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 | College of the Ozarks | 6700 | 34300 | 0.8058 | 1,500 | 1130 | 0.1097 | |
| 2 | California State University-Northridge | 8200 | 22000 | 0.6278 | 32,846 | 1005 | 0.9176 | |
| 3 | California State University-East Bay | 9000 | 45100 | 0.8008 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 4 | Saint Xavier University | 10300 | 57000 | 0.819 | 3,100 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 4 | Western Kentucky University | 10300 | 27500 | 0.6255 | 13,732 | 1090 | 0.9145 | |
| 6 | Eastern Kentucky University | 10900 | 22900 | 0.525 | 13,448 | 1075 | 0.9683 | |
| 6 | Southern Utah University | 10900 | 51400 | 0.7879 | 13,176 | 1140 | 0.9998 | |
| 6 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | 10900 | 27400 | 0.6019 | 27,963 | 1090 | 0.8395 | |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 11100 | 28100 | 0.6048 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 10 | Eastern Illinois University | 11800 | 24300 | 0.5138 | 6,731 | 1020 | 0.7073 | |
| 11 | University of West Florida | 12000 | 22200 | 0.459 | 9,971 | 1120 | 0.5822 | |
| 12 | Northern Arizona University | 12200 | 30400 | 0.5979 | 22,203 | 1129 | 0.8961 | |
| 13 | Boston University | 12700 | 93200 | 0.8637 | 18,289 | 1475 | 0.1283 | |
| 14 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 12900 | 26500 | 0.5126 | 13,039 | 1020 | 0.894 | |
| 15 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13000 | 40500 | 0.6789 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 16 | Livingstone College | 13100 | 43100 | 0.6963 | 925 | 890 | 0.5925 | |
| 16 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 13100 | 19400 | 0.3248 | 14,865 | 1175 | 0.9113 | |
| 18 | Central Connecticut State University | 13200 | 34200 | 0.6138 | 9,463 | 1020 | 0.793 | |
| 19 | Framingham State University | 13300 | 31000 | 0.5712 | 2,782 | 1190 | 0.8366 | |
| 19 | Northern Illinois University | 13300 | 32100 | 0.5853 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 19 | University of South Florida | 13300 | 22400 | 0.4067 | 39,093 | 1255 | 0.4071 | |
| 22 | Lewis University | 13400 | 57700 | 0.7675 | 4,914 | 1127 | 0.6916 | |
| 23 | Youngstown State University | 14100 | 28400 | 0.5033 | 9,687 | 1120 | 0.9145 | |
| 24 | Eastern Michigan University | 14200 | 33900 | 0.5805 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 24 | Salem State University | 14200 | 38300 | 0.6288 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 24 | San Francisco State University | 14200 | 47700 | 0.7025 | 19,444 | 1035 | 0.9644 | |
| 27 | University of the Virgin Islands | 14300 | 29600 | 0.5176 | 1,650 | 900 | 0.9936 | |
| 28 | Florida Gulf Coast University | 14400 | 20300 | 0.29 | 14,434 | 1125 | 0.6344 | |
| 29 | Arkansas Tech University | 14500 | 31400 | 0.5374 | 8,279 | 1055 | 0.9747 | |
| 30 | University of North Alabama | 14600 | 37300 | 0.6087 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 31 | Troy University | 14700 | 34700 | 0.5764 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 31 | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | 14700 | 30100 | 0.5123 | 2,477 | 930 | 0.9641 | |
| 33 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14900 | 50100 | 0.7023 | 7,501 | 1055 | 0.9467 | |
| 34 | Ball State University | 15000 | 22400 | 0.3305 | 15,950 | 1185 | 0.8625 | |
| 34 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 15000 | 31600 | 0.5259 | 7,402 | 1054 | 0.9684 | |
| 34 | Colorado Mesa University | 15000 | 66200 | 0.7739 | 9,459 | 1050 | 0.8314 | |
| 34 | West Virginia University | 15000 | 73100 | 0.7945 | 18,206 | 1120 | 0.8514 | |
| 38 | Northern Michigan University | 15200 | 33100 | 0.5408 | 6,650 | 1100 | 0.8505 | |
| 38 | University of Mississippi | 15200 | 27000 | 0.4369 | 22,939 | 1172 | 0.9738 | |
| 40 | Central Michigan University | 15400 | 38700 | 0.6019 | 10,238 | 1099 | 0.9104 | |
| 41 | University of North Texas at Dallas | 15500 | 25000 | 0.3801 | 2,953 | 975 | 0.8445 | |
| 42 | Florida State University | 15600 | 23000 | 0.322 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 43 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 15900 | 90700 | 0.8247 | 8,727 | 1055 | 0.9703 | |
