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 | Rice University | 4300 | 85500 | 0.9496 | 4,789 | 1535 | 0.08 | |
| 2 | North Carolina Central University | 7000 | 27000 | 0.7416 | 6,595 | 971 | 0.8697 | |
| 3 | Brigham Young University | 10900 | 29000 | 0.6237 | 32,221 | 1374 | 0.6919 | |
| 4 | Eastern Washington University | 11800 | 28600 | 0.5884 | 6,951 | 1055 | 0.9437 | |
| 5 | Northern Illinois University | 12300 | 29000 | 0.5744 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 6 | Northern Kentucky University | 12700 | 25900 | 0.5105 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 7 | Texas Tech University | 14000 | 27000 | 0.4813 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 8 | University of Idaho | 14300 | 26400 | 0.458 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14500 | 41100 | 0.6478 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 10 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 15500 | 24800 | 0.3744 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 11 | Florida State University | 15600 | 23100 | 0.3246 | 32,711 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 12 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 17200 | 27200 | 0.3671 | 44,170 | 1327 | 0.4979 | |
| 13 | Midwestern State University | 17800 | 29000 | 0.3858 | 4,508 | 1055 | 0.8738 | |
| 13 | Skidmore College | 17800 | 89100 | 0.7998 | 2,704 | 1421 | 0.2105 | |
| 15 | Eastern Michigan University | 18700 | 36100 | 0.4826 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 16 | Illinois College | 18900 | 52300 | 0.6391 | 940 | 1054 | 0.7819 | |
| 17 | Kansas State University | 19000 | 31400 | 0.395 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8199 | |
| 18 | The University of Montana | 19300 | 25200 | 0.2339 | 8,014 | 1184 | 0.9586 | |
| 19 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 19800 | 24500 | 0.1915 | 19,888 | 1209 | 0.8517 | |
| 20 | Bethany Lutheran College | 20000 | 46400 | 0.5695 | 856 | 1160 | 0.3897 | |
| 21 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 21 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 20400 | 49400 | 0.5866 | 2,079 | 1135 | 0.8221 | |
| 23 | Hiram College | 20700 | 48700 | 0.5749 | 1,026 | 1005 | 0.9244 | |
| 23 | West Virginia University | 20700 | 28800 | 0.2815 | 18,614 | 1125 | 0.778 | |
| 25 | Marian University | 21000 | 59800 | 0.6484 | 2,492 | 1085 | 0.9532 | |
| 26 | University of Miami | 21100 | 70800 | 0.7023 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 27 | Felician University | 21300 | 58700 | 0.6373 | 1,870 | 1005 | 0.9511 | |
| 28 | Vermont State University | 22100 | 26900 | 0.1781 | 4,087 | 960 | 0.8323 | |
| 29 | Ave Maria University | 22300 | 44800 | 0.502 | 1,250 | 1193 | 0.4481 | |
| 30 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 22600 | 60400 | 0.6261 | 1,755 | 1180 | 0.9389 | |
| 31 | Briar Cliff University | 23500 | 55700 | 0.578 | 737 | 1075 | 0.5983 | |
| 32 | Augustana College | 24800 | 72800 | 0.6594 | 2,522 | 1163 | 0.6277 | |
| 32 | University of Lynchburg | 24800 | 54900 | 0.5488 | 1,595 | 1124 | 0.4301 | |
| 34 | Creighton University | 24900 | 56600 | 0.5601 | 4,647 | 1328 | 0.7975 | |
| 34 | The University of Tampa | 24900 | 56900 | 0.562 | 10,594 | 1185 | 0.4034 | |
| 36 | Northwest University | 25600 | 52400 | 0.511 | 695 | 1163 | 0.8097 | |
| 37 | Fitchburg State University | 26000 | 31300 | 0.1694 | 3,027 | 1150 | 0.8693 | |
| 38 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.5996 | 1,391 | 1159 | 0.8887 | |
| 39 | Seattle Pacific University | 27700 | 62600 | 0.5576 | 1,776 | 1188 | 0.8339 | |
| 40 | Drury University | 28200 | 52900 | 0.4668 | 1,391 | 1228 | 0.5758 | |
| 41 | Chestnut Hill College | 28700 | 74900 | 0.6169 | 972 | 995 | 0.7913 | |
| 42 | University of Utah | 28800 | 32000 | 0.1002 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 43 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 28900 | 39700 | 0.2722 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 44 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 45 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30400 | 54700 | 0.4429 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.6327 | |
