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 | University of Pennsylvania | 5700 | 93000 | 0.9389 | 10,013 | 1528 | 0.054 | |
| 2 | Swarthmore College | 6500 | 88900 | 0.9269 | 1,623 | 1520 | 0.0746 | |
| 3 | North Carolina Central University | 7000 | 27000 | 0.7416 | 6,595 | 971 | 0.8697 | |
| 4 | College of the Ozarks | 7900 | 32800 | 0.7584 | 1,454 | 1135 | 0.1199 | |
| 5 | Georgetown University | 9000 | 92200 | 0.9025 | 7,833 | 1457 | 0.1291 | |
| 6 | Grinnell College | 9300 | 91400 | 0.8984 | 1,788 | 1462 | 0.1451 | |
| 7 | Cornell University | 10300 | 92000 | 0.8877 | 16,128 | 1521 | 0.0841 | |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls | 10300 | 24000 | 0.5723 | 4,721 | 1110 | 0.7782 | |
| 9 | Georgetown College | 10400 | 46500 | 0.7756 | 1,111 | 1060 | 0.9106 | |
| 10 | Eastern Kentucky University | 10700 | 22900 | 0.5337 | 12,726 | 1055 | 0.9695 | |
| 11 | Brigham Young University | 10900 | 29000 | 0.6237 | 32,221 | 1374 | 0.6919 | |
| 12 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 11300 | 34400 | 0.6706 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 13 | Northern Illinois University | 12300 | 29000 | 0.5744 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 14 | University of West Florida | 12400 | 21500 | 0.4227 | 9,661 | 1120 | 0.5687 | |
| 15 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 12800 | 27100 | 0.5269 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 16 | University of South Florida | 13700 | 17100 | 0.1987 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 17 | Northern Arizona University | 14000 | 25400 | 0.4509 | 22,991 | 1145 | 0.8961 | |
| 18 | Missouri Southern State University | 14200 | 20100 | 0.2942 | 3,881 | 1074 | 0.9706 | |
| 18 | Peru State College | 14200 | 25500 | 0.4441 | 1,452 | 0 | 0.7708 | |
| 20 | Radford University | 14300 | 21900 | 0.347 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 21 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14500 | 41100 | 0.6478 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 22 | Central Michigan University | 15200 | 40600 | 0.6257 | 10,219 | 1095 | 0.8982 | |
| 22 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 15200 | 35700 | 0.5744 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 24 | Baptist Health Sciences University | 15500 | 28500 | 0.4565 | 733 | 1110 | 0.6776 | |
| 25 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 15600 | 25800 | 0.3959 | 5,187 | 1005 | 0.9229 | |
| 25 | University of South Carolina Aiken | 15600 | 23300 | 0.3306 | 3,289 | 1115 | 0.7857 | |
| 27 | Northeastern University | 16100 | 89900 | 0.8213 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 27 | Oakland University | 16100 | 28000 | 0.4256 | 12,587 | 1050 | 0.8784 | |
| 29 | University of Georgia | 17000 | 27100 | 0.373 | 31,514 | 1336 | 0.3719 | |
| 30 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 17200 | 27200 | 0.3671 | 44,170 | 1327 | 0.4979 | |
| 31 | Saint Cloud State University | 18900 | 24500 | 0.2306 | 8,013 | 1094 | 0.9495 | |
| 31 | Scripps College | 18900 | 94800 | 0.8004 | 1,117 | 1475 | 0.3829 | |
| 33 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 19700 | 40000 | 0.5074 | 1,984 | 1369 | 0.6328 | |
| 34 | The College of Idaho | 20100 | 49100 | 0.5904 | 1,049 | 1170 | 0.4722 | |
| 35 | McMurry University | 20300 | 46600 | 0.5649 | 3,167 | 1065 | 0.5704 | |
| 35 | Texas Southern University | 20300 | 25700 | 0.2104 | 6,619 | 920 | 0.9335 | |
| 37 | Dakota State University | 20400 | 22500 | 0.0912 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8814 | |
| 38 | South Dakota State University | 20500 | 25200 | 0.1866 | 10,728 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 38 | Vanguard University of Southern California | 20500 | 57300 | 0.6421 | 1,964 | 1069 | 0.6479 | |
