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 | Eastern Washington University | 11500 | 31200 | 0.6315 | 6,952 | 995 | 0.9075 | |
| 4 | Felician University | 11800 | 58700 | 0.7991 | 1,870 | 1020 | 0.9401 | |
| 5 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 7 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 8 | Northern Kentucky University | 14600 | 25900 | 0.4369 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 9 | University of California-Irvine | 15300 | 38000 | 0.5977 | 30,204 | 1333 | 0.2857 | |
| 10 | Florida State University | 15600 | 22900 | 0.3184 | 32,720 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 11 | Appalachian State University | 15800 | 19500 | 0.1899 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 11 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 15800 | 26800 | 0.4108 | 4,487 | 1115 | 0.6726 | |
| 13 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 16100 | 25400 | 0.3667 | 9,302 | 1125 | 0.9735 | |
| 14 | Eastern Michigan University | 16500 | 36100 | 0.5436 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 15 | West Virginia University | 17000 | 40900 | 0.5841 | 18,206 | 1125 | 0.89 | |
| 16 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17100 | 27800 | 0.3854 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 17 | University of Lynchburg | 17500 | 54900 | 0.6801 | 1,595 | 1104 | 0.4301 | |
| 18 | University of Miami | 17700 | 95700 | 0.8149 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 19 | College of Charleston | 18000 | 33900 | 0.4696 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 19 | Northern State University | 18000 | 27200 | 0.3383 | 3,169 | 1075 | 0.93 | |
| 21 | Illinois College | 19800 | 55200 | 0.6415 | 937 | 1059 | 0.7819 | |
| 22 | The College of Idaho | 20000 | 59900 | 0.6661 | 1,041 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 23 | Bethany Lutheran College | 20100 | 46400 | 0.5675 | 856 | 1160 | 0.3897 | |
| 24 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20600 | 23200 | 0.1121 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 25 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.3258 | 44,819 | 1327 | 0.4987 | |
| 26 | Midwestern State University | 21100 | 28600 | 0.2618 | 4,303 | 1010 | 0.9352 | |
| 27 | Marian University | 21900 | 59800 | 0.6333 | 2,378 | 1085 | 0.9546 | |
| 28 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 23000 | 48800 | 0.5288 | 1,650 | 1055 | 0.7039 | |
| 28 | Murray State University | 23000 | 27600 | 0.1671 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 28 | Southern Connecticut State University | 23000 | 36800 | 0.3747 | 7,252 | 1005 | 0.9147 | |
| 31 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 23300 | 60400 | 0.6146 | 1,810 | 1110 | 0.9296 | |
| 32 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 23400 | 34500 | 0.3221 | 65,450 | 1203 | 0.8989 | |
| 33 | Fitchburg State University | 24100 | 33700 | 0.2849 | 3,027 | 1145 | 0.8693 | |
| 34 | Skidmore College | 24600 | 89100 | 0.7236 | 2,704 | 1418 | 0.2105 | |
| 35 | Augustana College | 24900 | 72800 | 0.6584 | 2,522 | 1163 | 0.6268 | |
| 36 | Drury University | 25300 | 52900 | 0.5216 | 1,391 | 1228 | 0.5758 | |
| 37 | Ave Maria University | 25500 | 46600 | 0.453 | 1,301 | 1164 | 0.4139 | |
| 38 | Seattle Pacific University | 25800 | 70000 | 0.6314 | 1,776 | 1180 | 0.834 | |
| 39 | Northwest University | 25900 | 52300 | 0.5044 | 675 | 1184 | 0.832 | |
| 40 | Briar Cliff University | 26000 | 74200 | 0.6494 | 766 | 1050 | 0.5834 | |
| 41 | Hiram College | 26700 | 48700 | 0.4516 | 1,026 | 1030 | 0.9353 | |
| 42 | University of Arkansas | 26800 | 28900 | 0.0729 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.743 | |
| 43 | Troy University | 26900 | 34700 | 0.2248 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 44 | Kansas State University | 27000 | 31400 | 0.1405 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8169 | |
| 44 | University of Idaho | 27000 | 45200 | 0.4023 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 46 | Kennesaw State University | 27400 | 27400 | 0 | 42,760 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 47 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.6 | 1,391 | 1164 | 0.9152 | |
| 48 | Winston-Salem State University | 27800 | 34300 | 0.1895 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 49 | Florida Southern College | 27900 | 63200 | 0.5586 | 2,682 | 1264 | 0.6442 | |
| 50 | Wichita State University | 28000 | 39800 | 0.2963 | 13,313 | 1073 | 0.9395 | |
| 51 | Chestnut Hill College | 28100 | 60100 | 0.5323 | 868 | 995 | 0.7446 | |
| 52 | Augustana University | 28200 | 61200 | 0.5391 | 2,003 | 1189 | 0.6775 | |
| 53 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 28800 | 36700 | 0.2151 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9419 | |
| 54 | University of Utah | 28900 | 32000 | 0.097 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 55 | Southern Methodist University | 29100 | 90100 | 0.677 | 7,285 | 1423 | 0.6335 | |
