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 | 22200 | 0.6405 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 2 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 9700 | 49000 | 0.8031 | 2,075 | 1090 | 0.8894 | |
| 2 | Rice University | 9700 | 92500 | 0.8954 | 4,807 | 1528 | 0.0801 | |
| 4 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 10200 | 41500 | 0.7543 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 5 | Eastern Washington University | 11500 | 30700 | 0.6262 | 7,640 | 1045 | 0.8526 | |
| 6 | Felician University | 11600 | 61000 | 0.8095 | 2,131 | 1015 | 0.9722 | |
| 7 | Midwestern State University | 11900 | 21600 | 0.4485 | 4,303 | 1055 | 0.9347 | |
| 8 | University of Illinois Chicago | 12200 | 30200 | 0.5969 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 9 | Fitchburg State University | 12400 | 33800 | 0.6327 | 3,000 | 1090 | 0.8885 | |
| 10 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 12900 | 26600 | 0.5151 | 9,040 | 1119 | 0.9666 | |
| 11 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 27100 | 0.5121 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 12 | Northern Illinois University | 13300 | 32100 | 0.5856 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 13 | Eastern Michigan University | 14200 | 33900 | 0.5802 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 14 | West Virginia University | 14700 | 73100 | 0.7986 | 18,206 | 1120 | 0.8514 | |
| 15 | Troy University | 14800 | 26700 | 0.4456 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 16 | Murray State University | 14900 | 27000 | 0.4493 | 8,217 | 1124 | 0.8413 | |
| 17 | Kansas State University | 15900 | 26400 | 0.3957 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 18 | Appalachian State University | 16100 | 26000 | 0.3809 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 19 | Northern State University | 16300 | 26400 | 0.3819 | 3,177 | 1085 | 0.96 | |
| 20 | College of Charleston | 17200 | 33900 | 0.4931 | 10,596 | 1234 | 0.73 | |
| 21 | Vermont State University | 17300 | 26900 | 0.3562 | 4,087 | 960 | 0.8323 | |
| 22 | University of Miami | 17400 | 96300 | 0.8194 | 13,241 | 1408 | 0.1761 | |
| 23 | University of Arkansas | 17800 | 28500 | 0.3779 | 29,252 | 1179 | 0.7388 | |
| 24 | Kennesaw State University | 18100 | 27400 | 0.3391 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 25 | North Carolina Central University | 18400 | 33000 | 0.4426 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 26 | University of Lynchburg | 18600 | 58900 | 0.6852 | 1,424 | 1099 | 0.6108 | |
| 27 | The University of Montana | 19100 | 27400 | 0.3031 | 8,014 | 1184 | 0.9586 | |
| 28 | The College of Idaho | 19400 | 81100 | 0.7611 | 1,042 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 29 | Illinois College | 19700 | 55200 | 0.6438 | 1,008 | 1059 | 0.7494 | |
| 30 | SUNY at Fredonia | 20100 | 53600 | 0.6248 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 31 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 20200 | 38500 | 0.4738 | 25,141 | 1256 | 0.7613 | |
| 32 | Hiram College | 20600 | 48700 | 0.5766 | 991 | 1075 | 0.9748 | |
| 33 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 21400 | 41600 | 0.4856 | 6,029 | 1075 | 0.9173 | |
| 34 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 21600 | 48800 | 0.5575 | 1,650 | 1055 | 0.7039 | |
| 35 | Bethany Lutheran College | 21800 | 46400 | 0.5309 | 889 | 1120 | 0.6406 | |
| 36 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 22200 | 60400 | 0.6328 | 1,810 | 1110 | 0.9298 | |
| 37 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32100 | 0.302 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 38 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 22500 | 22500 | 0 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 39 | Seattle Pacific University | 22900 | 98900 | 0.7688 | 1,657 | 1174 | 0.9301 | |
| 40 | Marian University | 23500 | 59800 | 0.6066 | 2,378 | 1085 | 0.9546 | |
| 41 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 24000 | 38500 | 0.3764 | 24,019 | 1404 | 0.5989 | |
| 42 | Augustana College | 24700 | 72800 | 0.6602 | 2,536 | 1157 | 0.6628 | |
| 43 | University at Buffalo | 24900 | 34000 | 0.2677 | 21,192 | 1309 | 0.8059 | |
| 44 | Ave Maria University | 25000 | 46600 | 0.4637 | 1,320 | 1164 | 0.4139 | |
| 45 | Briar Cliff University | 25900 | 83800 | 0.6909 | 766 | 1075 | 0.5834 | |
| 46 | Drury University | 26800 | 54500 | 0.5082 | 1,453 | 1209 | 0.6575 | |
| 46 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 26800 | 33000 | 0.1876 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 48 | Chestnut Hill College | 27500 | 87000 | 0.6841 | 868 | 995 | 0.7446 | |
| 49 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.6 | 1,356 | 1199 | 0.919 | |
