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 | 1,454 | 1135 | 0.1199 | |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania | 9200 | 92900 | 0.9009 | 11,478 | 1536 | 0.054 | |
| 3 | Grinnell College | 9300 | 91400 | 0.8984 | 1,788 | 1462 | 0.1451 | |
| 4 | Dine College | 10200 | 13700 | 0.2546 | 1,423 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | University of California-Davis | 10200 | 38100 | 0.7328 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 6 | Georgetown College | 11100 | 61900 | 0.8205 | 1,111 | 1120 | 0.9106 | |
| 7 | Georgetown University | 11200 | 92700 | 0.8792 | 7,833 | 1457 | 0.1291 | |
| 8 | Cornell University | 11500 | 93100 | 0.8767 | 16,128 | 1521 | 0.0876 | |
| 8 | Northern Arizona University | 11500 | 27900 | 0.5864 | 22,990 | 1090 | 0.8961 | |
| 10 | Eastern Kentucky University | 11800 | 22900 | 0.4856 | 13,448 | 1110 | 0.7761 | |
| 10 | Florida Atlantic University | 11800 | 25800 | 0.5433 | 24,876 | 1130 | 0.6613 | |
| 12 | University of Central Florida | 12000 | 25300 | 0.525 | 59,552 | 1280 | 0.4011 | |
| 12 | University of Houston | 12000 | 28400 | 0.5781 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 12 | University of West Florida | 12000 | 21500 | 0.4413 | 9,970 | 1149 | 0.5824 | |
| 15 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | 12400 | 25900 | 0.5212 | 1,066 | 1197 | 0.4449 | |
| 16 | Missouri Southern State University | 12600 | 20100 | 0.374 | 3,881 | 1074 | 0.9703 | |
| 17 | Saginaw Valley State University | 12800 | 28600 | 0.5517 | 6,135 | 1055 | 0.7207 | |
| 18 | University of South Florida | 12900 | 17100 | 0.2454 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 19 | University of Michigan-Flint | 13000 | 46300 | 0.719 | 5,011 | 1109 | 0.7046 | |
| 20 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 25700 | 0.4862 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9419 | |
| 21 | California State University-Bakersfield | 13300 | 45000 | 0.7049 | 8,865 | 925 | 0.9385 | |
| 22 | Peru State College | 13600 | 22300 | 0.3887 | 1,308 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 24 | University of Georgia | 13700 | 26600 | 0.485 | 32,399 | 1382 | 0.377 | |
| 25 | Baptist Health Sciences University | 14100 | 26600 | 0.4691 | 782 | 1020 | 0.8202 | |
| 25 | Union College | 14100 | 92400 | 0.8473 | 2,065 | 1393 | 0.4392 | |
| 27 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 14200 | 40600 | 0.6496 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 28 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 29 | Central Michigan University | 14400 | 37800 | 0.6183 | 10,193 | 1095 | 0.8982 | |
| 30 | Northeastern University | 15000 | 89900 | 0.8331 | 17,432 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 31 | Western Michigan University | 15300 | 26500 | 0.423 | 13,027 | 1115 | 0.846 | |
| 32 | University of Central Oklahoma | 15500 | 28700 | 0.46 | 10,777 | 1075 | 0.7812 | |
| 33 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15600 | 31000 | 0.4964 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 34 | Sam Houston State University | 15800 | 30300 | 0.4782 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 35 | Oakland University | 16000 | 28200 | 0.4329 | 12,587 | 1130 | 0.8784 | |
| 36 | Waynesburg University | 16600 | 45000 | 0.6305 | 1,030 | 1093 | 0.8982 | |
| 37 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 17200 | 25700 | 0.3307 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 37 | Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | 17200 | 20700 | 0.169 | 8,320 | 1090 | 0.8858 | |
| 39 | University of Lynchburg | 17600 | 54900 | 0.6796 | 1,595 | 1104 | 0.4301 | |
| 40 | Delaware State University | 17900 | 42200 | 0.5752 | 4,581 | 930 | 0.4658 | |
| 41 | Indiana University-Bloomington | 18400 | 30600 | 0.3971 | 38,093 | 1302 | 0.7821 | |
