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 Military Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4,473 | 1326 | 0.1245 | |
| 1 | United States Naval Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4,465 | 1302 | 0.0936 | |
| 4 | Rice University | 4300 | 85500 | 0.9496 | 4,789 | 1535 | 0.08 | |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4900 | 86800 | 0.9433 | 4,576 | 1535 | 0.0485 | |
| 6 | Yale University | 5500 | 92300 | 0.9403 | 6,814 | 1507 | 0.0387 | |
| 7 | Harvard University | 5900 | 90900 | 0.9348 | 7,038 | 1535 | 0.0365 | |
| 8 | University of Chicago | 6400 | 87200 | 0.9266 | 7,519 | 1535 | 0.0448 | |
| 9 | Johns Hopkins University | 6700 | 88600 | 0.9243 | 6,356 | 1543 | 0.0644 | |
| 10 | Wellesley College | 7000 | 90900 | 0.9233 | 2,407 | 1500 | 0.1405 | |
| 11 | California Institute of Technology | 8000 | 90300 | 0.9112 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 11 | Princeton University | 8000 | 81800 | 0.902 | 5,813 | 1535 | 0.0462 | |
| 13 | Vanderbilt University | 8800 | 95000 | 0.9072 | 7,221 | 1527 | 0.0586 | |
| 14 | Washington University in St Louis | 9400 | 96200 | 0.9026 | 8,220 | 1513 | 0.1206 | |
| 15 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | 9600 | 30100 | 0.6803 | 1,217 | 1229 | 0.5405 | |
| 16 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 10200 | 94100 | 0.8919 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 16 | University of Notre Dame | 10200 | 86100 | 0.8815 | 8,880 | 1499 | 0.1127 | |
| 18 | Cornell University | 10400 | 92000 | 0.8866 | 16,128 | 1521 | 0.0841 | |
| 19 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 11300 | 34400 | 0.6706 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 20 | University of Pennsylvania | 11500 | 93000 | 0.8765 | 10,013 | 1528 | 0.054 | |
| 21 | Lafayette College | 12000 | 85800 | 0.8606 | 2,775 | 1427 | 0.3145 | |
| 22 | Northern Illinois University | 12400 | 29000 | 0.5718 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 12400 | 27200 | 0.5443 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 24 | Brigham Young University | 12500 | 29000 | 0.5686 | 32,221 | 1374 | 0.6919 | |
| 25 | Northwestern University | 12600 | 87700 | 0.8563 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 26 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 12700 | 37100 | 0.6572 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 27 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 13200 | 38500 | 0.657 | 17,901 | 1470 | 0.1681 | |
| 28 | University of Delaware | 13600 | 32500 | 0.5809 | 19,119 | 1303 | 0.6356 | |
| 29 | North Carolina A & T State University | 13700 | 17900 | 0.2353 | 12,216 | 1020 | 0.4617 | |
| 30 | Louisiana Tech University | 13800 | 24900 | 0.4451 | 11,071 | 1164 | 0.9073 | |
| 31 | West Virginia University Institute of Technology | 13900 | 29100 | 0.5231 | 1,448 | 1105 | 0.61 | |
| 32 | Bowdoin College | 14000 | 89900 | 0.8445 | 1,881 | 1505 | 0.0713 | |
| 32 | Texas Tech University | 14000 | 27000 | 0.4813 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 34 | Case Western Reserve University | 14200 | 80400 | 0.8229 | 6,528 | 1485 | 0.3778 | |
| 34 | Kansas State University | 14200 | 26100 | 0.4563 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8199 | |
| 34 | University of South Florida | 14200 | 17100 | 0.1695 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 37 | University of Houston | 14300 | 23600 | 0.3946 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 37 | University of Idaho | 14300 | 26400 | 0.458 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 39 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 39 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | 14400 | 25600 | 0.4367 | 9,982 | 1125 | 0.7702 | |
| 41 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | 14500 | 24900 | 0.417 | 5,474 | 1138 | 0.9198 | |
