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 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 2 | Rice University | 9800 | 89100 | 0.8903 | 4,807 | 1528 | 0.0801 | |
| 3 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 10300 | 10300 | 0 | 6,029 | 1075 | 0.9173 | |
| 4 | Eastern Washington University | 11500 | 31200 | 0.6315 | 7,640 | 1045 | 0.8526 | |
| 5 | Felician University | 11700 | 58700 | 0.8008 | 2,131 | 1015 | 0.9722 | |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 7 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 49100 | 0.7312 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 9 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 10 | Northern Kentucky University | 14600 | 25900 | 0.4369 | 10,136 | 1110 | 0.9666 | |
| 11 | Murray State University | 14900 | 27000 | 0.4493 | 8,217 | 1124 | 0.8413 | |
| 12 | University of California-Irvine | 15100 | 38000 | 0.603 | 30,260 | 1333 | 0.2895 | |
| 13 | Troy University | 15400 | 26700 | 0.4231 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 14 | Appalachian State University | 15800 | 19500 | 0.1899 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 14 | Kansas State University | 15800 | 26100 | 0.3962 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 14 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 15800 | 26800 | 0.4108 | 4,789 | 1040 | 0.6671 | |
| 17 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 16000 | 22300 | 0.2822 | 26,213 | 1209 | 0.7778 | |
| 18 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 16100 | 25400 | 0.3667 | 9,040 | 1119 | 0.9666 | |
| 19 | University of Florida | 16300 | 22500 | 0.2755 | 37,283 | 1406 | 0.2033 | |
| 20 | Eastern Michigan University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5458 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 21 | West Virginia University | 16800 | 40900 | 0.589 | 18,206 | 1120 | 0.8514 | |
| 22 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17100 | 27800 | 0.3854 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 23 | University of Miami | 17700 | 95700 | 0.8149 | 13,241 | 1408 | 0.1761 | |
| 24 | College of Charleston | 18000 | 33900 | 0.4696 | 10,596 | 1234 | 0.73 | |
| 25 | Northern State University | 18100 | 27200 | 0.3346 | 3,177 | 1085 | 0.96 | |
| 26 | Illinois College | 19700 | 55200 | 0.6438 | 1,008 | 1059 | 0.7494 | |
| 26 | Wichita State University | 19700 | 29800 | 0.3384 | 14,906 | 1065 | 0.7224 | |
| 28 | Cleveland State University | 20000 | 30900 | 0.3523 | 9,418 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 28 | The College of Idaho | 20000 | 59900 | 0.6661 | 1,042 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 30 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20400 | 23200 | 0.1207 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 31 | Hiram College | 20600 | 48700 | 0.5766 | 991 | 1075 | 0.9748 | |
| 32 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.3258 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 33 | Washington State University | 21100 | 36200 | 0.4169 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 34 | Midwestern State University | 21200 | 28600 | 0.2583 | 4,303 | 1055 | 0.9347 | |
| 35 | University of Lynchburg | 21600 | 54900 | 0.6068 | 1,424 | 1099 | 0.6108 | |
| 36 | Bethany Lutheran College | 21800 | 46400 | 0.5309 | 889 | 1120 | 0.6406 | |
| 36 | Marian University | 21800 | 59800 | 0.635 | 2,378 | 1085 | 0.9546 | |
| 38 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32400 | 0.3091 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 39 | Fitchburg State University | 22800 | 33700 | 0.3235 | 3,000 | 1090 | 0.8885 | |
| 40 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 23000 | 48800 | 0.5288 | 1,650 | 1055 | 0.7039 | |
| 40 | Southern Connecticut State University | 23000 | 41000 | 0.4392 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 42 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 23100 | 60400 | 0.6179 | 1,810 | 1110 | 0.9298 | |
| 43 | Drury University | 23200 | 52900 | 0.5613 | 1,453 | 1209 | 0.6575 | |
| 44 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 23600 | 24900 | 0.0522 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 45 | Skidmore College | 23700 | 89100 | 0.7337 | 2,715 | 1418 | 0.2377 | |
| 46 | Boise State University | 24600 | 31200 | 0.2116 | 25,308 | 1025 | 0.8389 | |
| 47 | Augustana College | 24700 | 72800 | 0.6602 | 2,536 | 1157 | 0.6628 | |
| 47 | University at Buffalo | 24700 | 34000 | 0.2736 | 21,192 | 1309 | 0.8059 | |
| 49 | Ave Maria University | 25500 | 46600 | 0.453 | 1,320 | 1164 | 0.4139 | |
| 50 | Seattle Pacific University | 25700 | 70000 | 0.6328 | 1,657 | 1174 | 0.9301 | |
| 51 | Briar Cliff University | 26100 | 74200 | 0.6481 | 766 | 1075 | 0.5834 | |
| 52 | University of Arkansas | 26600 | 28900 | 0.0792 | 29,252 | 1179 | 0.7388 | |
| 53 | University of Idaho | 26700 | 45200 | 0.4089 | 9,656 | 1104 | 0.7476 | |