| 42 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 18800 | 32000 | 0.4129 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 43 | University of Rhode Island | 19200 | 33900 | 0.4337 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 44 | University of South Alabama | 19300 | 22400 | 0.1387 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 45 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 19400 | 29900 | 0.3535 | 60,710 | 1278 | 0.5743 | |
| 46 | La Sierra University | 19800 | 65900 | 0.6992 | 1,226 | 1025 | 0.915 | |
| 47 | Ouachita Baptist University | 19900 | 58200 | 0.6583 | 1,729 | 1209 | 0.6752 | |
| 48 | Daemen University | 20000 | 55100 | 0.6371 | 1,653 | 1050 | 0.6826 | |
| 48 | The College of Idaho | 20000 | 59900 | 0.6661 | 1,041 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 50 | North Park University | 20200 | 53200 | 0.6202 | 1,841 | 1075 | 0.6851 | |
| 51 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 20300 | 29300 | 0.3067 | 2,381 | 1239 | 0.6328 | |
| 52 | Dakota State University | 20400 | 22500 | 0.0912 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8805 | |
| 53 | State University of New York at Cortland | 20500 | 27700 | 0.2597 | 5,911 | 1175 | 0.5979 | |
| 54 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | 20600 | 28500 | 0.2776 | 11,959 | 1260 | 0.8818 | |
| 54 | University of California-Santa Cruz | 20600 | 42900 | 0.5204 | 17,940 | 1281 | 0.6579 | |
| 56 | University of Northern Iowa | 20700 | 24000 | 0.1366 | 7,711 | 1129 | 0.9274 | |
| 57 | Tarleton State University | 21000 | 23000 | 0.087 | 15,254 | 1080 | 0.8955 | |
| 58 | Thomas University | 21100 | 25300 | 0.1662 | 1,022 | 1110 | 0.383 | |
| 59 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls | 21600 | 24000 | 0.1032 | 4,880 | 1124 | 0.8172 | |
| 60 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 21800 | 37300 | 0.4156 | 26,221 | 1204 | 0.8854 | |
| 60 | Niagara University | 21800 | 57400 | 0.62 | 2,692 | 1160 | 0.8737 | |
| 62 | South Dakota State University | 21900 | 25200 | 0.1301 | 10,719 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 63 | Grand Valley State University | 22100 | 35900 | 0.3849 | 19,002 | 1084 | 0.8302 | |
| 63 | McDaniel College | 22100 | 63900 | 0.6538 | 1,620 | 1155 | 0.7793 | |
| 65 | Newman University | 22200 | 54000 | 0.5893 | 2,529 | 1069 | 0.7398 | |
| 66 | Buena Vista University | 22400 | 59100 | 0.6212 | 1,436 | 1124 | 0.7761 | |
| 67 | St Lawrence University | 22600 | 87800 | 0.7424 | 1,949 | 1359 | 0.5434 | |
| 68 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 22700 | 56900 | 0.6007 | 533 | 1244 | 0.5269 | |
| 69 | Oklahoma City University | 22800 | 64400 | 0.6461 | 1,514 | 1174 | 0.7702 | |
| 70 | Saint Cloud State University | 22900 | 36800 | 0.3772 | 8,738 | 1079 | 0.948 | |
| 71 | Houghton University | 23200 | 44300 | 0.4763 | 1,162 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 72 | Millikin University | 23700 | 43700 | 0.4572 | 1,495 | 1020 | 0.6668 | |
| 72 | University of South Dakota | 23700 | 26000 | 0.0876 | 7,619 | 1120 | 0.9878 | |
| 74 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 74 | Vanguard University of Southern California | 24100 | 57300 | 0.5793 | 1,960 | 1100 | 0.6244 | |
| 76 | Saint Ambrose University | 24200 | 55400 | 0.5628 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 77 | Southwestern Adventist University | 24300 | 43200 | 0.4376 | 758 | 1064 | 0.7836 | |
| 78 | King's College | 24400 | 63100 | 0.6136 | 1,568 | 1170 | 0.9311 | |
| 79 | Guilford College | 24600 | 57400 | 0.5714 | 1,132 | 1100 | 0.8 | |
| 79 | University of Saint Mary | 24600 | 53700 | 0.5416 | 1,027 | 1040 | 0.8663 | |
| 81 | Huntingdon College | 24700 | 44400 | 0.4434 | 880 | 1130 | 0.6949 | |
| 82 | Franklin College | 24900 | 61800 | 0.5962 | 931 | 1150 | 0.698 | |
| 83 | Brewton-Parker Christian University | 25300 | 34300 | 0.2618 | 1,234 | 990 | 0.9649 | |