| 41 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | 14500 | 27700 | 0.4766 | 7,557 | 1140 | 0.9037 | |
| 43 | Stanford University | 14800 | 71300 | 0.792 | 7,904 | 1535 | 0.0361 | |
| 44 | University of California-Riverside | 14900 | 36500 | 0.5914 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 45 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 15200 | 35700 | 0.5744 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 46 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 15500 | 24800 | 0.3744 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 47 | Lamar University | 15700 | 22900 | 0.314 | 8,206 | 1045 | 0.857 | |
| 47 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 15700 | 25800 | 0.3909 | 5,187 | 1005 | 0.9229 | |
| 49 | New York University | 15800 | 91800 | 0.8277 | 29,060 | 1520 | 0.0923 | |
| 50 | The University of Texas at Tyler | 15900 | 24900 | 0.361 | 7,683 | 1120 | 0.9402 | |
| 51 | Northeastern University | 16100 | 89900 | 0.8213 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 52 | Lehigh University | 16200 | 85700 | 0.8114 | 5,911 | 1436 | 0.2593 | |
| 53 | Carnegie Mellon University | 16400 | 87300 | 0.8119 | 7,824 | 1528 | 0.1166 | |
| 54 | California State University Maritime Academy | 16600 | 53300 | 0.6889 | 761 | 1069 | 0.9873 | |
| 55 | Tufts University | 16900 | 92400 | 0.8175 | 7,126 | 1507 | 0.1153 | |
| 56 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 17000 | 33600 | 0.4937 | 21,210 | 1171 | 0.9232 | |
| 57 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 17300 | 26300 | 0.3426 | 19,701 | 1214 | 0.8749 | |
| 58 | Bucknell University | 17700 | 88400 | 0.7996 | 3,920 | 1284 | 0.2893 | |
| 59 | University of Rhode Island | 17900 | 34400 | 0.4794 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 60 | Centre College | 18100 | 70100 | 0.742 | 1,356 | 1330 | 0.5553 | |
| 61 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 18200 | 18200 | 0 | 34,242 | 1260 | 0.7333 | |
| 61 | Prairie View A & M University | 18200 | 25400 | 0.2835 | 8,056 | 955 | 0.7441 | |
| 61 | University of Arkansas | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3419 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.7431 | |
| 64 | McNeese State University | 18900 | 29200 | 0.3532 | 5,560 | 1110 | 0.6755 | |
| 65 | University of Southern California | 19200 | 76000 | 0.7473 | 21,023 | 1485 | 0.1002 | |
| 66 | Youngstown State University | 19300 | 29300 | 0.3409 | 8,436 | 1065 | 0.8066 | |
| 67 | University of Southern Mississippi | 19800 | 26300 | 0.2468 | 10,193 | 1181 | 0.9912 | |
| 68 | University of Mississippi | 19900 | 27000 | 0.2629 | 21,585 | 1182 | 0.9658 | |
| 69 | Iowa State University | 20100 | 24200 | 0.1701 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 70 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20200 | 38800 | 0.481 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 70 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 20200 | 43700 | 0.5382 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5499 | |
| 72 | The University of Texas at Austin | 20300 | 26900 | 0.2452 | 43,165 | 1335 | 0.2664 | |
| 73 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 20400 | 30300 | 0.3264 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 74 | Western Michigan University | 20500 | 31200 | 0.3426 | 13,860 | 1104 | 0.846 | |
| 75 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20600 | 38100 | 0.4588 | 11,365 | 1216 | 0.8816 | |
| 76 | West Virginia University | 20700 | 28800 | 0.2815 | 18,614 | 1125 | 0.778 | |
| 77 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27100 | 0.2289 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 78 | Milwaukee School of Engineering | 21000 | 69400 | 0.6978 | 2,705 | 1292 | 0.6239 | |
| 78 | Montana State University | 21000 | 27100 | 0.2248 | 15,053 | 1184 | 0.8214 | |
