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 | College of the Ozarks | 6600 | 38400 | 0.8291 | 1,500 | 1130 | 0.1097 | |
| 2 | Grinnell College | 9300 | 91400 | 0.8984 | 1,668 | 1469 | 0.1605 | |
| 3 | Dine College | 10200 | 13700 | 0.2546 | 1,432 | 0 | 1 | |
| 4 | Georgetown University | 11100 | 92700 | 0.8803 | 7,908 | 1470 | 0.1349 | |
| 5 | Cornell University | 11500 | 93100 | 0.8767 | 16,138 | 1528 | 0.0838 | |
| 5 | Georgetown College | 11500 | 61900 | 0.814 | 1,123 | 1145 | 0.9337 | |
| 5 | Northern Arizona University | 11500 | 27900 | 0.5865 | 22,203 | 1129 | 0.8961 | |
| 8 | Eastern Kentucky University | 11800 | 22900 | 0.4856 | 13,448 | 1075 | 0.9683 | |
| 9 | University of Pennsylvania | 12000 | 92900 | 0.8708 | 9,989 | 1535 | 0.0492 | |
| 9 | University of West Florida | 12000 | 21500 | 0.4413 | 9,971 | 1120 | 0.5822 | |
| 11 | Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | 12200 | 28900 | 0.5787 | 8,673 | 1095 | 0.9156 | |
| 12 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | 12400 | 25900 | 0.5216 | 1,066 | 1197 | 0.4449 | |
| 13 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 14 | Missouri Southern State University | 12600 | 20100 | 0.374 | 3,917 | 1109 | 0.9656 | |
| 14 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 12600 | 25700 | 0.5097 | 21,138 | 1134 | 0.9039 | |
| 14 | University of North Florida | 12600 | 22400 | 0.438 | 14,837 | 1124 | 0.6815 | |
| 17 | University of Michigan-Flint | 12900 | 34900 | 0.6311 | 5,534 | 1079 | 0.6734 | |
| 18 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 49100 | 0.7312 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 19 | Peru State College | 13600 | 22300 | 0.3892 | 1,308 | 0 | 1 | |
| 19 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 21 | University of Houston | 13700 | 22000 | 0.3766 | 40,366 | 1224 | 0.7577 | |
| 22 | California State University-Bakersfield | 13900 | 30600 | 0.5459 | 9,897 | 1015 | 0.8416 | |
| 23 | Baptist Health Sciences University | 14100 | 26600 | 0.4691 | 782 | 1020 | 0.8202 | |
| 24 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 24 | Saginaw Valley State University | 14300 | 30100 | 0.5243 | 6,280 | 1050 | 0.7843 | |
| 26 | University of South Carolina Aiken | 14400 | 23300 | 0.3821 | 3,379 | 1065 | 0.743 | |
| 27 | Central Michigan University | 14500 | 37800 | 0.6157 | 10,238 | 1099 | 0.9104 | |
| 28 | Northeastern University | 15000 | 89900 | 0.8331 | 22,456 | 1481 | 0.0562 | |
| 29 | Western Michigan University | 15300 | 26500 | 0.423 | 13,714 | 1089 | 0.9121 | |
| 30 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 15500 | 25800 | 0.3992 | 5,386 | 995 | 0.9092 | |
| 31 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 15800 | 38500 | 0.5888 | 38,572 | 1455 | 0.3659 | |
| 32 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 16000 | 44500 | 0.64 | 308 | 1144 | 0.9053 | |
| 33 | Waynesburg University | 16600 | 45000 | 0.6306 | 1,032 | 1093 | 0.8981 | |
| 34 | Sam Houston State University | 17000 | 27000 | 0.3705 | 17,822 | 1035 | 0.9372 | |
| 35 | North Carolina Wesleyan University | 17100 | 54700 | 0.6871 | 1,262 | 980 | 0.8026 | |
| 36 | Whitman College | 17400 | 85500 | 0.796 | 1,468 | 1397 | 0.4016 | |
| 37 | Daemen University | 17500 | 55100 | 0.6825 | 1,656 | 1050 | 0.7375 | |
| 37 | Salem State University | 17500 | 28500 | 0.3859 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 39 | Delaware State University | 17900 | 42200 | 0.5752 | 4,581 | 930 | 0.4658 | |
| 40 | Indiana University-Bloomington | 18400 | 30600 | 0.3971 | 38,463 | 1324 | 0.7589 | |
| 41 | University of Central Oklahoma | 19100 | 22700 | 0.1586 | 10,777 | 1075 | 0.7812 | |
| 42 | University of Rhode Island | 19200 | 33900 | 0.4337 | 14,466 | 1197 | 0.7456 | |
| 42 | University of South Alabama | 19200 | 22400 | 0.1431 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 44 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 19300 | 29900 | 0.3538 | 60,710 | 1278 | 0.5732 | |