| 83 | Roberts Wesleyan University | 25300 | 60200 | 0.58 | 1,393 | 1142 | 0.7063 | |
| 83 | Scripps College | 25300 | 94900 | 0.7338 | 1,117 | 1475 | 0.3829 | |
| 86 | Christian Brothers University | 25800 | 57600 | 0.5512 | 1,155 | 1110 | 0.867 | |
| 86 | Seattle Pacific University | 25800 | 70000 | 0.6314 | 1,776 | 1180 | 0.834 | |
| 88 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26000 | 28300 | 0.0806 | 3,375 | 1090 | 0.5876 | |
| 88 | Salem State University | 26000 | 43200 | 0.3984 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 90 | University of Evansville | 26100 | 64700 | 0.5966 | 1,742 | 1174 | 0.776 | |
| 91 | University of Minnesota Duluth | 27100 | 31100 | 0.128 | 8,426 | 1235 | 0.8875 | |
| 92 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 27200 | 37700 | 0.2788 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 93 | Rowan University | 27400 | 41300 | 0.3369 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 93 | Wilmington College | 27400 | 48200 | 0.4311 | 1,006 | 1020 | 0.924 | |
| 95 | Mississippi College | 27800 | 45100 | 0.3834 | 2,883 | 1110 | 0.2911 | |
| 96 | Morehead State University | 27900 | 32600 | 0.1441 | 8,258 | 1140 | 0.7721 | |
| 97 | George Fox University | 28300 | 69400 | 0.5925 | 3,354 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 98 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28500 | 32300 | 0.1176 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 99 | New England College | 28800 | 65800 | 0.5624 | 1,032 | 930 | 0.9213 | |
| 99 | University of Iowa | 28800 | 31100 | 0.0733 | 22,738 | 1208 | 0.8362 | |
| 101 | Russell Sage College | 29000 | 59500 | 0.5129 | 1,247 | 1010 | 0.5326 | |
| 102 | Marquette University | 29100 | 63800 | 0.544 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 103 | Southern Adventist University | 29700 | 46900 | 0.3665 | 2,929 | 1134 | 0.655 | |
| 104 | Edgewood College | 29800 | 51900 | 0.4259 | 1,236 | 1125 | 0.7573 | |
| 105 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | 30000 | 53800 | 0.4423 | 971 | 1030 | 0.9334 | |
| 106 | Mercy University | 30100 | 44500 | 0.3237 | 6,774 | 1135 | 0.8584 | |
| 107 | North Carolina Central University | 30300 | 40000 | 0.2424 | 6,595 | 1060 | 0.8696 | |
| 107 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30300 | 78100 | 0.6118 | 14,267 | 1381 | 0.6693 | |
| 109 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30400 | 54700 | 0.4443 | 1,427 | 1025 | 0.4941 | |
| 110 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 30800 | 77600 | 0.6029 | 5,044 | 1274 | 0.8883 | |
| 110 | University of Pikeville | 30800 | 34800 | 0.1151 | 1,540 | 1055 | 1 | |
| 112 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4738 | 2,503 | 1229 | 0.7353 | |
| 113 | University of North Florida | 31300 | 33000 | 0.0516 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 114 | St. Andrews University | 31400 | 44700 | 0.297 | 628 | 991 | 0.648 | |
| 115 | Alverno College | 33200 | 55500 | 0.4015 | 673 | 1000 | 0.8574 | |
| 115 | Liberty University | 33200 | 44600 | 0.2556 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 117 | California Baptist University | 33400 | 65600 | 0.4908 | 8,417 | 1070 | 0.8488 | |
| 118 | Auburn University | 33700 | 34100 | 0.0117 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4592 | |
| 118 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 55300 | 0.3907 | 1,903 | 1214 | 0.7787 | |
| 120 | LeTourneau University | 33900 | 54800 | 0.3817 | 3,187 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 120 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 33900 | 36100 | 0.0609 | 33,033 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 122 | Springfield College | 34100 | 66300 | 0.4858 | 1,763 | 1244 | 0.7189 | |
| 123 | Texas Southern University | 34500 | 42500 | 0.1883 | 6,844 | 915 | 0.9691 | |
| 124 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 34600 | 50900 | 0.32 | 1,903 | 1085 | 0.6944 | |
