product is the Course Exchange system that integrates with learning management systems (D2L, Blackboard), student information systems (Banner, Degree Works), and provides textbook coordination through RedShelf and campus bookstores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SIU System Online Course Exchange: A collaborative online course sharing program between SIUC and SIUE campuses offering high-quality online courses and programs for students.

Products and services

• SIU System Online Course Exchange A collaborative online course sharing platform enabling students from SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville to enroll in each other's online courses, expanding academic options and supporting flexible degree completion.
• Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs (SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville) Residential and online degree programs offered through SIU Carbondale (established 1947) and SIU Edwardsville (established 1957), covering undergraduate majors, graduate programs, and professional degrees.
• SIU School of Medicine Professional Programs Medical education, physician training, and clinical practice programs offered through the School of Medicine in Springfield.
• SIU School of Dental Medicine Professional Programs Dental education and clinical dental training offered through the School of Dental Medicine in Alton.
• Student Services Portal Portal of resources for prospective and current students including admissions information, student life services, and academic support across SIUC, SIUE, School of Medicine, and School of Dental Medicine.
• Business and Industry Services Economic development resources including Small Business Development Centers, business incubators, and workforce development programs serving the Southern Illinois region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Goal to provide course sharing access for students at all participating institutions by end of Spring 2026

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Coursera: Online learning platform partnering with universities to deliver courses and credentials. Comparable to SIU System Course Exchange as a technology-enabled course delivery and credentialing platform, though functioning as an infrastructure provider rather than a degree-granting institution.
• National Association of System Heads (NASH): Consortium of US public multi-campus university system heads. Directly relevant as the organization funding SIU's course sharing infrastructure initiative and providing the policy framework for cross-institutional curricular sharing.

Emerging players

• Western Governors University: Online-first non-profit university focused on workforce-aligned degree programs. Comparable to SIU System Online Course Exchange as a technology-enabled higher education alternative, though operating in a completely different delivery model.

Direct peers

• Indiana University System: Multi-campus public university system in Indiana with IU Bloomington, IUPUI, and regional campuses. Comparable to SIU System in structure and in operating cross-campus academic platforms and online course sharing.
• University of North Carolina System: Multi-campus public university system governing 17 institutions across North Carolina. Comparable to SIU System in its multi-campus governance model and in pursuing cross-campus enrollment and shared service initiatives.
• State University of New York (SUNY) System: Large multi-campus public university system in New York with multiple comprehensive campuses and a system-wide course-sharing infrastructure. Comparable to SIU System in structure as a multi-campus public system with centralized coordination and cross-campus enrollment.
• University of Illinois System: Multi-campus public university system in Illinois governing UIUC, UIC, and UIS. Directly comparable to SIU System as a state-governed multi-campus university system with shared system offices and cross-campus academic collaboration initiatives.
• University of Missouri System: Multi-campus public university system coordinating four universities (Mizzou, UMKC, S&T, UMSL) across Missouri. Comparable to SIU System as a geographically distributed Midwest multi-campus public system with cross-campus coordination.
• University of Wisconsin System: Multi-campus public university system coordinating 13 universities across Wisconsin. Comparable to SIU System as a state-governed multi-campus system with shared services and cross-campus academic programs.

Broad incumbents

• California State University System: Largest public four-year system in the US with 23 campuses. Comparable to SIU System in multi-campus structure, cross-campus course sharing, and reliance on state appropriations, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/board-of-trustees-of-southern-illinois-university

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Illinois University System