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 | Brigham Young University | 8000 | 22000 | 0.6362 | 32,952 | 1374 | 0.6778 | |
| 2 | Rice University | 9800 | 89100 | 0.8903 | 4,789 | 1535 | 0.08 | |
| 3 | University of California-Davis | 10200 | 38100 | 0.7328 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 4 | Eastern Washington University | 11500 | 31200 | 0.6315 | 6,952 | 995 | 0.9075 | |
| 5 | Felician University | 11800 | 58700 | 0.7991 | 1,870 | 1020 | 0.9401 | |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 7 | University of Idaho | 14100 | 25800 | 0.4543 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 8 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 9 | Northern Kentucky University | 14600 | 25900 | 0.4369 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 10 | University of California-Irvine | 15100 | 38000 | 0.603 | 30,204 | 1333 | 0.2857 | |
| 11 | Florida State University | 15600 | 22900 | 0.3184 | 32,720 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15600 | 31000 | 0.4964 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 13 | Kansas State University | 15800 | 26100 | 0.3962 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8169 | |
| 14 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 16000 | 22300 | 0.2822 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 15 | Eastern Michigan University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5456 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 16 | West Virginia University | 16500 | 40900 | 0.5963 | 18,206 | 1125 | 0.89 | |
| 17 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17100 | 27800 | 0.3854 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 18 | University of Lynchburg | 17600 | 54900 | 0.6796 | 1,595 | 1104 | 0.4301 | |
| 19 | University of Miami | 17700 | 95700 | 0.8149 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 20 | College of Charleston | 18000 | 33900 | 0.4696 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 20 | Northern State University | 18000 | 27200 | 0.3383 | 3,169 | 1075 | 0.93 | |
| 22 | North Carolina Central University | 18400 | 27600 | 0.3331 | 6,595 | 1060 | 0.8696 | |
| 23 | The University of Montana | 18900 | 25200 | 0.2497 | 7,891 | 1225 | 0.9586 | |
| 24 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 19400 | 36900 | 0.4748 | 24,449 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 25 | Illinois College | 19700 | 55200 | 0.6438 | 937 | 1059 | 0.7819 | |
| 26 | Alma College | 19900 | 64800 | 0.6931 | 1,159 | 1135 | 0.5703 | |
| 26 | Bethany Lutheran College | 19900 | 46400 | 0.5711 | 856 | 1160 | 0.3897 | |
| 28 | Cleveland State University | 20000 | 30900 | 0.3523 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 28 | The College of Idaho | 20000 | 59900 | 0.6661 | 1,041 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 30 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20400 | 23200 | 0.1207 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 31 | Hiram College | 20600 | 48700 | 0.5764 | 1,026 | 1030 | 0.9353 | |
| 32 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.326 | 44,819 | 1327 | 0.4987 | |
| 33 | Midwestern State University | 21100 | 28600 | 0.2618 | 4,303 | 1010 | 0.9352 | |
| 34 | Marian University | 21800 | 59800 | 0.635 | 2,378 | 1085 | 0.9546 | |
| 35 | Murray State University | 22800 | 27600 | 0.1734 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 36 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 23000 | 48800 | 0.5288 | 1,650 | 1055 | 0.7039 | |
| 37 | Concordia University-Chicago | 23100 | 54900 | 0.5787 | 1,368 | 1100 | 0.9279 | |
| 37 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 23100 | 60400 | 0.6179 | 1,810 | 1110 | 0.9296 | |
| 39 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 23600 | 24900 | 0.0522 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 39 | Washington State University | 23600 | 38700 | 0.3897 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 41 | Skidmore College | 23700 | 89100 | 0.7337 | 2,704 | 1418 | 0.2105 | |
| 42 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 24100 | 39300 | 0.3873 | 23,920 | 1397 | 0.5973 | |
| 43 | Boise State University | 24600 | 31200 | 0.2116 | 23,983 | 1135 | 0.8721 | |
| 44 | Augustana College | 24700 | 72800 | 0.6601 | 2,522 | 1163 | 0.6268 | |
| 45 | Drury University | 25200 | 52900 | 0.5235 | 1,391 | 1228 | 0.5758 | |
| 46 | Ave Maria University | 25500 | 46600 | 0.453 | 1,301 | 1164 | 0.4139 | |
| 47 | Seattle Pacific University | 25800 | 70000 | 0.6314 | 1,776 | 1180 | 0.834 | |
| 48 | Northwest University | 25900 | 52300 | 0.5044 | 675 | 1184 | 0.832 | |
| 49 | Briar Cliff University | 26000 | 74200 | 0.6494 | 766 | 1050 | 0.5834 | |