| 45 | SUNY at Fredonia | 30400 | 39600 | 0.2326 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 47 | Multnomah University | 30600 | 46400 | 0.3399 | 330 | 1135 | 0.4984 | |
| 48 | University of Toledo | 30800 | 42000 | 0.267 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 49 | Florida Southern College | 31300 | 63200 | 0.5048 | 2,626 | 1219 | 0.5909 | |
| 50 | Life University | 31600 | 42600 | 0.2582 | 902 | 1020 | 0.9303 | |
| 51 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 32000 | 41600 | 0.231 | 9,302 | 1125 | 0.9735 | |
| 52 | Gettysburg College | 32300 | 86500 | 0.6268 | 2,104 | 1337 | 0.389 | |
| 53 | Bushnell University | 32400 | 50900 | 0.3635 | 520 | 1005 | 0.6728 | |
| 54 | Saint Francis University | 32900 | 61500 | 0.465 | 2,450 | 1150 | 0.7916 | |
| 55 | Ursinus College | 33200 | 83700 | 0.6031 | 1,502 | 1303 | 0.9177 | |
| 56 | Shenandoah University | 33500 | 53300 | 0.3715 | 2,641 | 1127 | 0.7695 | |
| 57 | Ithaca College | 33600 | 72500 | 0.5365 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 57 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 33600 | 46200 | 0.2729 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 59 | College of Charleston | 33700 | 33700 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 59 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 61 | Gardner-Webb University | 33800 | 50400 | 0.3295 | 1,840 | 1085 | 0.8702 | |
| 62 | Taylor University | 34000 | 57600 | 0.4097 | 2,503 | 1235 | 0.7353 | |
| 63 | Gordon College | 34300 | 51300 | 0.3314 | 1,314 | 1256 | 0.8562 | |
| 64 | Barry University | 34900 | 54600 | 0.3607 | 3,232 | 1015 | 0.7721 | |
| 65 | University of Nevada-Reno | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 18,895 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 66 | California Baptist University | 35100 | 65200 | 0.4616 | 8,417 | 1069 | 0.8535 | |
| 67 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.5761 | 3,355 | 1235 | 0.7808 | |
| 68 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35700 | 47300 | 0.2452 | 2,862 | 1194 | 0.757 | |
| 69 | Boise State University | 35800 | 48800 | 0.2664 | 24,030 | 1025 | 0.8721 | |
| 70 | Ashland University | 36400 | 52700 | 0.3091 | 5,180 | 1145 | 0.8053 | |
| 71 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 72 | Wichita State University | 37400 | 39600 | 0.0556 | 14,280 | 1094 | 0.7211 | |
| 73 | Queens University of Charlotte | 37800 | 68200 | 0.4455 | 1,225 | 1235 | 0.5651 | |
| 73 | Seattle University | 37800 | 69800 | 0.4582 | 4,103 | 1256 | 0.7703 | |
| 75 | Washington State University | 38500 | 53900 | 0.2859 | 14,346 | 1139 | 0.8797 | |
| 76 | Montreat College | 38800 | 55000 | 0.2948 | 759 | 1055 | 0.6555 | |
| 77 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 39400 | 39400 | 0 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 78 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 39600 | 53700 | 0.2627 | 23,920 | 1390 | 0.5973 | |
| 79 | Fresno Pacific University | 40000 | 52200 | 0.2337 | 1,616 | 1075 | 0.5752 | |
| 80 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41300 | 53900 | 0.2337 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 80 | Marquette University | 41300 | 75100 | 0.4502 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 82 | Mercyhurst University | 42500 | 66400 | 0.3601 | 2,274 | 1189 | 0.8102 | |
| 83 | University at Buffalo | 42600 | 46800 | 0.0897 | 20,360 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 84 | University of Florida | 43500 | 45600 | 0.046 | 36,567 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 85 | Sacred Heart University | 53000 | 75200 | 0.2953 | 6,960 | 1245 | 0.6768 | |
| 86 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 53200 | 61000 | 0.1279 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 87 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 54000 | 59200 | 0.0879 | 24,457 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 88 | University of California-Irvine | 55000 | 64800 | 0.1512 | 30,204 | 1333 | 0.2878 | |
| 89 | Auburn University | 55400 | 55400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 90 | Gonzaga University | 73200 | 73200 | 0 | 5,281 | 1303 | 0.8169 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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