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 | Washington University in St Louis | 7600 | 102300 | 0.9256 | 8,153 | 1512 | 0.1192 | |
| 2 | Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus | 8400 | 20400 | 0.5896 | 4,250 | 970 | 0.9166 | |
| 3 | University of Central Florida | 10100 | 31700 | 0.6821 | 60,083 | 1289 | 0.428 | |
| 4 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 10200 | 41500 | 0.7543 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 5 | Western Kentucky University | 10300 | 27500 | 0.6258 | 13,732 | 1090 | 0.9145 | |
| 6 | Southern Utah University | 10500 | 51400 | 0.7957 | 13,176 | 1140 | 0.9998 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 11100 | 28100 | 0.6048 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 8 | University of Illinois Chicago | 12200 | 30200 | 0.5969 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 9 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | 12300 | 24900 | 0.5052 | 5,677 | 985 | 0.9301 | |
| 10 | Fitchburg State University | 12400 | 33800 | 0.6327 | 3,000 | 1090 | 0.8885 | |
| 10 | Wayne State University | 12400 | 32900 | 0.6228 | 16,390 | 1183 | 0.8359 | |
| 12 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 12900 | 26500 | 0.5126 | 13,039 | 1020 | 0.894 | |
| 13 | Northern Illinois University | 13300 | 32100 | 0.5856 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 14 | Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development | 13900 | 28600 | 0.5131 | 877 | 895 | 0.9747 | |
| 15 | Bridgewater State University | 14000 | 28800 | 0.5152 | 8,849 | 1143 | 0.8798 | |
| 15 | Clayton State University | 14000 | 21700 | 0.3543 | 5,551 | 965 | 0.6845 | |
| 17 | Goshen College | 14500 | 56000 | 0.7414 | 738 | 995 | 0.8342 | |
| 18 | University of California-Riverside | 14700 | 66000 | 0.7777 | 24,034 | 1199 | 0.8609 | |
| 19 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 15200 | 26000 | 0.4149 | 21,138 | 1134 | 0.9039 | |
| 19 | Northern Michigan University | 15200 | 33100 | 0.5408 | 6,650 | 1100 | 0.8505 | |
| 19 | University of Mississippi | 15200 | 27000 | 0.4369 | 22,939 | 1172 | 0.9738 | |
| 22 | University of West Georgia | 15400 | 24600 | 0.3744 | 10,075 | 1035 | 0.7995 | |
| 23 | Jacksonville State University | 15600 | 27000 | 0.423 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 24 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts | 15800 | 63100 | 0.7491 | 946 | 1241 | 0.2997 | |
| 24 | University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne | 15800 | 79400 | 0.8005 | 1,567 | 980 | 0.9597 | |
| 26 | New Mexico Highlands University | 15900 | 37900 | 0.5798 | 1,603 | 945 | 1 | |
| 27 | Oakland University | 16000 | 28200 | 0.4329 | 12,770 | 1039 | 0.8897 | |
| 28 | Keene State College | 16300 | 51400 | 0.6835 | 2,640 | 1064 | 0.8982 | |
| 29 | Maharishi International University | 16800 | 33300 | 0.4953 | 925 | 1089 | 0.957 | |
| 30 | University of South Alabama | 17000 | 22400 | 0.2415 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 31 | Montclair State University | 17100 | 36000 | 0.5256 | 19,048 | 1005 | 0.894 | |
| 31 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17100 | 27800 | 0.3854 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 31 | Weber State University | 17100 | 20300 | 0.1579 | 31,672 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 34 | Middle Tennessee State University | 17200 | 29000 | 0.4071 | 18,042 | 1140 | 0.6909 | |