| 50 | University of Arkansas | 26600 | 28900 | 0.079 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.743 | |
| 51 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.5999 | 1,391 | 1164 | 0.9152 | |
| 52 | Florida Southern College | 27700 | 63200 | 0.5614 | 2,682 | 1264 | 0.6442 | |
| 53 | Winston-Salem State University | 27800 | 34300 | 0.1895 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 54 | Wichita State University | 27900 | 39800 | 0.3007 | 13,313 | 1073 | 0.9395 | |
| 55 | Chestnut Hill College | 28100 | 60100 | 0.5323 | 868 | 995 | 0.7446 | |
| 56 | Creighton University | 29200 | 68000 | 0.5709 | 4,377 | 1328 | 0.7975 | |
| 57 | University of Toledo | 29700 | 42000 | 0.2926 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 58 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 29800 | 39700 | 0.2495 | 4,487 | 1115 | 0.6726 | |
| 59 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30400 | 54700 | 0.4443 | 1,427 | 1025 | 0.4941 | |
| 60 | Central College | 30500 | 36800 | 0.1713 | 1,084 | 1145 | 0.8617 | |
| 61 | Life University | 31100 | 45500 | 0.3164 | 899 | 1020 | 0.9303 | |
| 61 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4738 | 2,503 | 1229 | 0.7353 | |
| 63 | Ithaca College | 32000 | 72500 | 0.5585 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 64 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 32100 | 36700 | 0.1249 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 65 | Gettysburg College | 32200 | 86500 | 0.6276 | 2,104 | 1369 | 0.389 | |
| 66 | Marquette University | 32300 | 66500 | 0.5142 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 67 | The University of Tampa | 32700 | 56900 | 0.425 | 10,598 | 1185 | 0.4034 | |
| 68 | Ursinus College | 33200 | 83700 | 0.6037 | 1,502 | 1303 | 0.9177 | |
| 69 | California Baptist University | 33400 | 65600 | 0.4908 | 8,417 | 1070 | 0.8488 | |
| 70 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,677 | 1430 | 0.4709 | |
| 70 | Gordon College | 33700 | 51300 | 0.3431 | 1,314 | 1256 | 0.6923 | |
| 72 | Gardner-Webb University | 34100 | 50400 | 0.3235 | 1,861 | 1110 | 0.7721 | |
| 73 | Barry University | 34400 | 56400 | 0.3899 | 3,232 | 1005 | 0.7724 | |
| 73 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 34400 | 41600 | 0.1731 | 9,302 | 1125 | 0.9735 | |
| 75 | Sacred Heart University | 34600 | 67500 | 0.4877 | 7,204 | 950 | 0.6536 | |
| 76 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,123 | 1189 | 0.8943 | |
| 77 | Averett University | 35400 | 57200 | 0.3813 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 77 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.5769 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 79 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35600 | 66100 | 0.4616 | 2,862 | 1203 | 0.757 | |
| 79 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 81 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 36000 | 48500 | 0.2573 | 2,075 | 1090 | 0.8894 | |
| 82 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1160 | 0.8921 | |
| 83 | Vermont State University | 37400 | 38700 | 0.0336 | 4,108 | 960 | 0.8167 | |
| 84 | University of Nevada-Reno | 38000 | 45800 | 0.1704 | 19,117 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 85 | Queens University of Charlotte | 38100 | 68200 | 0.4411 | 1,225 | 1208 | 0.6208 | |
| 86 | Saint Francis University | 38500 | 63100 | 0.3899 | 2,567 | 1150 | 0.7682 | |
| 87 | University of South Alabama | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 88 | Fresno Pacific University | 39900 | 52200 | 0.2352 | 1,545 | 1099 | 0.6407 | |
| 89 | Appalachian State University | 40600 | 40600 | 0 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 90 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 57000 | 0.2773 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.782 | |
| 91 | Montreat College | 41800 | 58100 | 0.2803 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 92 | Seattle University | 42000 | 74600 | 0.4368 | 4,078 | 1305 | 0.7692 | |
| 93 | Shenandoah University | 43100 | 56600 | 0.2385 | 2,641 | 1124 | 0.7695 | |
| 93 | University of Florida | 43100 | 45700 | 0.057 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 95 | University at Buffalo | 43900 | 46700 | 0.06 | 20,359 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 96 | Ashland University | 44900 | 56400 | 0.204 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 97 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0425 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 98 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4592 | |
| 99 | Mercyhurst University | 60900 | 68000 | 0.1044 | 2,274 | 1090 | 0.8102 | |
| 100 | Gonzaga University | 70700 | 76600 | 0.077 | 5,281 | 1329 | 0.8169 |
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.