| 43 | Kansas State University | 15900 | 26400 | 0.3953 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 43 | University of North Texas | 15900 | 26100 | 0.3905 | 34,414 | 1094 | 0.7089 | |
| 46 | Appalachian State University | 16100 | 26000 | 0.3809 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 47 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 16600 | 41200 | 0.5978 | 25,312 | 1134 | 0.7395 | |
| 47 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 16600 | 26500 | 0.3756 | 23,003 | 1164 | 0.7367 | |
| 47 | Stephen F Austin State University | 16600 | 27800 | 0.4022 | 9,905 | 1055 | 0.8339 | |
| 50 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | 16700 | 24300 | 0.3129 | 2,162 | 1025 | 0.725 | |
| 51 | Montclair State University | 17100 | 36000 | 0.5256 | 19,048 | 1005 | 0.894 | |
| 51 | North Carolina Central University | 17100 | 37500 | 0.5444 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 53 | Middle Tennessee State University | 17200 | 29000 | 0.4071 | 18,042 | 1140 | 0.6909 | |
| 54 | James Madison University | 17500 | 28900 | 0.3943 | 21,358 | 1259 | 0.6879 | |
| 54 | University of Kentucky | 17500 | 36500 | 0.5206 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 54 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 17500 | 44100 | 0.6035 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 57 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 17600 | 33300 | 0.4715 | 1,094 | 1109 | 0.8917 | |
| 58 | Morgan State University | 17800 | 42200 | 0.5786 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 59 | York College of Pennsylvania | 17900 | 45800 | 0.6097 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 60 | Georgia State University | 18100 | 26000 | 0.304 | 26,785 | 1089 | 0.5722 | |
| 60 | Kennesaw State University | 18100 | 27400 | 0.3391 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 60 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 18100 | 44300 | 0.5918 | 1,817 | 905 | 0.4118 | |
| 63 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 18200 | 18400 | 0.0109 | 1,184 | 1015 | 0.7989 | |
| 63 | San Jose State University | 18200 | 41100 | 0.5567 | 29,890 | 1135 | 0.8039 | |
| 65 | Bellevue University | 18300 | 41000 | 0.5539 | 11,037 | 0 | 1 | |
| 66 | Columbia College | 18400 | 60700 | 0.6964 | 1,566 | 950 | 0.966 | |
| 67 | Delaware State University | 18800 | 62600 | 0.6996 | 4,581 | 930 | 0.4658 | |
| 67 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 18800 | 32000 | 0.4129 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 69 | Western Carolina University | 19000 | 20500 | 0.0733 | 10,268 | 1140 | 0.7076 | |
| 70 | Husson University | 19200 | 48100 | 0.6002 | 2,865 | 1174 | 0.8143 | |
| 71 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 19500 | 30600 | 0.3626 | 7,425 | 1074 | 0.9147 | |
| 72 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | 20000 | 55300 | 0.6381 | 2,881 | 1040 | 0.89 | |
| 73 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20300 | 57800 | 0.6485 | 5,196 | 1050 | 0.8422 | |
| 74 | Bradley University | 20400 | 59500 | 0.6564 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 74 | Stockton University | 20400 | 45800 | 0.5547 | 7,583 | 1134 | 0.901 | |
| 76 | Saint Leo University | 20600 | 50000 | 0.5878 | 7,519 | 1110 | 0.7877 | |
| 77 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 20700 | 38100 | 0.4566 | 2,710 | 1218 | 0.9374 | |
| 77 | Washington State University | 20700 | 35900 | 0.4229 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 79 | College of Coastal Georgia | 20900 | 51600 | 0.5948 | 3,609 | 1005 | 0.9885 | |
| 79 | Ferris State University | 20900 | 31000 | 0.3263 | 8,980 | 1015 | 0.8237 | |
| 79 | University of New Orleans | 20900 | 30000 | 0.3029 | 5,419 | 1040 | 0.7431 | |
| 82 | Iowa State University | 21300 | 25700 | 0.1728 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 83 | Davis & Elkins College | 21500 | 51200 | 0.5805 | 663 | 902 | 0.9433 | |
| 84 | Grand Canyon University | 21700 | 34000 | 0.3613 | 75,936 | 1075 | 0.7891 | |
| 85 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 21800 | 37300 | 0.4156 | 26,490 | 1183 | 0.8863 | |
