Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, (commonly abbreviated as SIUE), is a coeducational, public doctoral/professional university in Edwardsville, Illinois, United States about northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. SIUE was established in 1957 as an extension of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It is the younger of the two major institutions of Southern Illinois University system, and as of 2018, has the largest enrollment within the system. The University offers graduate programs through its Graduate School.
Illinois State University
Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of the top ten largest producers of teachers in the US according to the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. The university's athletic teams are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference and are known as the "Redbirds," in reference to the state bird, the cardinal.