| 40 | Western Michigan University | 20600 | 31200 | 0.3394 | 13,860 | 1104 | 0.846 | |
| 41 | Thomas University | 20700 | 29000 | 0.2865 | 882 | 1030 | 0.4316 | |
| 42 | Niagara University | 20800 | 57400 | 0.6374 | 2,692 | 970 | 0.3972 | |
| 42 | University of Northern Iowa | 20800 | 24000 | 0.1334 | 7,716 | 1115 | 0.8713 | |
| 44 | University of Central Oklahoma | 20900 | 22700 | 0.0793 | 10,454 | 1095 | 0.8176 | |
| 45 | Union Adventist University | 21600 | 45000 | 0.52 | 536 | 1079 | 0.9989 | |
| 46 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 21700 | 56900 | 0.618 | 533 | 1269 | 0.5269 | |
| 47 | Tabor College | 21800 | 55600 | 0.6076 | 539 | 965 | 0.6458 | |
| 48 | Guilford College | 21900 | 57400 | 0.6184 | 1,160 | 1025 | 0.8376 | |
| 48 | Madonna University | 21900 | 50400 | 0.5655 | 1,839 | 1005 | 0.9293 | |
| 50 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 51 | Newman University | 22300 | 54000 | 0.588 | 2,398 | 1090 | 0.4761 | |
| 52 | Buena Vista University | 22400 | 59100 | 0.6203 | 810 | 1124 | 0.7761 | |
| 53 | St Lawrence University | 22700 | 87600 | 0.7409 | 1,949 | 1359 | 0.5434 | |
| 53 | Ursuline College | 22700 | 59000 | 0.6157 | 637 | 1085 | 0.8401 | |
| 55 | North Park University | 22900 | 52900 | 0.5672 | 1,876 | 1110 | 0.7284 | |
| 56 | Ouachita Baptist University | 23200 | 52200 | 0.5561 | 1,729 | 1209 | 0.6752 | |
| 57 | Southwestern Adventist University | 23400 | 40800 | 0.4262 | 813 | 1060 | 0.5552 | |
| 58 | Daemen University | 23500 | 54400 | 0.5684 | 1,656 | 1209 | 0.7375 | |
| 58 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 23500 | 25700 | 0.0856 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 60 | Springfield College | 23600 | 63300 | 0.6269 | 1,764 | 1201 | 0.7189 | |
| 61 | Russell Sage College | 23700 | 57600 | 0.5889 | 1,255 | 1134 | 0.5326 | |
| 62 | Beloit College | 23800 | 75600 | 0.6855 | 1,004 | 1298 | 0.6304 | |
| 62 | University of South Dakota | 23800 | 26000 | 0.0848 | 7,619 | 1120 | 0.9878 | |
| 64 | Fontbonne University | 24000 | 50200 | 0.5221 | 650 | 1090 | 0.9503 | |
| 65 | McDaniel College | 24100 | 61700 | 0.6098 | 1,631 | 1155 | 0.7793 | |
| 66 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 24400 | 26600 | 0.0828 | 3,413 | 1085 | 0.5295 | |
| 67 | King's College | 24700 | 63000 | 0.6076 | 1,568 | 1180 | 0.9305 | |
| 67 | Roberts Wesleyan University | 24700 | 60000 | 0.5885 | 1,045 | 1166 | 0.7058 | |
| 69 | University of Lynchburg | 24800 | 54900 | 0.5488 | 1,595 | 1124 | 0.4301 | |
| 70 | Franklin College | 25000 | 61800 | 0.5954 | 931 | 1150 | 0.6978 | |
| 70 | University of Akron Main Campus | 25000 | 25000 | 0 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 72 | Houghton University | 25200 | 35500 | 0.29 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 73 | Huntingdon College | 25700 | 44100 | 0.4175 | 880 | 1105 | 0.6793 | |
| 74 | Christian Brothers University | 25900 | 57600 | 0.5503 | 1,155 | 1110 | 0.867 | |
| 74 | Saginaw Valley State University | 25900 | 38900 | 0.3347 | 6,152 | 1050 | 0.7207 | |
| 76 | Corban University | 26000 | 57300 | 0.5456 | 785 | 1124 | 0.8974 | |
| 77 | University of Evansville | 26200 | 64700 | 0.5954 | 1,742 | 1207 | 0.7813 | |
| 78 | La Sierra University | 26400 | 55100 | 0.5213 | 1,244 | 1015 | 0.933 | |
| 79 | Northwest Nazarene University | 26600 | 68400 | 0.6111 | 1,043 | 1145 | 0.7159 | |
| 80 | University of Minnesota Duluth | 27000 | 30400 | 0.1135 | 8,426 | 1235 | 0.8876 | |
| 81 | Methodist University | 27200 | 51900 | 0.4763 | 1,436 | 1175 | 0.752 | |
| 82 | Morehead State University | 27300 | 32600 | 0.1625 | 8,258 | 1120 | 0.7721 | |
| 83 | Seattle Pacific University | 27700 | 62600 | 0.5576 | 1,776 | 1188 | 0.8339 | |