| 35 | University of Miami | 17400 | 96300 | 0.8194 | 13,241 | 1408 | 0.1761 | |
| 36 | California State University-Sacramento | 17900 | 27700 | 0.3544 | 28,619 | 1015 | 0.9357 | |
| 36 | York College of Pennsylvania | 17900 | 45800 | 0.6097 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 38 | Husson University | 19100 | 48100 | 0.6023 | 2,865 | 1174 | 0.8143 | |
| 38 | The University of Montana | 19100 | 27400 | 0.3031 | 8,014 | 1184 | 0.9586 | |
| 40 | Lindenwood University | 19300 | 36000 | 0.4645 | 4,422 | 1193 | 0.5996 | |
| 41 | Piedmont University | 19800 | 47400 | 0.5826 | 1,154 | 1080 | 0.9054 | |
| 41 | State University of New York at Oswego | 19800 | 40200 | 0.5076 | 5,293 | 1179 | 0.7989 | |
| 43 | University of Rhode Island | 20000 | 47400 | 0.5782 | 14,466 | 1197 | 0.7456 | |
| 43 | University of Southern California | 20000 | 76400 | 0.7387 | 20,768 | 1499 | 0.1119 | |
| 45 | Southern Oregon University | 20300 | 73600 | 0.7244 | 4,235 | 1104 | 0.8862 | |
| 46 | State University of New York at Cortland | 20500 | 27700 | 0.2597 | 5,890 | 1175 | 0.624 | |
| 47 | Syracuse University | 20600 | 83600 | 0.7536 | 16,149 | 1374 | 0.4879 | |
| 48 | La Sierra University | 20800 | 51200 | 0.5943 | 1,266 | 1124 | 0.9069 | |
| 49 | Fashion Institute of Technology | 21500 | 77500 | 0.7223 | 7,880 | 0 | 0.6701 | |
| 49 | Nelson University | 21500 | 64000 | 0.664 | 1,526 | 990 | 0.8902 | |
| 49 | University of Mobile | 21500 | 46000 | 0.5327 | 1,313 | 1209 | 0.7789 | |
| 52 | Grand Canyon University | 21700 | 34000 | 0.3613 | 75,936 | 1075 | 0.7891 | |
| 53 | Missouri Western State University | 21800 | 28800 | 0.2429 | 3,550 | 1015 | 0.9981 | |
| 54 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32100 | 0.302 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 54 | Oklahoma City University | 22400 | 74100 | 0.6979 | 1,546 | 1159 | 0.7103 | |
| 54 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 22400 | 42500 | 0.4729 | 14,249 | 1084 | 0.7761 | |
| 57 | Columbia College Chicago | 22500 | 63200 | 0.6443 | 4,346 | 0 | 0.738 | |
| 57 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 22500 | 22500 | 0 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 57 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 22500 | 53400 | 0.5791 | 21,469 | 1167 | 0.9061 | |
| 60 | Augsburg University | 23100 | 56200 | 0.5893 | 2,706 | 1065 | 0.95 | |
| 60 | Millikin University | 23100 | 43700 | 0.4709 | 1,427 | 1065 | 0.765 | |
| 62 | SUNY at Purchase College | 23200 | 42400 | 0.4525 | 3,283 | 1294 | 0.7405 | |
| 63 | Bob Jones University | 23300 | 41500 | 0.4384 | 2,312 | 1149 | 1 | |
| 63 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | 23300 | 89100 | 0.7384 | 2,012 | 1174 | 0.9631 | |
| 63 | Point Park University | 23300 | 54300 | 0.5707 | 2,498 | 1144 | 0.984 | |
| 66 | Oral Roberts University | 24200 | 52700 | 0.5407 | 5,017 | 1139 | 0.989 | |
| 67 | Montana State University | 24400 | 24400 | 0 | 15,142 | 1184 | 0.9938 | |
| 68 | Temple University | 24800 | 36100 | 0.3132 | 21,031 | 1172 | 0.8622 | |
| 69 | Messiah University | 25000 | 54700 | 0.543 | 2,722 | 1266 | 0.8107 | |
| 70 | Webster University | 25500 | 66600 | 0.6173 | 1,898 | 1120 | 0.8618 | |