| 54 | Kennesaw State University | 27400 | 27400 | 0 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 55 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.6 | 1,356 | 1199 | 0.919 | |
| 55 | Creighton University | 27600 | 68000 | 0.5944 | 4,833 | 1328 | 0.9216 | |
| 57 | Florida Southern College | 27700 | 63200 | 0.5615 | 2,682 | 1264 | 0.6442 | |
| 58 | Winston-Salem State University | 27800 | 34300 | 0.1895 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 59 | Chestnut Hill College | 28100 | 60100 | 0.5323 | 868 | 995 | 0.7446 | |
| 60 | Augustana University | 28200 | 61200 | 0.5391 | 2,140 | 1189 | 0.7289 | |
| 61 | North Carolina Central University | 28600 | 40000 | 0.2849 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 62 | Northwest University | 29200 | 52300 | 0.4414 | 659 | 1189 | 0.8865 | |
| 63 | Southern Methodist University | 29700 | 90100 | 0.6703 | 7,545 | 1427 | 0.4764 | |
| 64 | University of Toledo | 30700 | 42000 | 0.2689 | 10,726 | 1134 | 0.8889 | |
| 65 | Ithaca College | 30800 | 72500 | 0.575 | 4,205 | 1328 | 0.7015 | |
| 65 | Life University | 30800 | 45500 | 0.323 | 832 | 980 | 0.5918 | |
| 67 | Central College | 31100 | 36800 | 0.155 | 1,050 | 1159 | 0.8698 | |
| 67 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4739 | 2,769 | 1229 | 0.9881 | |
| 69 | Gettysburg College | 32200 | 86500 | 0.6277 | 2,104 | 1369 | 0.389 | |
| 70 | Marquette University | 32700 | 66500 | 0.5082 | 8,206 | 1304 | 0.7802 | |
| 71 | Ursinus College | 33200 | 83700 | 0.6038 | 1,378 | 1303 | 0.9285 | |
| 72 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 33600 | 38200 | 0.1199 | 42,565 | 1339 | 0.7887 | |
| 73 | Auburn University | 33700 | 34100 | 0.0117 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 73 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,495 | 1436 | 0.4713 | |
| 75 | Gordon College | 33900 | 51300 | 0.3392 | 1,221 | 1226 | 0.9001 | |
| 76 | Gardner-Webb University | 34100 | 50400 | 0.3235 | 1,861 | 1110 | 0.7721 | |
| 77 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,056 | 1183 | 0.8994 | |
| 78 | Barry University | 35200 | 56400 | 0.3757 | 4,654 | 1005 | 0.9663 | |
| 79 | Averett University | 35400 | 57200 | 0.3813 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 79 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.5769 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 81 | The University of Tampa | 35500 | 56900 | 0.3758 | 10,710 | 1250 | 0.4363 | |
| 82 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 34,021 | 1195 | 0.6906 | |
| 83 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 35900 | 47500 | 0.2444 | 8,513 | 1160 | 0.9261 | |
| 84 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 36000 | 48500 | 0.2574 | 2,075 | 1090 | 0.8894 | |
| 85 | East Carolina University | 36900 | 42700 | 0.1355 | 21,693 | 1065 | 0.9003 | |
| 86 | University of Nevada-Reno | 37300 | 45800 | 0.1857 | 20,204 | 1109 | 0.8313 | |
| 87 | Vermont State University | 37400 | 38700 | 0.0336 | 4,087 | 960 | 0.8323 | |
| 88 | Queens University of Charlotte | 38000 | 68200 | 0.4426 | 1,210 | 1244 | 0.805 | |
| 89 | Saint Francis University | 38500 | 63100 | 0.3899 | 2,567 | 1150 | 0.7682 | |
| 90 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 38900 | 50300 | 0.2268 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 91 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 66100 | 0.4102 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 92 | University of South Alabama | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 93 | The University of Montana | 39800 | 45000 | 0.1155 | 8,014 | 1184 | 0.9586 | |
| 94 | California Baptist University | 39900 | 65600 | 0.3917 | 8,707 | 1024 | 0.8139 | |
| 94 | Fresno Pacific University | 39900 | 52200 | 0.2353 | 1,615 | 1075 | 0.6396 | |
| 96 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 57000 | 0.2774 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 97 | Montreat College | 41800 | 58100 | 0.2804 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 98 | Seattle University | 42500 | 85300 | 0.5016 | 4,370 | 1299 | 0.7313 | |
| 99 | Sacred Heart University | 42600 | 67500 | 0.3691 | 7,291 | 1265 | 0.6363 | |
| 100 | Shenandoah University | 44000 | 56600 | 0.2226 | 2,723 | 1154 | 0.7785 | |
| 101 | Ashland University | 44900 | 56400 | 0.204 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 102 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0425 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 103 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 53600 | 62800 | 0.1465 | 24,019 | 1404 | 0.5989 | |
| 104 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 57500 | 61400 | 0.0635 | 344 | 1125 | 0.8984 | |
| 105 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 59300 | 61600 | 0.0371 | 25,141 | 1256 | 0.7613 | |
| 106 | Mercyhurst University | 66000 | 68000 | 0.0294 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 | |
| 107 | Gonzaga University | 70800 | 76600 | 0.0757 | 4,976 | 1328 | 0.7962 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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