| 85 | South Dakota State University | 21800 | 25200 | 0.1346 | 10,883 | 1115 | 0.9618 | |
| 87 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 21900 | 39100 | 0.4402 | 2,907 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 88 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 22400 | 26000 | 0.1383 | 21,138 | 1134 | 0.9039 | |
| 89 | Meredith College | 22500 | 67400 | 0.666 | 1,212 | 1239 | 0.7506 | |
| 90 | The University of Alabama | 22600 | 33400 | 0.3232 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 91 | Saint Cloud State University | 22800 | 36800 | 0.3803 | 8,209 | 1079 | 0.948 | |
| 92 | Robert Morris University | 23000 | 58000 | 0.6031 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 93 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | 23300 | 89100 | 0.7384 | 2,012 | 1174 | 0.9631 | |
| 93 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 23300 | 26700 | 0.1273 | 7,290 | 1015 | 0.6409 | |
| 95 | Central Washington University | 23400 | 27900 | 0.1615 | 10,033 | 1060 | 0.9061 | |
| 96 | Lackawanna College | 23600 | 52100 | 0.5473 | 2,211 | 0 | 0.8619 | |
| 97 | Florida International University | 23700 | 23700 | 0 | 46,249 | 1180 | 0.6085 | |
| 98 | Montana State University | 24400 | 24400 | 0 | 15,142 | 1184 | 0.9938 | |
| 99 | Keystone College | 24500 | 50500 | 0.5153 | 676 | 1020 | 0.7385 | |
| 100 | Fort Hays State University | 24700 | 28500 | 0.1331 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 101 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 24800 | 37700 | 0.342 | 5,130 | 1099 | 0.8645 | |
| 102 | Temple University | 24900 | 36100 | 0.3105 | 21,031 | 1172 | 0.8622 | |
| 103 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 25400 | 31100 | 0.1833 | 19,787 | 1197 | 0.8807 | |
| 104 | Southeast Missouri State University | 25700 | 28600 | 0.1011 | 7,926 | 1070 | 0.6897 | |
| 105 | Northwood University | 25800 | 54500 | 0.5271 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 106 | New Jersey City University | 26600 | 39800 | 0.332 | 3,871 | 1015 | 0.9838 | |
| 107 | University of Southern Mississippi | 27200 | 27200 | 0 | 10,371 | 1181 | 0.926 | |
| 108 | California State University-Long Beach | 27300 | 38800 | 0.2963 | 36,056 | 1135 | 0.4543 | |
| 109 | North Dakota State University | 27600 | 30400 | 0.092 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 109 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 27600 | 30000 | 0.0798 | 6,227 | 1184 | 0.9171 | |
| 111 | Mitchell College | 27800 | 63900 | 0.5647 | 442 | 817 | 0.9466 | |
| 112 | Flagler College | 28100 | 61900 | 0.5456 | 2,359 | 1175 | 0.787 | |
| 113 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 28200 | 50700 | 0.4453 | 927 | 1010 | 0.7653 | |
| 114 | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | 28500 | 69700 | 0.5912 | 765 | 1020 | 0.6617 | |
| 114 | Roosevelt University | 28500 | 47600 | 0.4028 | 2,868 | 1049 | 0.9716 | |
| 116 | Oregon State University | 28800 | 36700 | 0.216 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 117 | New York University | 29000 | 92100 | 0.6851 | 29,471 | 1520 | 0.0906 | |
| 118 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 29300 | 112100 | 0.7385 | 4,999 | 1258 | 0.9296 | |
| 119 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29400 | 34200 | 0.1402 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 120 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30300 | 78300 | 0.6131 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 120 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 30300 | 33200 | 0.0872 | 7,088 | 1100 | 0.7448 | |
| 122 | Southeastern University | 30800 | 79400 | 0.6123 | 11,981 | 1110 | 0.4247 | |
| 123 | Kent State University at Kent | 31100 | 37500 | 0.1706 | 21,144 | 1104 | 0.7603 | |
| 123 | Warner University | 31100 | 41000 | 0.2414 | 803 | 931 | 0.4281 | |
| 125 | Lasell University | 31400 | 50800 | 0.3822 | 1,347 | 1095 | 0.7457 | |
| 126 | Wilkes University | 32400 | 61900 | 0.4765 | 2,055 | 1188 | 0.9397 | |
| 127 | Liberty University | 32500 | 44700 | 0.2729 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 128 | University of Illinois Chicago | 32700 | 51300 | 0.3625 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 129 | Belmont University | 33200 | 72300 | 0.5399 | 7,174 | 1273 | 0.9367 | |
