Which colleges are most affordable for Illinois residents ? The answer may surprise you.
These rankings of the most affordable colleges for Illinois residents are based on the estimated net price for a "typical" middle class family living in the state of Illinois.
Note: Net price is the actual cost of the school paid by the student and family, after factoring in merit and grant aid from the college federal programs and work study.The net prices displayed in these rankings are College Raptor's estimates.
“Typical” middle class family values used in the Net Price estimates on this page are:
| Rank | Institution | Typical Net Price | Sticker Price | % Savings | Undergraduates | Est. Median SAT | Acceptance Rate | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Coast Guard Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,081 | 1283 | 0.2432 | |
| 1 | United States Naval Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4,465 | 1302 | 0.0936 | |
| 3 | Rice University | 4300 | 85500 | 0.9496 | 4,789 | 1535 | 0.08 | |
| 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4900 | 86800 | 0.9433 | 4,576 | 1535 | 0.0485 | |
| 5 | Yale University | 5500 | 92300 | 0.9403 | 6,814 | 1507 | 0.0387 | |
| 6 | Wellesley College | 7000 | 90900 | 0.9233 | 2,407 | 1500 | 0.1405 | |
| 7 | Princeton University | 8000 | 81800 | 0.902 | 5,813 | 1535 | 0.0462 | |
| 8 | Washington University in St Louis | 9400 | 96200 | 0.9026 | 8,220 | 1513 | 0.1206 | |
| 9 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 10200 | 94100 | 0.8919 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 9 | United States Merchant Marine Academy | 10200 | 10200 | 0 | 947 | 1239 | 0.3247 | |
| 9 | University of Notre Dame | 10200 | 86100 | 0.8815 | 8,880 | 1499 | 0.1127 | |
| 12 | Cornell University | 10400 | 92000 | 0.8866 | 16,128 | 1521 | 0.0841 | |
| 13 | University of Pennsylvania | 11500 | 93000 | 0.8765 | 10,013 | 1528 | 0.054 | |
| 14 | Mount Holyoke College | 12200 | 89700 | 0.8644 | 2,178 | 1449 | 0.3603 | |
| 15 | Middlebury College | 12400 | 89800 | 0.8618 | 2,760 | 1499 | 0.1075 | |
| 15 | Northern Illinois University | 12400 | 29000 | 0.5718 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 15 | University of Central Florida | 12400 | 23600 | 0.4746 | 59,649 | 1280 | 0.4471 | |
| 18 | Utah State University | 13000 | 30000 | 0.5659 | 25,920 | 1176 | 0.9247 | |
| 19 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 13200 | 38500 | 0.657 | 17,901 | 1470 | 0.1681 | |
| 20 | University of Delaware | 13600 | 32500 | 0.5809 | 19,119 | 1303 | 0.6356 | |
| 21 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 32200 | 0.5744 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 22 | Louisiana Tech University | 13800 | 24900 | 0.4451 | 11,071 | 1164 | 0.9073 | |
| 23 | Texas Tech University | 14000 | 27000 | 0.4813 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 24 | North Carolina A & T State University | 14200 | 17900 | 0.2073 | 12,216 | 1020 | 0.4617 | |
| 25 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 14300 | 26500 | 0.4594 | 22,351 | 1159 | 0.7504 | |
| 25 | University of Idaho | 14300 | 26400 | 0.458 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 27 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 28 | University of Maine at Augusta | 15200 | 23200 | 0.3446 | 4,250 | 0 | 0.0683 | |
| 29 | Northeastern University | 16100 | 89900 | 0.8213 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 30 | Lehigh University | 16200 | 85700 | 0.8114 | 5,911 | 1436 | 0.2593 | |
| 31 | Carnegie Mellon University | 16400 | 87300 | 0.8119 | 7,824 | 1528 | 0.1166 | |
| 32 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 16800 | 22300 | 0.2464 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 33 | Tufts University | 16900 | 92400 | 0.8175 | 7,126 | 1507 | 0.1153 | |
| 34 | University of Southern Mississippi | 17000 | 23100 | 0.2639 | 10,193 | 1181 | 0.9912 | |
| 35 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 17200 | 27200 | 0.3671 | 44,170 | 1327 | 0.4979 | |
| 35 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | 17200 | 27400 | 0.3721 | 27,082 | 1099 | 0.8459 | |
| 37 | Bennington College | 17300 | 89500 | 0.8071 | 797 | 1360 | 0.4453 | |
| 38 | Barnard College | 17600 | 93200 | 0.8112 | 3,269 | 1490 | 0.0796 | |
| 39 | University of Kansas | 17700 | 34900 | 0.4925 | 22,085 | 1176 | 0.9348 | |
| 39 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,428 | 1090 | 0.9529 | |
| 41 | Keene State College | 18000 | 31900 | 0.4354 | 2,744 | 1020 | 0.9033 | |
| 42 | University of Arkansas | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3419 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.7431 | |
| 43 | University of New Orleans | 18400 | 29500 | 0.3763 | 5,476 | 1125 | 0.6677 | |
| 44 | University of Rhode Island | 18600 | 34400 | 0.4591 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 45 | University of Memphis | 19100 | 26400 | 0.277 | 15,770 | 1075 | 0.7203 | |
| 46 | University of Southern California | 19200 | 76000 | 0.7473 | 21,023 | 1485 | 0.1002 | |