| 45 | Ouachita Baptist University | 19500 | 58200 | 0.6651 | 1,715 | 1193 | 0.7072 | |
| 46 | Lee University | 19600 | 37400 | 0.4762 | 3,425 | 1154 | 0.7138 | |
| 47 | University of Saint Mary | 19700 | 53700 | 0.6331 | 1,044 | 1083 | 0.8229 | |
| 48 | McMurry University | 19800 | 51900 | 0.618 | 4,133 | 1104 | 0.8984 | |
| 49 | The College of Idaho | 20000 | 59900 | 0.6661 | 1,042 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 50 | North Park University | 20200 | 53200 | 0.6202 | 1,825 | 1075 | 0.6949 | |
| 51 | Dakota State University | 20400 | 22500 | 0.0912 | 3,085 | 1174 | 0.9241 | |
| 51 | Ripon College | 20400 | 69000 | 0.7039 | 665 | 1225 | 0.8186 | |
| 53 | La Sierra University | 20600 | 65900 | 0.687 | 1,266 | 1124 | 0.9069 | |
| 54 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20700 | 39200 | 0.4722 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 55 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | 21000 | 48900 | 0.5702 | 5,274 | 1103 | 0.9513 | |
| 56 | Thomas University | 21100 | 25300 | 0.1662 | 1,022 | 1110 | 0.383 | |
| 56 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls | 21100 | 24000 | 0.1202 | 5,063 | 1069 | 0.8756 | |
| 58 | University of Northern Iowa | 21500 | 24800 | 0.1329 | 7,800 | 1115 | 0.9313 | |
| 59 | University of Lynchburg | 21600 | 54900 | 0.6069 | 1,424 | 1099 | 0.6108 | |
| 60 | Bradley University | 21700 | 49900 | 0.5642 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 61 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 21800 | 37300 | 0.4156 | 26,490 | 1183 | 0.8863 | |
| 61 | Niagara University | 21800 | 57400 | 0.62 | 2,638 | 1170 | 0.876 | |
| 63 | South Dakota State University | 21900 | 25200 | 0.1305 | 10,883 | 1115 | 0.9618 | |
| 64 | McDaniel College | 22000 | 63900 | 0.6553 | 1,641 | 1155 | 0.7817 | |
| 65 | Grand Valley State University | 22100 | 35900 | 0.3849 | 19,154 | 1074 | 0.9271 | |
| 66 | Buena Vista University | 22400 | 59100 | 0.6212 | 836 | 1075 | 0.6497 | |
| 66 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32400 | 0.3091 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 66 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 69 | Oklahoma City University | 22600 | 64400 | 0.6492 | 1,546 | 1159 | 0.7103 | |
| 69 | St Lawrence University | 22600 | 87800 | 0.7424 | 1,949 | 1359 | 0.5434 | |
| 71 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 22700 | 56900 | 0.6007 | 533 | 1244 | 0.5269 | |
| 71 | University of South Dakota | 22700 | 26000 | 0.1265 | 7,515 | 1120 | 0.9884 | |
| 73 | Newman University | 22800 | 55800 | 0.5917 | 2,529 | 1069 | 0.7398 | |
| 74 | Saint Cloud State University | 22900 | 36800 | 0.3775 | 8,209 | 1079 | 0.948 | |
| 75 | King's College | 23100 | 63100 | 0.6343 | 1,559 | 1135 | 0.9193 | |
| 76 | Houghton University | 23200 | 44300 | 0.4763 | 958 | 1277 | 0.89 | |
| 77 | Millikin University | 23800 | 43700 | 0.4549 | 1,427 | 1065 | 0.765 | |
| 78 | Vanguard University of Southern California | 24000 | 57300 | 0.581 | 1,923 | 1095 | 0.7415 | |
| 79 | Southwestern Adventist University | 24300 | 43200 | 0.4376 | 758 | 1064 | 0.7836 | |
| 80 | Franklin College | 24400 | 61800 | 0.6054 | 894 | 1189 | 0.7254 | |
| 81 | Huntingdon College | 24600 | 44400 | 0.4457 | 943 | 1130 | 0.692 | |
| 82 | Guilford College | 24700 | 57400 | 0.5696 | 1,132 | 1100 | 0.8 | |
| 83 | Lewis University | 25100 | 57700 | 0.5649 | 4,914 | 1127 | 0.6916 | |
| 84 | Brewton-Parker Christian University | 25300 | 34300 | 0.2621 | 1,234 | 990 | 0.9649 | |
| 85 | Seattle Pacific University | 25700 | 70000 | 0.6328 | 1,657 | 1174 | 0.9301 | |
| 86 | Christian Brothers University | 25800 | 57600 | 0.5513 | 1,155 | 1110 | 0.867 | |
| 87 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26000 | 28300 | 0.0809 | 3,375 | 1090 | 0.5885 | |