| 130 | St. John's University-New York | 34000 | 83800 | 0.5946 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 131 | Charleston Southern University | 34100 | 48400 | 0.2971 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 132 | DePaul University | 34200 | 69400 | 0.5069 | 14,338 | 1258 | 0.878 | |
| 133 | Culinary Institute of America | 34800 | 91000 | 0.6176 | 2,935 | 1050 | 0.9486 | |
| 134 | Southern Connecticut State University | 35100 | 42000 | 0.1643 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 135 | Bay Path University | 35300 | 57500 | 0.3863 | 1,178 | 1110 | 0.8514 | |
| 135 | Mount Mercy University | 35300 | 61200 | 0.4224 | 1,139 | 1110 | 0.8248 | |
| 137 | San Diego State University | 36100 | 37100 | 0.027 | 36,196 | 1208 | 0.3741 | |
| 137 | University of South Alabama | 36100 | 40200 | 0.1021 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 139 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 36200 | 54000 | 0.3297 | 32,041 | 1324 | 0.4358 | |
| 140 | East Carolina University | 36800 | 42700 | 0.1381 | 21,693 | 1065 | 0.9003 | |
| 141 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 37100 | 53600 | 0.308 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 142 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 66700 | 0.4394 | 31,536 | 1366 | 0.5457 | |
| 143 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 69800 | 0.4415 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 144 | University of Denver | 39200 | 84100 | 0.5341 | 5,766 | 1292 | 0.8538 | |
| 145 | Endicott College | 39600 | 65400 | 0.3943 | 3,195 | 1275 | 0.7121 | |
| 145 | Nichols College | 39600 | 59600 | 0.3359 | 1,163 | 1135 | 0.8084 | |
| 147 | Drexel University | 39700 | 86400 | 0.5408 | 12,318 | 1354 | 0.699 | |
| 148 | St. Thomas Aquinas College | 39800 | 64500 | 0.3832 | 2,138 | 1148 | 0.9469 | |
| 149 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | 40400 | 66000 | 0.3882 | 3,908 | 1050 | 0.8844 | |
| 150 | Webber International University | 40500 | 44400 | 0.0878 | 833 | 950 | 0.694 | |
| 151 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41100 | 58700 | 0.3 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 152 | Virginia State University | 41600 | 42800 | 0.028 | 5,124 | 955 | 0.8863 | |
| 153 | University of Central Florida | 42100 | 42800 | 0.0164 | 60,083 | 1289 | 0.428 | |
| 154 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 42500 | 63300 | 0.3287 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 155 | Merrimack College | 43400 | 78800 | 0.4492 | 4,123 | 1124 | 0.6927 | |
| 156 | Campbell University | 43900 | 68700 | 0.3621 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 157 | Florida Atlantic University | 45300 | 45300 | 0 | 25,626 | 1150 | 0.5497 | |
| 158 | University of Delaware | 47700 | 62400 | 0.2363 | 19,287 | 1302 | 0.6924 | |
| 159 | Lipscomb University | 48800 | 69900 | 0.3025 | 3,327 | 1214 | 0.6774 | |
| 160 | Michigan State University | 49200 | 56200 | 0.1245 | 41,415 | 1212 | 0.8324 | |
| 161 | College of Charleston | 49800 | 62300 | 0.2005 | 10,596 | 1234 | 0.73 | |
| 162 | Lynn University | 51700 | 71600 | 0.2779 | 3,020 | 1135 | 0.7425 | |
| 163 | University of Georgia | 52100 | 52100 | 0 | 32,824 | 1348 | 0.3425 | |
| 164 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 53500 | 63400 | 0.1562 | 24,019 | 1404 | 0.5989 | |
| 165 | University of San Francisco | 54900 | 87200 | 0.3704 | 5,171 | 1333 | 0.7176 | |
| 166 | Dallas Baptist University | 55800 | 84300 | 0.3381 | 2,938 | 1073 | 0.9131 | |
| 167 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58300 | 63600 | 0.0834 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 168 | Auburn University | 59400 | 59400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 169 | Mercyhurst University | 61100 | 68000 | 0.1014 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 | |
| 170 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 63700 | 63700 | 0 | 1,709 | 1218 | 0.9653 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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