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 | 7200 | 25900 | 0.723 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 2 | Brigham Young University | 8000 | 22000 | 0.6362 | 32,952 | 1374 | 0.6778 | |
| 3 | Rice University | 8600 | 89100 | 0.9038 | 4,789 | 1535 | 0.08 | |
| 4 | Eastern Washington University | 11600 | 31200 | 0.6283 | 6,951 | 1055 | 0.9437 | |
| 4 | Felician University | 11600 | 58700 | 0.8025 | 1,870 | 1005 | 0.9511 | |
| 6 | Midwestern State University | 12000 | 21600 | 0.4439 | 4,303 | 1055 | 0.9347 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 12700 | 34600 | 0.6336 | 8,975 | 1065 | 0.9721 | |
| 8 | West Virginia University | 13000 | 57700 | 0.7745 | 18,614 | 1125 | 0.778 | |
| 9 | Northern Illinois University | 13200 | 29000 | 0.5435 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 10 | Kansas State University | 13600 | 26100 | 0.4773 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8199 | |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 14300 | 28100 | 0.4911 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 12 | University of Nevada-Reno | 15500 | 27600 | 0.4385 | 18,895 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 13 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 15800 | 41600 | 0.6209 | 9,302 | 1125 | 0.9735 | |
| 14 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 16100 | 23200 | 0.306 | 19,888 | 1209 | 0.8517 | |
| 15 | University of Florida | 16200 | 22500 | 0.2799 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 15 | University of South Alabama | 16200 | 22400 | 0.2773 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 17 | Eastern Michigan University | 16600 | 32000 | 0.4795 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 18 | Northern State University | 16900 | 24600 | 0.3131 | 3,169 | 1075 | 0.9317 | |
| 19 | Winston-Salem State University | 17600 | 25500 | 0.3097 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 20 | University of Miami | 17700 | 96300 | 0.8159 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 21 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17800 | 39600 | 0.5512 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 22 | North Carolina Central University | 19100 | 40000 | 0.5223 | 6,595 | 1005 | 0.8697 | |
| 23 | Alma College | 19200 | 64800 | 0.7039 | 1,159 | 1085 | 0.57 | |
| 24 | Texas Tech University | 19700 | 27900 | 0.2942 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 24 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 19700 | 60400 | 0.6742 | 1,755 | 1180 | 0.9389 | |
| 26 | Illinois College | 19800 | 55200 | 0.642 | 940 | 1054 | 0.7819 | |
| 27 | Bethany Lutheran College | 20000 | 46400 | 0.5681 | 856 | 1160 | 0.3897 | |
| 28 | The College of Idaho | 20100 | 70400 | 0.7145 | 1,049 | 1170 | 0.4722 | |
| 29 | Boise State University | 20300 | 59700 | 0.66 | 24,030 | 1025 | 0.8721 | |
| 30 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 31 | Hiram College | 20700 | 48700 | 0.5755 | 1,026 | 1005 | 0.9244 | |
| 32 | Marian University | 21000 | 59800 | 0.6484 | 2,492 | 1085 | 0.9532 | |
| 33 | University of Lynchburg | 21900 | 54900 | 0.6004 | 1,595 | 1109 | 0.4301 | |
| 34 | Averett University | 22100 | 57200 | 0.614 | 1,180 | 1070 | 0.478 | |
| 34 | Vermont State University | 22100 | 26900 | 0.1781 | 4,087 | 960 | 0.8323 | |
| 36 | Florida State University | 22600 | 32500 | 0.3046 | 32,711 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 37 | Murray State University | 22900 | 27600 | 0.1682 | 8,281 | 1124 | 0.8568 | |
| 38 | Briar Cliff University | 23100 | 67700 | 0.6588 | 737 | 1075 | 0.6169 | |
| 39 | Concordia University-Chicago | 23200 | 67800 | 0.658 | 1,327 | 1100 | 0.9279 | |
| 40 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 23400 | 48800 | 0.5206 | 1,642 | 1055 | 0.5713 | |
| 41 | Ave Maria University | 24000 | 45400 | 0.4712 | 1,250 | 1193 | 0.4481 | |
| 42 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 24100 | 38000 | 0.3658 | 23,920 | 1390 | 0.5973 | |
| 43 | University at Buffalo | 24200 | 34000 | 0.2883 | 20,360 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 44 | Augustana College | 24800 | 72800 | 0.6587 | 2,522 | 1163 | 0.6277 | |
| 45 | Marquette University | 25000 | 63100 | 0.6034 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 46 | Northwest University | 25600 | 52400 | 0.511 | 695 | 1163 | 0.8097 | |
| 47 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 25800 | 39200 | 0.3419 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 48 | Seattle Pacific University | 26200 | 77000 | 0.6601 | 1,776 | 1188 | 0.8339 | |
| 49 | Ashland University | 26500 | 56600 | 0.5322 | 5,180 | 1145 | 0.8053 | |