| 84 | California State University-Bakersfield | 27800 | 42200 | 0.3409 | 8,865 | 1050 | 0.8508 | |
| 85 | Grand Valley State University | 28200 | 35700 | 0.2101 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 86 | Mercy University | 28700 | 44500 | 0.3552 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 86 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 28700 | 78100 | 0.6326 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 88 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 28800 | 44100 | 0.3472 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 89 | Delaware State University | 29300 | 36700 | 0.2018 | 4,941 | 960 | 0.6167 | |
| 90 | Salem State University | 29400 | 38900 | 0.244 | 4,853 | 1100 | 0.9557 | |
| 91 | Edgewood College | 29600 | 51900 | 0.4297 | 1,214 | 1125 | 0.9452 | |
| 92 | New England College | 29800 | 64600 | 0.539 | 1,032 | 930 | 0.9213 | |
| 92 | Southern Adventist University | 29800 | 46900 | 0.3648 | 2,827 | 1125 | 0.6661 | |
| 92 | Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | 29800 | 41000 | 0.2729 | 8,320 | 1074 | 0.8858 | |
| 95 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 29900 | 46100 | 0.3514 | 1,903 | 1085 | 0.6944 | |
| 96 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 97 | Mississippi College | 30200 | 45400 | 0.3352 | 2,724 | 1110 | 0.4928 | |
| 98 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30400 | 54700 | 0.4429 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.6327 | |
| 99 | University of Pikeville | 30800 | 34800 | 0.1151 | 1,353 | 1055 | 0.8808 | |
| 100 | University of Houston | 30900 | 35200 | 0.1223 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 101 | University of Rhode Island | 31300 | 46700 | 0.3298 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 102 | St. Andrews University | 31500 | 44700 | 0.2953 | 806 | 985 | 0.3048 | |
| 103 | University of North Florida | 31800 | 37900 | 0.161 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 104 | Sam Houston State University | 32100 | 39900 | 0.1955 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 104 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | 32100 | 44800 | 0.2835 | 3,856 | 1169 | 0.7518 | |
| 106 | Liberty University | 32800 | 43900 | 0.2528 | 52,823 | 1181 | 0.9932 | |
| 107 | Alverno College | 33300 | 55500 | 0.4001 | 673 | 1000 | 0.8438 | |
| 107 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 15,130 | 0 | 0.5256 | |
| 109 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 33600 | 46200 | 0.2729 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 110 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 54600 | 0.383 | 1,903 | 1214 | 0.7787 | |
| 111 | Adelphi University | 35100 | 63300 | 0.4454 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 111 | California Baptist University | 35100 | 65200 | 0.4616 | 8,417 | 1069 | 0.8535 | |
| 113 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.5761 | 3,355 | 1235 | 0.7808 | |
| 114 | Siena College | 35600 | 65100 | 0.4532 | 3,469 | 1260 | 0.7764 | |
| 115 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 36200 | 53300 | 0.3207 | 1,044 | 1095 | 0.7209 | |
| 116 | Biola University | 36300 | 52900 | 0.3141 | 3,481 | 1268 | 0.7482 | |
| 116 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | 36300 | 38700 | 0.0596 | 1,217 | 1229 | 0.5405 | |
| 116 | State University of New York at Cortland | 36300 | 39900 | 0.0903 | 5,911 | 1175 | 0.5979 | |
| 119 | University of Central Florida | 36700 | 39600 | 0.0733 | 59,649 | 1280 | 0.4471 | |
| 120 | University of Michigan-Flint | 37100 | 39400 | 0.0584 | 5,011 | 1103 | 0.7047 | |
| 121 | Nazareth University | 37700 | 63300 | 0.4039 | 1,882 | 1205 | 0.7472 | |