| 47 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 19600 | 29300 | 0.3305 | 1,984 | 1369 | 0.6328 | |
| 48 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 19900 | 27200 | 0.2687 | 31,112 | 1130 | 0.8129 | |
| 49 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20200 | 38800 | 0.481 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 49 | University of Colorado Boulder | 20200 | 30600 | 0.3398 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 51 | The University of Texas at Austin | 20600 | 26900 | 0.2341 | 43,165 | 1335 | 0.2664 | |
| 51 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 20600 | 30000 | 0.3138 | 13,179 | 1110 | 0.8883 | |
| 53 | Brown University | 21300 | 93900 | 0.7729 | 7,910 | 1535 | 0.0539 | |
| 54 | Webb Institute | 21500 | 73700 | 0.7085 | 106 | 1475 | 0.1404 | |
| 55 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 22100 | 34400 | 0.3575 | 14,783 | 1140 | 0.8096 | |
| 55 | South Dakota State University | 22100 | 25200 | 0.1219 | 10,728 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 57 | Hobart William Smith Colleges | 22200 | 81100 | 0.726 | 1,794 | 1313 | 0.6399 | |
| 58 | Ball State University | 22400 | 22400 | 0 | 15,189 | 1170 | 0.855 | |
| 59 | Syracuse University | 23600 | 83100 | 0.716 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 60 | Judson University | 24300 | 49100 | 0.506 | 793 | 1049 | 0.624 | |
| 60 | La Roche University | 24300 | 55400 | 0.5616 | 1,986 | 1150 | 0.7761 | |
| 60 | University at Buffalo | 24300 | 34000 | 0.2853 | 20,360 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 63 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 25000 | 36600 | 0.3173 | 65,450 | 1203 | 0.8989 | |
| 63 | Mount Mary University | 25000 | 53300 | 0.5311 | 749 | 1005 | 0.6634 | |
| 65 | Miami University-Oxford | 25100 | 27200 | 0.0771 | 16,816 | 1299 | 0.754 | |
| 66 | California State University-Fresno | 25300 | 35900 | 0.2951 | 21,430 | 995 | 0.9638 | |
| 67 | Temple University | 25400 | 36300 | 0.3005 | 21,428 | 1245 | 0.8045 | |
| 68 | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | 25800 | 35600 | 0.2757 | 3,525 | 1070 | 0.8175 | |
| 69 | Indiana State University | 26000 | 30900 | 0.1587 | 6,224 | 1020 | 0.8077 | |
| 70 | Norwich University | 26500 | 70900 | 0.6264 | 2,642 | 1209 | 0.7361 | |
| 71 | Marywood University | 26600 | 55500 | 0.521 | 1,834 | 1160 | 0.6058 | |
| 72 | Tulane University of Louisiana | 26900 | 83600 | 0.6785 | 7,283 | 1451 | 0.1398 | |
| 72 | University of North Alabama | 26900 | 41500 | 0.352 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 74 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus | 27500 | 43800 | 0.3725 | 17,771 | 1044 | 0.7933 | |
| 75 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 27600 | 36700 | 0.248 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 76 | North Dakota State University | 27900 | 30400 | 0.0815 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 77 | Florida Atlantic University | 28100 | 39200 | 0.2834 | 24,942 | 1130 | 0.6613 | |
| 78 | Drury University | 28200 | 52900 | 0.4668 | 1,391 | 1228 | 0.5758 | |
| 79 | Connecticut College | 28600 | 83300 | 0.657 | 1,990 | 1287 | 0.3704 | |
| 80 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | 29600 | 39500 | 0.2503 | 14,576 | 1144 | 0.6967 | |
| 81 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | 29900 | 31100 | 0.0385 | 20,592 | 1435 | 0.1407 | |
| 82 | Kent State University at Kent | 30000 | 37500 | 0.2 | 20,841 | 1105 | 0.8634 | |
| 83 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 30500 | 41800 | 0.2705 | 31,127 | 1115 | 0.8679 | |
| 84 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 30600 | 31100 | 0.0161 | 19,701 | 1214 | 0.8749 | |
| 85 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 30900 | 42400 | 0.2713 | 21,947 | 1335 | 0.3122 | |
| 85 | University of Houston | 30900 | 35200 | 0.1223 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 87 | North Carolina State University | 31100 | 53000 | 0.4127 | 28,422 | 1335 | 0.4167 | |
| 88 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 31200 | 41100 | 0.2411 | 25,255 | 1134 | 0.737 | |
| 89 | Portland State University | 31300 | 43000 | 0.2715 | 15,960 | 1176 | 0.9091 | |
| 90 | Thomas Jefferson University | 31600 | 67700 | 0.5331 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 91 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | 32600 | 38500 | 0.1533 | 7,890 | 1105 | 0.2056 | |
| 91 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | 32600 | 40200 | 0.1892 | 1,407 | 1120 | 0.7207 | |
| 91 | Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design | 32600 | 57100 | 0.429 | 885 | 0 | 0.628 | |
| 94 | University of Oregon | 33200 | 38600 | 0.1391 | 20,622 | 1250 | 0.883 | |
| 95 | Anderson University | 33600 | 52400 | 0.3588 | 3,405 | 1209 | 0.5471 | |