| 87 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | 26000 | 53800 | 0.5169 | 971 | 1030 | 0.9334 | |
| 89 | University of Evansville | 26100 | 64700 | 0.5967 | 1,920 | 1174 | 0.9412 | |
| 90 | Oakland University | 26700 | 39300 | 0.3205 | 12,770 | 1039 | 0.8897 | |
| 91 | Morehead State University | 26800 | 32600 | 0.1778 | 7,941 | 1080 | 0.8328 | |
| 92 | Mars Hill University | 26900 | 54500 | 0.5056 | 1,062 | 1100 | 0.6822 | |
| 93 | University of Minnesota Duluth | 27300 | 31300 | 0.1274 | 8,706 | 1230 | 0.8906 | |
| 94 | Wilmington College | 27400 | 48200 | 0.4313 | 1,006 | 1020 | 0.924 | |
| 95 | George Fox University | 27500 | 69400 | 0.6041 | 3,530 | 1168 | 0.9282 | |
| 96 | Mississippi Christian University | 27800 | 45100 | 0.3836 | 2,583 | 1222 | 0.8416 | |
| 97 | Rogers State University | 28300 | 40000 | 0.2923 | 3,278 | 1025 | 0.6784 | |
| 98 | North Carolina Central University | 28600 | 40000 | 0.2849 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 98 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 32300 | 0.1145 | 11,691 | 1074 | 0.7722 | |
| 100 | New England College | 28800 | 65800 | 0.5624 | 1,049 | 930 | 0.8584 | |
| 101 | Roberts Wesleyan University | 29100 | 60200 | 0.5168 | 1,320 | 1230 | 0.6744 | |
| 102 | Southern Adventist University | 29700 | 46900 | 0.3666 | 2,946 | 1142 | 0.7163 | |
| 103 | Edgewood University | 29800 | 51900 | 0.4259 | 1,236 | 1125 | 0.7498 | |
| 103 | University of Iowa | 29800 | 32100 | 0.0714 | 23,407 | 1203 | 0.799 | |
| 103 | University of Pikeville | 29800 | 34800 | 0.1438 | 1,164 | 1070 | 0.8967 | |
| 106 | Mercy University | 30100 | 44500 | 0.3237 | 6,692 | 1135 | 0.8724 | |
| 107 | Scripps College | 30400 | 94900 | 0.68 | 1,103 | 1472 | 0.3988 | |
| 108 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30600 | 78100 | 0.608 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 109 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 31000 | 77600 | 0.6003 | 4,999 | 1258 | 0.9296 | |
| 110 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.474 | 2,769 | 1229 | 0.9881 | |
| 111 | Columbia International University | 31500 | 44800 | 0.2967 | 1,084 | 1079 | 0.9371 | |
| 112 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 32200 | 40900 | 0.2127 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 113 | Marquette University | 32700 | 66500 | 0.5082 | 8,206 | 1304 | 0.7802 | |
| 114 | Alverno College | 33200 | 55500 | 0.4017 | 525 | 1000 | 0.8223 | |
| 114 | Liberty University | 33200 | 44600 | 0.2556 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 116 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 17,556 | 1090 | 0.5386 | |
| 117 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 55300 | 0.3907 | 1,935 | 1214 | 0.8892 | |
| 118 | Morningside University | 33900 | 80100 | 0.5771 | 1,172 | 922 | 0.7104 | |
| 119 | Springfield College | 34000 | 66300 | 0.4873 | 1,724 | 1260 | 0.7421 | |
| 120 | Washburn University | 34300 | 38400 | 0.1067 | 5,427 | 1048 | 1 | |
| 121 | Loyola University Maryland | 34400 | 78800 | 0.5635 | 4,013 | 1329 | 0.6986 | |
| 121 | Siena University | 34400 | 65100 | 0.4717 | 3,149 | 1301 | 0.8464 | |
| 123 | Texas Southern University | 34500 | 42500 | 0.1883 | 6,844 | 915 | 0.9691 | |
| 124 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 34600 | 50900 | 0.3202 | 1,961 | 1099 | 0.7512 | |
| 125 | Adelphi University | 35000 | 63300 | 0.4467 | 5,097 | 1241 | 0.7215 | |
| 125 | Beloit College | 35000 | 81400 | 0.5697 | 997 | 1296 | 0.7039 | |
| 125 | University of South Florida | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 39,093 | 1255 | 0.4071 | |
| 128 | University of New England | 35100 | 68000 | 0.4841 | 4,631 | 1145 | 0.9203 | |
| 129 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.577 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 130 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 35900 | 47500 | 0.2444 | 8,513 | 1160 | 0.9261 | |