| 124 | Washburn University | 34600 | 38400 | 0.0989 | 5,331 | 1095 | 0.9551 | |
| 126 | Beloit College | 34800 | 81400 | 0.5721 | 1,004 | 1299 | 0.6304 | |
| 127 | Adelphi University | 35100 | 63300 | 0.4465 | 5,325 | 1237 | 0.6591 | |
| 127 | University of New England | 35100 | 68000 | 0.4841 | 3,884 | 1145 | 0.9163 | |
| 129 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.5769 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 130 | Siena College | 35900 | 65100 | 0.4486 | 3,467 | 1254 | 0.6902 | |
| 131 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 36400 | 41600 | 0.1268 | 5,386 | 1050 | 0.9092 | |
| 132 | Loyola University Maryland | 36700 | 78800 | 0.5343 | 3,881 | 1303 | 0.7549 | |
| 133 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 37200 | 57000 | 0.3472 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 134 | Marymount Manhattan College | 37600 | 69900 | 0.4621 | 1,601 | 1224 | 0.8261 | |
| 134 | Northwest Nazarene University | 37600 | 62800 | 0.4011 | 1,043 | 1134 | 0.6474 | |
| 136 | Nazareth University | 37700 | 63300 | 0.4045 | 1,882 | 1211 | 0.7472 | |
| 136 | Union Adventist University | 37700 | 51200 | 0.2625 | 625 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 138 | Saint Joseph's College of Maine | 38100 | 65000 | 0.4136 | 1,097 | 1055 | 0.8351 | |
| 139 | Howard Payne University | 38200 | 54500 | 0.2987 | 751 | 1043 | 0.6737 | |
| 140 | Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale | 38300 | 63000 | 0.3923 | 18,071 | 0 | 0.9697 | |
| 141 | Oakwood University | 38500 | 43300 | 0.1105 | 1,177 | 1005 | 0.4522 | |
| 142 | Alvernia University | 38700 | 69400 | 0.4422 | 2,192 | 1195 | 0.5806 | |
| 143 | Cumberland University | 39200 | 47500 | 0.1745 | 2,745 | 1055 | 0.6733 | |
| 144 | Xavier University | 39300 | 68100 | 0.4232 | 4,239 | 1218 | 0.8641 | |
| 145 | Fresno Pacific University | 39900 | 52200 | 0.2352 | 1,545 | 1099 | 0.6407 | |
| 146 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 40400 | 42500 | 0.0495 | 13,921 | 1119 | 0.7468 | |
| 147 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 40700 | 53600 | 0.2408 | 46,815 | 1378 | 0.6057 | |
| 148 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 57000 | 0.2773 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.782 | |
| 149 | Montreat College | 41800 | 58100 | 0.2803 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 150 | Susquehanna University | 42000 | 76800 | 0.4533 | 2,246 | 1204 | 0.8143 | |
| 151 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 42600 | 56200 | 0.2421 | 11,355 | 1222 | 0.8816 | |
| 152 | Mount Saint Mary's University | 42900 | 80700 | 0.4683 | 1,731 | 1015 | 0.7313 | |
| 153 | Florida Institute of Technology | 43300 | 68600 | 0.3686 | 3,666 | 1224 | 0.577 | |
| 154 | Radford University | 43500 | 45700 | 0.0499 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 155 | University at Buffalo | 43900 | 46700 | 0.06 | 20,359 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 156 | Marist University | 44100 | 75800 | 0.4181 | 5,551 | 1279 | 0.5651 | |
| 157 | St. John's University-New York | 44500 | 78000 | 0.4292 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 158 | Quinnipiac University | 44800 | 79200 | 0.4343 | 6,557 | 1245 | 0.7215 | |
| 159 | Biola University | 47100 | 71200 | 0.3386 | 3,481 | 1268 | 0.7435 | |
| 160 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48500 | 51200 | 0.0543 | 44,819 | 1327 | 0.4987 | |
| 161 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 49800 | 62200 | 0.1995 | 37,140 | 1406 | 0.4237 | |
| 162 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 57500 | 61400 | 0.0635 | 343 | 1125 | 0.8984 | |
| 163 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.092 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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