| 95 | Ithaca College | 33600 | 72500 | 0.5365 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 95 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 33600 | 46200 | 0.2729 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 98 | California State University-Sacramento | 34300 | 44900 | 0.2362 | 28,226 | 1015 | 0.9343 | |
| 99 | Auburn University | 34400 | 34400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 99 | Morgan State University | 34400 | 37200 | 0.0753 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 101 | Prairie View A & M University | 34500 | 39600 | 0.1288 | 8,056 | 955 | 0.7441 | |
| 101 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 34500 | 35100 | 0.0171 | 33,572 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 103 | Chatham University | 35100 | 63300 | 0.4458 | 1,555 | 1197 | 0.6196 | |
| 104 | Delaware Valley University | 35300 | 63800 | 0.4466 | 1,768 | 1180 | 0.9326 | |
| 105 | Lawrence Technological University | 36200 | 67800 | 0.4659 | 2,579 | 1159 | 0.7403 | |
| 106 | Andrews University | 36400 | 47100 | 0.227 | 1,312 | 1208 | 0.874 | |
| 106 | Mississippi State University | 36400 | 50500 | 0.2789 | 18,567 | 1214 | 0.7764 | |
| 108 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 62000 | 0.3968 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5499 | |
| 109 | Benedictine College | 37700 | 50800 | 0.258 | 2,391 | 1229 | 0.7645 | |
| 110 | University of Connecticut | 37800 | 41800 | 0.0957 | 19,388 | 1324 | 0.5395 | |
| 111 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 39000 | 52900 | 0.2626 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 111 | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | 39000 | 48900 | 0.2024 | 5,731 | 1174 | 0.9064 | |
| 113 | University of Illinois Chicago | 39200 | 48000 | 0.1832 | 22,495 | 1247 | 0.7735 | |
| 114 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 39600 | 53800 | 0.264 | 23,920 | 1390 | 0.5973 | |
| 115 | Stony Brook University | 39900 | 53000 | 0.2467 | 18,263 | 1395 | 0.4904 | |
| 116 | SUNY Maritime College | 40000 | 40900 | 0.022 | 1,286 | 1215 | 0.7242 | |
| 117 | University of Georgia | 40300 | 46000 | 0.1242 | 31,514 | 1336 | 0.3719 | |
| 117 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 40300 | 56700 | 0.2893 | 40,754 | 1391 | 0.3915 | |
| 119 | University of California-Los Angeles | 40400 | 68600 | 0.4116 | 33,471 | 1399 | 0.0897 | |
| 120 | Endicott College | 40700 | 63200 | 0.3559 | 3,176 | 1255 | 0.7229 | |
| 121 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41400 | 53900 | 0.2319 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 122 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42500 | 54900 | 0.2261 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 123 | Kean University | 42600 | 48300 | 0.1181 | 11,758 | 1035 | 0.7688 | |
| 123 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 42600 | 55100 | 0.227 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 125 | University of Maryland-College Park | 42700 | 52900 | 0.1928 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 126 | University of Florida | 43500 | 45600 | 0.046 | 36,567 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 127 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 43800 | 50300 | 0.1293 | 34,242 | 1260 | 0.7333 | |
| 128 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 44000 | 57100 | 0.2292 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 129 | Maine Maritime Academy | 47300 | 49800 | 0.0502 | 945 | 1180 | 0.5606 | |
| 130 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 48400 | 85700 | 0.435 | 5,743 | 1438 | 0.6343 | |
| 131 | Woodbury University | 50700 | 68700 | 0.2621 | 825 | 1087 | 0.7287 | |
| 132 | University of Kentucky | 51000 | 56000 | 0.0893 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 132 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 51000 | 84200 | 0.3944 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 134 | Drexel University | 51200 | 82600 | 0.38 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 135 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 52400 | 56100 | 0.0655 | 60,710 | 1278 | 0.5732 | |
| 136 | Howard University | 53500 | 61600 | 0.1315 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 136 | University of San Francisco | 53500 | 83200 | 0.3568 | 5,321 | 1292 | 0.6171 | |
| 138 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 56900 | 58900 | 0.0352 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 139 | Otis College of Art and Design | 58400 | 79000 | 0.2609 | 1,224 | 1055 | 0.8176 | |
| 140 | Indiana University-Bloomington | 59000 | 61100 | 0.034 | 38,093 | 1302 | 0.7821 | |
| 141 | Maryland Institute College of Art | 60700 | 71200 | 0.1476 | 1,324 | 1196 | 0.7729 | |
| 142 | Clemson University | 61600 | 63700 | 0.0326 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 143 | University of California-Berkeley | 74600 | 75500 | 0.0119 | 33,469 | 1407 | 0.1104 | |
| 144 | The Catholic University of America | 82500 | 82500 | 0 | 3,177 | 1204 | 0.8278 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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