| 122 | Mount Saint Mary's University | 37900 | 80700 | 0.5298 | 1,733 | 1015 | 0.7313 | |
| 123 | Xavier University | 38400 | 67500 | 0.4312 | 4,239 | 1218 | 0.8669 | |
| 124 | Oakwood University | 38600 | 43300 | 0.1087 | 1,279 | 1020 | 0.507 | |
| 125 | Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale | 38700 | 52100 | 0.2572 | 18,452 | 930 | 0.9697 | |
| 126 | Montreat College | 38800 | 55000 | 0.2948 | 759 | 1055 | 0.6555 | |
| 127 | Saint Joseph's College of Maine | 39000 | 63600 | 0.387 | 1,059 | 1055 | 0.8172 | |
| 128 | Fresno Pacific University | 40000 | 52200 | 0.2337 | 1,616 | 1075 | 0.5752 | |
| 129 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 40200 | 40200 | 0 | 11,365 | 1216 | 0.8816 | |
| 130 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 40500 | 40500 | 0 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 131 | Marymount Manhattan College | 40600 | 68600 | 0.4079 | 1,601 | 1224 | 0.8261 | |
| 131 | Saint Mary's College of California | 40600 | 78700 | 0.4843 | 1,955 | 1175 | 0.8856 | |
| 133 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41300 | 53900 | 0.2337 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 133 | Marquette University | 41300 | 75100 | 0.4502 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 135 | CUNY City College | 41500 | 41500 | 0 | 12,982 | 1169 | 0.5997 | |
| 135 | Howard Payne University | 41500 | 57700 | 0.2809 | 768 | 1025 | 0.6769 | |
| 137 | St. John's University-New York | 42100 | 80100 | 0.4742 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 138 | Quinnipiac University | 42200 | 79200 | 0.4671 | 6,248 | 1209 | 0.77 | |
| 138 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | 42200 | 42200 | 0 | 12,382 | 1242 | 0.8842 | |
| 140 | Saint Joseph's University | 42300 | 74500 | 0.4321 | 4,828 | 1234 | 0.8639 | |
| 141 | Susquehanna University | 42400 | 76800 | 0.4481 | 2,185 | 1204 | 0.7871 | |
| 141 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 42400 | 42400 | 0 | 14,019 | 1159 | 0.7781 | |
| 143 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 42500 | 52100 | 0.1843 | 46,815 | 1339 | 0.6057 | |
| 144 | Marist College | 42600 | 90500 | 0.5295 | 5,551 | 1279 | 0.5651 | |
| 144 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 42600 | 55100 | 0.227 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 144 | University at Buffalo | 42600 | 46800 | 0.0897 | 20,360 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 147 | Florida Institute of Technology | 43400 | 68600 | 0.3675 | 3,677 | 1224 | 0.577 | |
| 148 | Alvernia University | 44900 | 68700 | 0.3465 | 2,050 | 1060 | 0.6232 | |
| 149 | University of Iowa | 51000 | 53200 | 0.0415 | 22,738 | 1208 | 0.8362 | |
| 150 | University of New England | 51100 | 67700 | 0.2451 | 3,884 | 1145 | 0.9163 | |
| 151 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 51700 | 51700 | 0 | 33,572 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 152 | Oklahoma City University | 52000 | 52000 | 0 | 1,447 | 1190 | 0.7039 | |
| 153 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 52400 | 56100 | 0.0661 | 60,710 | 1278 | 0.5732 | |
| 154 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 155 | Auburn University | 55400 | 55400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 155 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 55400 | 60200 | 0.0797 | 275 | 1245 | 0.7515 | |
| 157 | University of California-Santa Cruz | 56200 | 66500 | 0.1549 | 17,940 | 1281 | 0.6557 | |
| 158 | Indiana University-Bloomington | 60800 | 63000 | 0.035 | 38,093 | 1302 | 0.7821 | |
| 159 | University of California-Davis | 63500 | 63500 | 0 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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