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 | Northern Kentucky University | 7500 | 25900 | 0.7114 | 10,136 | 1110 | 0.9666 | |
| 2 | Brigham Young University | 8000 | 22200 | 0.6405 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 3 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 9700 | 49000 | 0.8031 | 2,075 | 1090 | 0.8894 | |
| 3 | Rice University | 9700 | 92500 | 0.8954 | 4,807 | 1528 | 0.0801 | |
| 5 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 10200 | 41500 | 0.7543 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 6 | Felician University | 11600 | 61000 | 0.8095 | 2,131 | 1015 | 0.9722 | |
| 7 | Eastern Washington University | 11800 | 28600 | 0.5879 | 7,640 | 1045 | 0.8526 | |
| 8 | Fitchburg State University | 12000 | 33800 | 0.6445 | 3,000 | 1090 | 0.8885 | |
| 9 | University of Illinois Chicago | 12200 | 30200 | 0.5969 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 10 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13000 | 40500 | 0.6789 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 11 | Northern Illinois University | 13300 | 32100 | 0.5856 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 12 | Eastern Michigan University | 14200 | 33900 | 0.5802 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 13 | Troy University | 14700 | 34700 | 0.5764 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 14 | West Virginia University | 15000 | 73100 | 0.7945 | 18,206 | 1120 | 0.8514 | |
| 15 | University of California-Irvine | 15100 | 40400 | 0.6267 | 30,260 | 1333 | 0.2895 | |
| 16 | Appalachian State University | 16100 | 26000 | 0.3809 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 16 | University of Florida | 16100 | 22500 | 0.2843 | 37,283 | 1406 | 0.2033 | |
| 18 | Northern State University | 16300 | 26400 | 0.3819 | 3,177 | 1085 | 0.96 | |
| 19 | North Carolina Central University | 17100 | 37500 | 0.5444 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 20 | College of Charleston | 17200 | 33900 | 0.4931 | 10,596 | 1234 | 0.73 | |
| 21 | University of Miami | 17400 | 96300 | 0.8194 | 13,241 | 1408 | 0.1761 | |
| 22 | Winston-Salem State University | 17600 | 25500 | 0.3097 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 23 | University of Arkansas | 17800 | 28500 | 0.3779 | 29,252 | 1179 | 0.7388 | |
| 24 | Kennesaw State University | 18000 | 27400 | 0.3428 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 25 | University of Lynchburg | 18600 | 58900 | 0.6852 | 1,424 | 1099 | 0.6108 | |
| 26 | The College of Idaho | 19400 | 81100 | 0.7611 | 1,042 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 27 | Illinois College | 19700 | 55200 | 0.6438 | 1,008 | 1059 | 0.7494 | |
| 28 | SUNY at Fredonia | 20100 | 53600 | 0.6248 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 29 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 20200 | 38500 | 0.4738 | 25,141 | 1256 | 0.7613 | |
| 30 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 20300 | 35200 | 0.4229 | 8,513 | 1160 | 0.9261 | |
| 31 | Midwestern State University | 20400 | 33600 | 0.3933 | 4,303 | 1055 | 0.9347 | |
| 31 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 20400 | 26100 | 0.2181 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 33 | Hiram College | 20600 | 48700 | 0.5766 | 991 | 1075 | 0.9748 | |
| 34 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.3258 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 35 | Washington State University | 20800 | 35900 | 0.4198 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 36 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 21400 | 41600 | 0.4856 | 6,029 | 1075 | 0.9173 | |
| 37 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 21600 | 48800 | 0.5575 | 1,650 | 1055 | 0.7039 | |
| 38 | Bethany Lutheran College | 21800 | 46400 | 0.5309 | 889 | 1120 | 0.6406 | |
| 39 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 22200 | 60400 | 0.6328 | 1,810 | 1110 | 0.9298 | |
| 40 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32100 | 0.302 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 41 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 22500 | 22500 | 0 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 42 | Murray State University | 22800 | 27600 | 0.1736 | 8,217 | 1124 | 0.8413 | |
| 43 | Seattle Pacific University | 22900 | 98900 | 0.7688 | 1,657 | 1174 | 0.9301 | |
| 44 | Marian University | 23500 | 59800 | 0.6066 | 2,378 | 1085 | 0.9546 | |
| 45 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 24000 | 38500 | 0.3764 | 24,019 | 1404 | 0.5989 | |
| 46 | Augustana College | 24700 | 72800 | 0.6602 | 2,536 | 1157 | 0.6628 | |
| 47 | Ave Maria University | 25000 | 46600 | 0.4637 | 1,320 | 1164 | 0.4139 | |
| 48 | Briar Cliff University | 25900 | 83800 | 0.6909 | 766 | 1075 | 0.5834 | |
| 49 | Drury University | 26800 | 54500 | 0.5082 | 1,453 | 1209 | 0.6575 | |
| 49 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 26800 | 33000 | 0.1876 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 51 | Chestnut Hill College | 27500 | 87000 | 0.6841 | 868 | 995 | 0.7446 | |
| 52 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.6 | 1,356 | 1199 | 0.919 | |