| 80 | Brown University | 21300 | 93900 | 0.7729 | 7,910 | 1535 | 0.0539 | |
| 81 | Cleveland State University | 21400 | 30900 | 0.3071 | 9,418 | 1005 | 0.913 | |
| 82 | University of Miami | 21500 | 70800 | 0.6967 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 83 | Florida State University | 22600 | 25000 | 0.0962 | 32,711 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 84 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 22800 | 26900 | 0.1515 | 2,170 | 1264 | 0.8525 | |
| 84 | University of Illinois Chicago | 22800 | 30300 | 0.2473 | 22,495 | 1247 | 0.7735 | |
| 86 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 23400 | 33600 | 0.3037 | 65,450 | 1203 | 0.8989 | |
| 87 | Syracuse University | 23600 | 83100 | 0.716 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 88 | Hendrix College | 23800 | 51900 | 0.5416 | 1,101 | 1319 | 0.5563 | |
| 88 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 23800 | 24500 | 0.0285 | 19,888 | 1209 | 0.8517 | |
| 90 | Illinois Institute of Technology | 23900 | 71600 | 0.6664 | 3,135 | 1299 | 0.5493 | |
| 90 | University of Kentucky | 23900 | 36000 | 0.3364 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 92 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 24100 | 37100 | 0.3508 | 23,920 | 1390 | 0.5973 | |
| 92 | University of Rochester | 24100 | 93100 | 0.7414 | 6,580 | 1469 | 0.4008 | |
| 94 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | 24400 | 24400 | 0 | 15,254 | 1270 | 0.6424 | |
| 95 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 24700 | 32200 | 0.2328 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 96 | University of Akron Main Campus | 25000 | 25000 | 0 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 97 | Tennessee Technological University | 25100 | 33700 | 0.2548 | 8,838 | 1159 | 0.8316 | |
| 97 | Tuskegee University | 25100 | 42100 | 0.4042 | 2,400 | 1030 | 0.3143 | |
| 99 | Dordt University | 25200 | 52300 | 0.518 | 1,695 | 1195 | 0.7116 | |
| 100 | University of Kansas | 25600 | 37600 | 0.3207 | 22,085 | 1176 | 0.9348 | |
| 101 | Michigan State University | 25800 | 28900 | 0.1089 | 41,234 | 1223 | 0.848 | |
| 102 | Christian Brothers University | 26000 | 57600 | 0.5488 | 1,155 | 1110 | 0.867 | |
| 103 | University of Arizona | 26500 | 35200 | 0.247 | 45,025 | 1212 | 0.8614 | |
| 104 | Trine University | 26600 | 56100 | 0.5258 | 4,157 | 1209 | 0.8469 | |
| 105 | Tulane University of Louisiana | 26900 | 83600 | 0.6785 | 7,283 | 1451 | 0.1398 | |
| 106 | University of Minnesota Duluth | 27100 | 30400 | 0.1092 | 8,426 | 1235 | 0.8876 | |
| 107 | Rowan University | 27500 | 40500 | 0.3209 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 107 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus | 27500 | 43800 | 0.3725 | 17,771 | 1044 | 0.7933 | |
| 109 | University of Tulsa | 27700 | 62700 | 0.5585 | 2,852 | 1328 | 0.615 | |
| 110 | University of Louisville | 27900 | 42200 | 0.3387 | 17,086 | 1148 | 0.7941 | |
| 111 | California State University-Long Beach | 28000 | 38400 | 0.2712 | 35,843 | 1135 | 0.4628 | |
| 111 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 28000 | 28000 | 0 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 111 | Villanova University | 28000 | 88800 | 0.6845 | 7,006 | 1457 | 0.2698 | |
| 114 | University of California-Santa Barbara | 28700 | 55800 | 0.4858 | 23,181 | 1354 | 0.3296 | |
| 115 | Clarkson University | 28900 | 78000 | 0.6296 | 2,296 | 1302 | 0.7736 | |
| 115 | Colorado School of Mines | 28900 | 38100 | 0.2418 | 5,852 | 1396 | 0.596 | |
| 115 | University of Utah | 28900 | 32000 | 0.0961 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 118 | Michigan Technological University | 29000 | 34700 | 0.1643 | 6,022 | 1256 | 0.8353 | |
| 119 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | 29900 | 31100 | 0.0385 | 20,592 | 1435 | 0.1407 | |