| 71 | Walla Walla University | 25600 | 51700 | 0.5047 | 1,314 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 72 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26000 | 28300 | 0.0808 | 3,375 | 1090 | 0.5885 | |
| 73 | George Fox University | 26400 | 92800 | 0.7157 | 3,530 | 1168 | 0.9282 | |
| 73 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26400 | 40600 | 0.3497 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 75 | University of Central Arkansas | 27000 | 31200 | 0.1372 | 8,238 | 1110 | 0.9157 | |
| 76 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design | 27400 | 69300 | 0.6046 | 720 | 1211 | 0.4848 | |
| 77 | Columbus College of Art & Design | 27700 | 90300 | 0.6931 | 885 | 1080 | 0.6766 | |
| 78 | Kansas City Art Institute | 27800 | 97200 | 0.714 | 813 | 1056 | 0.5476 | |
| 79 | John Brown University | 28000 | 48300 | 0.4197 | 2,091 | 1187 | 0.6802 | |
| 79 | Marquette University | 28000 | 63800 | 0.5612 | 8,206 | 1304 | 0.7802 | |
| 81 | St Bonaventure University | 28100 | 64100 | 0.5617 | 2,134 | 1165 | 0.8533 | |
| 82 | New York University | 29000 | 92100 | 0.6851 | 29,471 | 1520 | 0.0906 | |
| 83 | Cornerstone University | 29100 | 40800 | 0.2865 | 1,354 | 1110 | 0.7777 | |
| 84 | Huntington University | 29300 | 44400 | 0.3398 | 1,512 | 1065 | 0.7518 | |
| 85 | Long Island University | 29400 | 60500 | 0.5143 | 12,072 | 1229 | 0.8616 | |
| 85 | William Penn University | 29400 | 48000 | 0.3869 | 1,366 | 1035 | 0.7311 | |
| 87 | California Lutheran University | 29600 | 71700 | 0.5874 | 2,160 | 1218 | 0.7631 | |
| 87 | Southern Methodist University | 29600 | 96900 | 0.6943 | 7,545 | 1427 | 0.4764 | |
| 89 | Southern Adventist University | 29700 | 46900 | 0.3666 | 2,946 | 1142 | 0.7163 | |
| 90 | Ithaca College | 30300 | 72600 | 0.5823 | 4,205 | 1328 | 0.7015 | |
| 91 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30400 | 78300 | 0.6118 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 92 | Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale | 30700 | 101400 | 0.6971 | 18,904 | 0 | 0.8516 | |
| 93 | Southeastern University | 30900 | 79400 | 0.611 | 11,981 | 1110 | 0.4247 | |
| 94 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4739 | 2,769 | 1229 | 0.9881 | |
| 95 | DeSales University | 31500 | 100800 | 0.6874 | 2,172 | 1185 | 0.7709 | |
| 96 | Cleveland State University | 31700 | 32100 | 0.0125 | 9,418 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 96 | University of Missouri-Kansas City | 31700 | 39200 | 0.1898 | 10,594 | 1193 | 0.6493 | |
| 98 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 32000 | 54400 | 0.4117 | 35,248 | 1289 | 0.6939 | |
| 99 | Azusa Pacific University | 32200 | 66600 | 0.5162 | 2,759 | 1189 | 0.8842 | |
| 100 | Liberty University | 32500 | 44700 | 0.2729 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 100 | Rider University | 32500 | 60200 | 0.4601 | 3,052 | 1214 | 0.7741 | |
| 102 | Belmont University | 32900 | 71400 | 0.5385 | 7,174 | 1273 | 0.9367 | |
| 103 | Baylor University | 33500 | 70400 | 0.5244 | 14,183 | 1302 | 0.5222 | |
| 103 | Harding University | 33500 | 47800 | 0.2988 | 3,536 | 1184 | 0.7052 | |
| 105 | College for Creative Studies | 33800 | 108300 | 0.6876 | 1,376 | 1100 | 0.9194 | |
| 105 | Pace University | 33800 | 75700 | 0.5538 | 5,520 | 1273 | 0.7827 | |
| 107 | DePaul University | 34100 | 69400 | 0.5083 | 14,338 | 1258 | 0.878 | |