| 53 | Creighton University | 27700 | 67900 | 0.5918 | 4,833 | 1328 | 0.9216 | |
| 53 | Florida Southern College | 27700 | 63200 | 0.5615 | 2,682 | 1264 | 0.6442 | |
| 55 | Marquette University | 28000 | 63800 | 0.5612 | 8,206 | 1304 | 0.7802 | |
| 56 | Augustana University | 28100 | 63100 | 0.5546 | 2,140 | 1189 | 0.7289 | |
| 56 | Vermont State University | 28100 | 38700 | 0.2737 | 4,087 | 960 | 0.8323 | |
| 58 | Northwest University | 29200 | 52000 | 0.4384 | 659 | 1189 | 0.8865 | |
| 59 | Cleveland State University | 29300 | 38600 | 0.2411 | 9,418 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 59 | University of Toledo | 29300 | 32600 | 0.1007 | 10,726 | 1134 | 0.8889 | |
| 61 | Southern Methodist University | 29600 | 96900 | 0.6943 | 7,545 | 1427 | 0.4764 | |
| 62 | Life University | 30000 | 46300 | 0.352 | 832 | 980 | 0.5918 | |
| 63 | Taylor University | 30200 | 60700 | 0.5035 | 2,769 | 1229 | 0.9881 | |
| 64 | Ithaca College | 30300 | 72600 | 0.5823 | 4,205 | 1328 | 0.7015 | |
| 65 | Gettysburg College | 32200 | 86500 | 0.6277 | 2,104 | 1369 | 0.389 | |
| 65 | Gordon College | 32200 | 54200 | 0.4059 | 1,221 | 1226 | 0.9001 | |
| 67 | Central College | 32300 | 38700 | 0.1654 | 1,050 | 1159 | 0.8698 | |
| 68 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 32600 | 41600 | 0.2163 | 9,040 | 1119 | 0.9666 | |
| 69 | Wichita State University | 32800 | 42200 | 0.2226 | 14,906 | 1065 | 0.7224 | |
| 70 | Ursinus College | 33200 | 83700 | 0.6038 | 1,378 | 1303 | 0.9285 | |
| 71 | George Washington University | 34300 | 81800 | 0.5808 | 11,495 | 1436 | 0.4713 | |
| 72 | California Baptist University | 34500 | 69800 | 0.5055 | 8,707 | 1024 | 0.8139 | |
| 73 | Averett University | 34800 | 57600 | 0.3959 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 73 | University of Idaho | 34800 | 48700 | 0.2854 | 9,656 | 1104 | 0.7476 | |
| 75 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,056 | 1183 | 0.8994 | |
| 76 | Southern Connecticut State University | 35000 | 42000 | 0.1667 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 76 | University of Nevada-Reno | 35000 | 45800 | 0.2359 | 20,204 | 1109 | 0.8313 | |
| 78 | Barry University | 35200 | 58800 | 0.4014 | 4,654 | 1005 | 0.9663 | |
| 79 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.5769 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 80 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 41000 | 0.1318 | 34,021 | 1195 | 0.6906 | |
| 81 | Gardner-Webb University | 36000 | 54900 | 0.3443 | 1,861 | 1110 | 0.7721 | |
| 81 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 36000 | 39700 | 0.0932 | 4,789 | 1040 | 0.6671 | |
| 83 | University of South Alabama | 36100 | 40200 | 0.1021 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 84 | Shenandoah University | 36400 | 56100 | 0.3512 | 2,723 | 1154 | 0.7785 | |
| 85 | East Carolina University | 36900 | 42700 | 0.1355 | 21,693 | 1065 | 0.9003 | |
| 86 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 69800 | 0.4415 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 87 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 39300 | 40300 | 0.0248 | 26,213 | 1209 | 0.7778 | |
| 88 | Fresno Pacific University | 39900 | 52200 | 0.2353 | 1,615 | 1075 | 0.6396 | |
| 88 | Saint Francis University | 39900 | 67300 | 0.407 | 2,567 | 1150 | 0.7682 | |
| 90 | Boise State University | 40000 | 50100 | 0.2014 | 25,308 | 1025 | 0.8389 | |
| 91 | The University of Montana | 40200 | 57400 | 0.2997 | 8,014 | 1184 | 0.9586 | |
| 92 | Kansas State University | 40900 | 41900 | 0.0239 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 93 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 58700 | 0.2983 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 94 | Montreat College | 41800 | 58100 | 0.2804 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 95 | Seattle University | 42500 | 85300 | 0.5016 | 4,370 | 1299 | 0.7313 | |
| 96 | The University of Tampa | 45600 | 58500 | 0.2204 | 10,710 | 1250 | 0.4363 | |
| 97 | University at Buffalo | 46400 | 46400 | 0 | 21,192 | 1309 | 0.8059 | |
| 98 | Ashland University | 47900 | 57000 | 0.1595 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 99 | Sacred Heart University | 49700 | 67500 | 0.2637 | 7,291 | 1265 | 0.6363 | |
| 100 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 50900 | 63800 | 0.2021 | 42,565 | 1339 | 0.7887 | |
| 101 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0425 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 102 | Auburn University | 55400 | 59400 | 0.0674 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 103 | Queens University of Charlotte | 58600 | 72400 | 0.1907 | 1,210 | 1244 | 0.805 | |
| 104 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 60600 | 65600 | 0.0762 | 344 | 1125 | 0.8984 | |
| 105 | Mercyhurst University | 61200 | 68000 | 0.1 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 | |
| 106 | Gonzaga University | 70900 | 77700 | 0.0875 | 4,976 | 1328 | 0.7962 | |
| 107 | Skidmore College | 93400 | 95400 | 0.021 | 2,715 | 1418 | 0.2377 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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