| 120 | Lincoln Memorial University | 30000 | 44900 | 0.3315 | 1,668 | 1085 | 0.626 | |
| 120 | University of North Dakota | 30000 | 32500 | 0.0791 | 11,033 | 1150 | 0.769 | |
| 120 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 123 | Mississippi College | 30300 | 45400 | 0.3324 | 2,724 | 1110 | 0.4928 | |
| 123 | San Jose State University | 30300 | 41000 | 0.2608 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 125 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30500 | 78100 | 0.6096 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 125 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 30500 | 41800 | 0.2705 | 31,127 | 1115 | 0.8679 | |
| 127 | University of Toledo | 30900 | 42000 | 0.2639 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 128 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 31000 | 36900 | 0.1604 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 129 | North Carolina State University | 31100 | 53000 | 0.4127 | 28,422 | 1335 | 0.4167 | |
| 130 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 31200 | 41100 | 0.2411 | 25,255 | 1134 | 0.737 | |
| 131 | Rider University | 31600 | 64300 | 0.5084 | 3,196 | 1214 | 0.794 | |
| 132 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 32100 | 39500 | 0.1875 | 6,306 | 1214 | 0.9075 | |
| 133 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 32200 | 39200 | 0.1788 | 12,498 | 1010 | 0.8896 | |
| 134 | Hampton University | 32300 | 47000 | 0.3128 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 135 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 32500 | 34700 | 0.0633 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 135 | Widener University | 32500 | 75300 | 0.5682 | 2,811 | 1155 | 0.8402 | |
| 137 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | 32600 | 38500 | 0.1533 | 7,890 | 1105 | 0.2056 | |
| 138 | University of Dayton | 32800 | 64100 | 0.4883 | 7,737 | 1284 | 0.6566 | |
| 139 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 33300 | 54600 | 0.3899 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 140 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 33600 | 46200 | 0.2729 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 141 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 34200 | 35100 | 0.0256 | 33,572 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 142 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | 34700 | 74600 | 0.5351 | 2,315 | 1382 | 0.7686 | |
| 143 | University of Nevada-Reno | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 18,895 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 144 | California Baptist University | 35200 | 65200 | 0.4601 | 8,417 | 1069 | 0.8535 | |
| 145 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 35700 | 43500 | 0.1794 | 13,179 | 1110 | 0.8883 | |
| 146 | University of Maine | 36100 | 45100 | 0.1996 | 591 | 1199 | 0.9684 | |
| 147 | Mississippi State University | 36400 | 50500 | 0.2789 | 18,567 | 1214 | 0.7764 | |
| 148 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 36900 | 38900 | 0.0533 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 149 | Benedictine College | 37700 | 50800 | 0.258 | 2,391 | 1229 | 0.7645 | |
| 150 | University of Connecticut | 37800 | 41800 | 0.0957 | 19,388 | 1324 | 0.5395 | |
| 151 | University of New Haven | 38300 | 64900 | 0.4096 | 4,903 | 1180 | 0.6038 | |
| 152 | Kettering University | 38400 | 66900 | 0.426 | 1,212 | 1204 | 0.7867 | |
| 153 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 38600 | 44600 | 0.1345 | 22,351 | 1159 | 0.7504 | |
| 153 | Washington State University | 38600 | 53900 | 0.2835 | 14,346 | 1139 | 0.8797 | |
| 155 | University of Wyoming | 38800 | 43800 | 0.1158 | 8,130 | 1159 | 0.9688 | |
| 156 | University of Alabama in Huntsville | 39000 | 39000 | 0 | 6,800 | 1245 | 0.6857 | |