| 50 | University of Arkansas | 26700 | 29600 | 0.0991 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.7431 | |
| 51 | University of Idaho | 27000 | 45200 | 0.4023 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 52 | Cleveland State University | 27300 | 37300 | 0.2682 | 9,418 | 1105 | 0.913 | |
| 53 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.5997 | 1,391 | 1159 | 0.8887 | |
| 54 | Florida Southern College | 27900 | 63200 | 0.5591 | 2,626 | 1265 | 0.5909 | |
| 55 | Creighton University | 28000 | 65300 | 0.5709 | 4,647 | 1328 | 0.7975 | |
| 56 | Drury University | 28700 | 52900 | 0.4573 | 1,391 | 1228 | 0.5758 | |
| 57 | Wichita State University | 28900 | 40600 | 0.2888 | 14,280 | 1094 | 0.7211 | |
| 58 | Chestnut Hill College | 29100 | 75900 | 0.6167 | 972 | 995 | 0.7913 | |
| 59 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 33900 | 0.1358 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 60 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30500 | 54700 | 0.4416 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.5568 | |
| 61 | University of Toledo | 30800 | 42000 | 0.2653 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 62 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4731 | 2,503 | 1235 | 0.7353 | |
| 63 | Life University | 31600 | 53200 | 0.4057 | 902 | 1020 | 0.9303 | |
| 64 | Ithaca College | 32100 | 72500 | 0.5571 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 65 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 32200 | 36700 | 0.121 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 66 | Gettysburg College | 32300 | 86500 | 0.626 | 2,104 | 1337 | 0.389 | |
| 67 | Shenandoah University | 32600 | 56800 | 0.4257 | 2,641 | 1127 | 0.7695 | |
| 68 | The University of Tampa | 32700 | 56900 | 0.425 | 10,594 | 1185 | 0.4034 | |
| 69 | Ursinus College | 33300 | 83700 | 0.6026 | 1,502 | 1303 | 0.9177 | |
| 70 | California Baptist University | 33600 | 65600 | 0.4876 | 8,417 | 1069 | 0.8535 | |
| 71 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 72 | Gordon College | 34300 | 51300 | 0.3314 | 1,314 | 1256 | 0.8562 | |
| 73 | Barry University | 34900 | 56400 | 0.381 | 3,232 | 1015 | 0.7713 | |
| 73 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,123 | 1208 | 0.8934 | |
| 75 | Gardner-Webb University | 35100 | 50400 | 0.3036 | 1,840 | 1145 | 0.8702 | |
| 76 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 35500 | 48300 | 0.2638 | 2,079 | 1095 | 0.8221 | |
| 76 | New York Institute of Technology | 35500 | 83600 | 0.5753 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 78 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35700 | 66700 | 0.4649 | 2,862 | 1194 | 0.757 | |
| 79 | Auburn University | 36400 | 38000 | 0.0421 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 80 | Seattle University | 36500 | 74600 | 0.5105 | 4,103 | 1243 | 0.7703 | |
| 81 | Skidmore College | 36900 | 89100 | 0.5856 | 2,704 | 1421 | 0.2105 | |
| 82 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 83 | Queens University of Charlotte | 37800 | 68200 | 0.4455 | 1,225 | 1235 | 0.5651 | |
| 84 | Saint Francis University | 37900 | 62800 | 0.3967 | 2,450 | 1150 | 0.7916 | |
| 85 | Montreat College | 38800 | 55000 | 0.2935 | 759 | 1055 | 0.6555 | |
| 86 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 87 | The University of Montana | 39900 | 45900 | 0.1308 | 8,014 | 1184 | 0.9586 | |
| 88 | Fresno Pacific University | 40100 | 52200 | 0.2324 | 1,616 | 1075 | 0.5752 | |
| 89 | Washington State University | 41000 | 56300 | 0.2721 | 21,455 | 1131 | 0.8664 | |
| 90 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41400 | 57000 | 0.2738 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 91 | Sacred Heart University | 42800 | 67500 | 0.3662 | 6,960 | 1245 | 0.6768 | |
| 92 | Appalachian State University | 43600 | 43600 | 0 | 19,560 | 1159 | 0.9014 | |
| 93 | Mercyhurst University | 43900 | 66400 | 0.339 | 2,274 | 1189 | 0.8102 | |
| 94 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48600 | 51200 | 0.0514 | 44,170 | 1327 | 0.4979 | |
| 95 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.0398 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 96 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 54100 | 59200 | 0.0867 | 24,457 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 97 | College of Charleston | 61600 | 61600 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 98 | University of California-Davis | 69800 | 69800 | 0 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 99 | University of California-Irvine | 72800 | 74700 | 0.0254 | 30,204 | 1333 | 0.2878 | |
| 100 | Gonzaga University | 75400 | 77800 | 0.0308 | 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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