| 50 | Creighton University | 27700 | 67900 | 0.5918 | 4,833 | 1328 | 0.9216 | |
| 50 | Florida Southern College | 27700 | 63200 | 0.5615 | 2,682 | 1264 | 0.6442 | |
| 52 | Winston-Salem State University | 27800 | 40300 | 0.3105 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 53 | Augustana University | 28100 | 63100 | 0.5546 | 2,140 | 1189 | 0.7289 | |
| 54 | Northwest University | 29200 | 52000 | 0.4384 | 659 | 1189 | 0.8865 | |
| 55 | Cleveland State University | 29300 | 38600 | 0.2411 | 9,418 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 56 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29400 | 34200 | 0.1402 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 57 | Southern Methodist University | 29600 | 96900 | 0.6943 | 7,545 | 1427 | 0.4764 | |
| 58 | Life University | 30000 | 46300 | 0.352 | 832 | 980 | 0.5918 | |
| 59 | Ithaca College | 30300 | 72600 | 0.5823 | 4,205 | 1328 | 0.7015 | |
| 60 | University of Toledo | 30700 | 42000 | 0.2689 | 10,726 | 1134 | 0.8889 | |
| 61 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4739 | 2,769 | 1229 | 0.9881 | |
| 62 | Marquette University | 31400 | 75900 | 0.5862 | 8,206 | 1304 | 0.7802 | |
| 63 | Northern Kentucky University | 31600 | 32100 | 0.0156 | 10,136 | 1110 | 0.9666 | |
| 64 | Central College | 32200 | 38700 | 0.168 | 1,050 | 1159 | 0.8698 | |
| 64 | Gettysburg College | 32200 | 86500 | 0.6277 | 2,104 | 1369 | 0.389 | |
| 64 | Gordon College | 32200 | 54200 | 0.4059 | 1,221 | 1226 | 0.9001 | |
| 67 | Wichita State University | 32800 | 42200 | 0.2226 | 14,906 | 1065 | 0.7224 | |
| 68 | Ursinus College | 33200 | 83700 | 0.6038 | 1,378 | 1303 | 0.9285 | |
| 69 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 33600 | 38200 | 0.1199 | 42,565 | 1339 | 0.7887 | |
| 70 | George Washington University | 34300 | 81800 | 0.5808 | 11,495 | 1436 | 0.4713 | |
| 71 | California Baptist University | 34500 | 69800 | 0.5055 | 8,707 | 1024 | 0.8139 | |
| 72 | Averett University | 34700 | 57600 | 0.3977 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 73 | University of Idaho | 34800 | 48700 | 0.2854 | 9,656 | 1104 | 0.7476 | |
| 74 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,056 | 1183 | 0.8994 | |
| 75 | Auburn University | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 75 | Southern Connecticut State University | 35000 | 42000 | 0.1667 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 75 | 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 | Washington State University | 37800 | 53600 | 0.2946 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 87 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 69800 | 0.4415 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 88 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 39300 | 40300 | 0.0248 | 26,213 | 1209 | 0.7778 | |
| 89 | Fresno Pacific University | 39900 | 52200 | 0.2353 | 1,615 | 1075 | 0.6396 | |
| 89 | Saint Francis University | 39900 | 67300 | 0.407 | 2,567 | 1150 | 0.7682 | |
| 91 | Boise State University | 40000 | 50100 | 0.2014 | 25,308 | 1025 | 0.8389 | |
| 92 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 58700 | 0.2983 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 93 | Montreat College | 41800 | 58100 | 0.2804 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 94 | Seattle University | 42500 | 85300 | 0.5016 | 4,370 | 1299 | 0.7313 | |
| 95 | University of Florida | 43100 | 45700 | 0.057 | 37,283 | 1406 | 0.2033 | |
| 96 | The University of Tampa | 45600 | 58500 | 0.2204 | 10,710 | 1250 | 0.4363 | |
| 97 | Ashland University | 47900 | 57000 | 0.1595 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 98 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48500 | 51200 | 0.0544 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 99 | Sacred Heart University | 49700 | 67500 | 0.2637 | 7,291 | 1265 | 0.6363 | |
| 100 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0425 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 101 | Queens University of Charlotte | 58600 | 72400 | 0.1907 | 1,210 | 1244 | 0.805 | |
| 102 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 58800 | 62100 | 0.0531 | 8,513 | 1160 | 0.9261 | |
| 103 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 60700 | 65600 | 0.0747 | 344 | 1125 | 0.8984 | |
| 104 | Mercyhurst University | 61200 | 68000 | 0.1 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 | |
| 105 | Gonzaga University | 70900 | 77700 | 0.0875 | 4,976 | 1328 | 0.7962 | |
| 106 | University of California-Irvine | 72000 | 75000 | 0.04 | 30,260 | 1333 | 0.2895 | |
| 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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