| 157 | Wayne State University | 39300 | 45500 | 0.1362 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 158 | Stony Brook University | 39900 | 53000 | 0.2467 | 18,263 | 1395 | 0.4904 | |
| 159 | University of California-San Diego | 40300 | 61100 | 0.3405 | 34,955 | 1375 | 0.2677 | |
| 159 | University of Georgia | 40300 | 46000 | 0.1242 | 31,514 | 1336 | 0.3719 | |
| 159 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 40300 | 56700 | 0.2893 | 40,754 | 1391 | 0.3915 | |
| 162 | University of California-Los Angeles | 40400 | 68600 | 0.4116 | 33,471 | 1399 | 0.0897 | |
| 163 | Manhattan University | 41200 | 71700 | 0.4252 | 2,928 | 1248 | 0.785 | |
| 164 | CUNY City College | 41500 | 41500 | 0 | 12,982 | 1169 | 0.5997 | |
| 165 | Susquehanna University | 42400 | 76800 | 0.4481 | 2,185 | 1204 | 0.7871 | |
| 166 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 42500 | 52100 | 0.1843 | 46,815 | 1339 | 0.6057 | |
| 166 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42500 | 54900 | 0.2261 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 168 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 42600 | 55100 | 0.227 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 168 | University at Buffalo | 42600 | 46800 | 0.0897 | 20,360 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 170 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 43200 | 46200 | 0.0665 | 44,170 | 1327 | 0.4979 | |
| 171 | Florida Institute of Technology | 43500 | 68600 | 0.3656 | 3,677 | 1224 | 0.577 | |
| 171 | University of Florida | 43500 | 45600 | 0.046 | 36,567 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 173 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2742 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 174 | Maine Maritime Academy | 47300 | 49800 | 0.0502 | 945 | 1180 | 0.5606 | |
| 175 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 48400 | 85700 | 0.435 | 5,743 | 1438 | 0.6343 | |
| 176 | The University of Alabama | 48800 | 48800 | 0 | 34,389 | 1233 | 0.7665 | |
| 177 | Stevens Institute of Technology | 49100 | 85800 | 0.4277 | 4,236 | 1445 | 0.4758 | |
| 178 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 50500 | 81000 | 0.3763 | 5,558 | 1292 | 0.6016 | |
| 179 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 51000 | 84200 | 0.3944 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 180 | University of Iowa | 51100 | 53200 | 0.039 | 22,738 | 1208 | 0.8362 | |
| 181 | Drexel University | 51200 | 82600 | 0.38 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 182 | University of Colorado Boulder | 51500 | 56300 | 0.0852 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 183 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 52400 | 56100 | 0.0655 | 60,710 | 1278 | 0.5732 | |
| 184 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 53400 | 61000 | 0.1257 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 185 | Howard University | 53500 | 61600 | 0.1315 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 186 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 54100 | 59200 | 0.0857 | 24,457 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 187 | University of California-Irvine | 55000 | 64800 | 0.1512 | 30,204 | 1333 | 0.2878 | |
| 188 | Auburn University | 55400 | 55400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 189 | Miami University-Oxford | 56100 | 56100 | 0 | 16,816 | 1299 | 0.754 | |
| 190 | Hawaii Pacific University | 58800 | 60900 | 0.0341 | 3,533 | 1120 | 0.8587 | |
| 191 | Clemson University | 61600 | 63700 | 0.0326 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 192 | University of California-Davis | 63500 | 63500 | 0 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 193 | University of California-Berkeley | 74600 | 75500 | 0.0119 | 33,469 | 1407 | 0.1104 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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