| 131 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 36600 | 40000 | 0.085 | 1,984 | 1239 | 0.6328 | |
| 132 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 37200 | 57000 | 0.3472 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 133 | Marymount Manhattan College | 37600 | 69900 | 0.4621 | 1,601 | 1224 | 0.8261 | |
| 134 | Union Adventist University | 37700 | 51200 | 0.2627 | 625 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 135 | Northwest Nazarene University | 38100 | 62800 | 0.3932 | 1,043 | 1145 | 0.7159 | |
| 135 | Saint Joseph's College of Maine | 38100 | 65000 | 0.4136 | 1,105 | 1055 | 0.8351 | |
| 137 | Howard Payne University | 38200 | 54500 | 0.2988 | 751 | 1043 | 0.6737 | |
| 138 | Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale | 38400 | 63000 | 0.3907 | 18,904 | 0 | 0.8516 | |
| 138 | LeTourneau University | 38400 | 54800 | 0.2995 | 2,903 | 1242 | 0.4879 | |
| 138 | Xavier University | 38400 | 68100 | 0.4364 | 3,744 | 1286 | 0.848 | |
| 141 | Oakwood University | 38500 | 43300 | 0.1107 | 1,184 | 1005 | 0.4563 | |
| 142 | Nazareth University | 38600 | 67200 | 0.425 | 1,862 | 1275 | 0.7409 | |
| 143 | State University of New York at Cortland | 38800 | 39900 | 0.0276 | 5,890 | 1175 | 0.624 | |
| 144 | Cumberland University | 39200 | 47500 | 0.1747 | 2,745 | 1055 | 0.6733 | |
| 145 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 39600 | 42500 | 0.0683 | 14,249 | 1084 | 0.7761 | |
| 146 | University of Central Florida | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 60,083 | 1289 | 0.428 | |
| 147 | California Baptist University | 39900 | 65600 | 0.3917 | 8,707 | 1024 | 0.8139 | |
| 148 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 40800 | 53600 | 0.2389 | 46,627 | 1366 | 0.492 | |
| 149 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | 41100 | 42300 | 0.0284 | 11,959 | 1260 | 0.8818 | |
| 150 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 57000 | 0.2774 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 151 | Montreat College | 41800 | 58100 | 0.2804 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 152 | Susquehanna University | 42000 | 76800 | 0.4533 | 2,220 | 1199 | 0.7908 | |
| 153 | University at Buffalo | 43300 | 46700 | 0.0728 | 21,192 | 1309 | 0.8059 | |
| 154 | Florida Institute of Technology | 43400 | 68700 | 0.3679 | 4,279 | 1234 | 0.5796 | |
| 154 | Radford University | 43400 | 45700 | 0.0501 | 6,206 | 1050 | 0.8939 | |
| 156 | Marist University | 44100 | 110500 | 0.6009 | 5,644 | 1279 | 0.5599 | |
| 157 | Florida Atlantic University | 44400 | 44400 | 0 | 25,626 | 1150 | 0.5497 | |
| 158 | St. John's University-New York | 44500 | 78000 | 0.4292 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 159 | Quinnipiac University | 44800 | 79200 | 0.4343 | 6,610 | 1250 | 0.7031 | |
| 160 | Biola University | 46700 | 71200 | 0.3442 | 3,553 | 1281 | 0.7817 | |
| 161 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48500 | 51200 | 0.0544 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 162 | University of Georgia | 49700 | 51600 | 0.0368 | 32,824 | 1348 | 0.3425 | |
| 163 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 53300 | 53300 | 0 | 34,447 | 1273 | 0.8804 | |
| 164 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 17,157 | 1204 | 0.7654 | |
| 165 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 57500 | 61400 | 0.0635 | 344 | 1125 | 0.8984 | |
| 166 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.092 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 167 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 168 | University of California-Davis | 68400 | 69800 | 0.0201 | 31,695 | 1290 | 0.4435 | |
| 169 | University of California-Santa Cruz | 82400 | 82400 | 0 | 18,194 | 1281 | 0.7273 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.