| 107 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | 34100 | 34100 | 0 | 16,131 | 1275 | 0.6472 | |
| 109 | Lee University | 34200 | 39100 | 0.1253 | 3,425 | 1154 | 0.7138 | |
| 110 | Stevenson University | 35300 | 59900 | 0.4105 | 3,154 | 1100 | 0.8006 | |
| 111 | Anderson University | 35700 | 46900 | 0.2404 | 1,096 | 1035 | 0.7934 | |
| 112 | Loyola University New Orleans | 37000 | 74600 | 0.5039 | 2,871 | 1150 | 0.9058 | |
| 113 | Xavier University | 37600 | 68100 | 0.4481 | 3,744 | 1286 | 0.848 | |
| 114 | Crown College | 38600 | 53200 | 0.2733 | 1,523 | 1060 | 0.2278 | |
| 115 | Pacific University | 38800 | 74900 | 0.4817 | 1,465 | 1019 | 0.8986 | |
| 116 | Drexel University | 39700 | 86400 | 0.5408 | 12,318 | 1354 | 0.699 | |
| 117 | Saint Mary's College of California | 40600 | 83400 | 0.5135 | 1,955 | 1175 | 0.8856 | |
| 118 | Pacific Union College | 41600 | 55700 | 0.2529 | 968 | 1070 | 0.473 | |
| 119 | Biola University | 41800 | 71100 | 0.4121 | 3,553 | 1281 | 0.7817 | |
| 120 | Mount Saint Mary's University | 42900 | 80700 | 0.4683 | 1,733 | 1015 | 0.7313 | |
| 121 | California Institute of the Arts | 43600 | 119100 | 0.634 | 870 | 0 | 0.3234 | |
| 122 | George Mason University | 43700 | 61400 | 0.2884 | 28,862 | 1271 | 0.8647 | |
| 123 | High Point University | 45300 | 72900 | 0.3785 | 5,135 | 1263 | 0.7531 | |
| 124 | The University of Tampa | 45600 | 58500 | 0.2204 | 10,710 | 1250 | 0.4363 | |
| 125 | Wagner College | 46900 | 73400 | 0.3611 | 1,666 | 1240 | 0.88 | |
| 126 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 47400 | 61500 | 0.229 | 37,985 | 1390 | 0.5815 | |
| 127 | Lipscomb University | 48800 | 69900 | 0.3025 | 3,327 | 1214 | 0.6774 | |
| 128 | Marymount Manhattan College | 49200 | 74900 | 0.3432 | 1,601 | 1224 | 0.8261 | |
| 129 | Quinnipiac University | 49300 | 79700 | 0.3816 | 6,610 | 1250 | 0.7031 | |
| 130 | Moore College of Art and Design | 49800 | 114300 | 0.5643 | 535 | 1292 | 0.5646 | |
| 131 | Chapman University | 50200 | 94000 | 0.4662 | 7,630 | 1336 | 0.7206 | |
| 132 | Binghamton University | 50500 | 52800 | 0.0433 | 14,559 | 1404 | 0.3731 | |
| 133 | Lynn University | 51800 | 71600 | 0.2765 | 3,020 | 1135 | 0.7425 | |
| 134 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 51900 | 67500 | 0.2312 | 15,552 | 1174 | 0.8298 | |
| 135 | Ringling College of Art and Design | 52600 | 121500 | 0.5669 | 1,535 | 0 | 0.6794 | |
| 136 | Massachusetts College of Art and Design | 55400 | 69100 | 0.1984 | 1,825 | 1085 | 0.8311 | |
| 137 | Emerson College | 58200 | 82600 | 0.2953 | 3,908 | 1359 | 0.5131 | |
| 138 | Maryland Institute College of Art | 58400 | 71200 | 0.1797 | 1,192 | 1232 | 0.7681 | |
| 139 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 58700 | 62100 | 0.0548 | 8,513 | 1160 | 0.9261 | |
| 140 | Hofstra University | 59100 | 83300 | 0.2906 | 6,599 | 1369 | 0.7267 | |
| 141 | Rutgers University-Newark | 60500 | 60500 | 0 | 7,989 | 1159 | 0.7136 | |
| 142 | Indiana University-Bloomington | 60700 | 63000 | 0.0363 | 38,463 | 1324 | 0.7589 | |
| 143 | California College of the Arts | 61200 | 87600 | 0.3013 | 1,004 | 1079 | 0.911 | |
| 144 | Loyola Marymount University | 63800 | 100200 | 0.3633 | 7,187 | 1347 | 0.4821 | |
| 145 | Pratt Institute-Main | 70400 | 91800 | 0.2331 | 3,734 | 1249 | 0.8638 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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