| 56 | Creighton University | 29200 | 68000 | 0.5709 | 4,377 | 1328 | 0.7975 | |
| 57 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 34000 | 0.1383 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 58 | University of Toledo | 29900 | 42000 | 0.2884 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 59 | North Carolina Central University | 30300 | 40000 | 0.2424 | 6,595 | 1060 | 0.8696 | |
| 60 | Central College | 30700 | 36800 | 0.1659 | 1,084 | 1145 | 0.8617 | |
| 61 | Life University | 31100 | 45500 | 0.3164 | 899 | 1020 | 0.9303 | |
| 61 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4725 | 2,503 | 1229 | 0.7353 | |
| 63 | Ithaca College | 32100 | 72500 | 0.5571 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 64 | Marquette University | 32300 | 66500 | 0.5142 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 65 | Gettysburg College | 32400 | 86500 | 0.6256 | 2,104 | 1369 | 0.389 | |
| 66 | The University of Tampa | 32700 | 56900 | 0.425 | 10,598 | 1185 | 0.4034 | |
| 67 | Ursinus College | 33300 | 83700 | 0.6024 | 1,502 | 1303 | 0.9177 | |
| 68 | Cleveland State University | 33500 | 37300 | 0.1019 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 69 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,677 | 1430 | 0.4709 | |
| 69 | Gordon College | 33700 | 51300 | 0.3431 | 1,314 | 1256 | 0.6923 | |
| 71 | Gardner-Webb University | 34100 | 50400 | 0.3235 | 1,861 | 1110 | 0.7721 | |
| 72 | Sacred Heart University | 34600 | 67500 | 0.4877 | 7,204 | 950 | 0.6536 | |
| 73 | Barry University | 34800 | 56400 | 0.3828 | 3,232 | 1005 | 0.7724 | |
| 74 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,123 | 1189 | 0.8943 | |
| 75 | California Baptist University | 35300 | 65600 | 0.4618 | 8,417 | 1070 | 0.8488 | |
| 76 | Averett University | 35400 | 57200 | 0.3813 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 77 | New York Institute of Technology | 35500 | 83600 | 0.575 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 78 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35600 | 66100 | 0.4616 | 2,862 | 1203 | 0.757 | |
| 78 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 80 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 36000 | 48500 | 0.2578 | 2,075 | 1090 | 0.8894 | |
| 81 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 42700 | 0.1313 | 21,445 | 1160 | 0.8921 | |
| 82 | Vermont State University | 37400 | 38700 | 0.0336 | 4,108 | 960 | 0.8167 | |
| 83 | University of Nevada-Reno | 38000 | 45800 | 0.1704 | 19,117 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 84 | Queens University of Charlotte | 38100 | 68200 | 0.4411 | 1,225 | 1208 | 0.6208 | |
| 85 | Washington State University | 38300 | 53900 | 0.2897 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 86 | Saint Francis University | 38500 | 63100 | 0.3899 | 2,567 | 1150 | 0.7682 | |
| 87 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 38900 | 50300 | 0.2268 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 88 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 39600 | 39800 | 0.005 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 89 | University of South Alabama | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 90 | Fresno Pacific University | 40100 | 52200 | 0.2318 | 1,545 | 1099 | 0.6407 | |
| 91 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41400 | 57000 | 0.2738 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.782 | |
| 92 | Montreat College | 42000 | 58100 | 0.2773 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 92 | Seattle University | 42000 | 75000 | 0.4397 | 4,078 | 1305 | 0.7692 | |
| 94 | Shenandoah University | 43100 | 56600 | 0.2385 | 2,641 | 1124 | 0.7695 | |
| 95 | University of Florida | 43300 | 45700 | 0.0526 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 96 | University at Buffalo | 43900 | 46700 | 0.06 | 20,359 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 97 | The University of Montana | 44400 | 45000 | 0.0133 | 7,891 | 1225 | 0.9586 | |
| 98 | Ashland University | 44900 | 56400 | 0.204 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 99 | Boise State University | 45100 | 50000 | 0.098 | 23,983 | 1135 | 0.8721 | |
| 100 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 46400 | 46600 | 0.0043 | 6,139 | 1070 | 0.9052 | |
| 101 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 53300 | 61000 | 0.1262 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 102 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 53800 | 62800 | 0.1433 | 23,920 | 1397 | 0.5973 | |
| 103 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 54100 | 59200 | 0.0862 | 24,449 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 104 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 57600 | 61400 | 0.0618 | 343 | 1125 | 0.8984 | |
| 105 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4592 | |
| 106 | Mercyhurst University | 60900 | 68000 | 0.1044 | 2,274 | 1090 | 0.8102 | |
| 107 | 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.
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