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 | Boston University | 5900 | 88800 | 0.934 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 2 | North Carolina Central University | 7000 | 27000 | 0.7416 | 6,595 | 971 | 0.8697 | |
| 3 | Arkansas Tech University | 9900 | 22900 | 0.5671 | 8,145 | 1035 | 0.9589 | |
| 4 | Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | 11700 | 41000 | 0.7142 | 724 | 965 | 0.7913 | |
| 5 | New York University | 12100 | 91800 | 0.868 | 29,060 | 1520 | 0.0923 | |
| 6 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 12200 | 29900 | 0.5919 | 12,498 | 1010 | 0.8896 | |
| 7 | Northern Illinois University | 12300 | 29000 | 0.5739 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 8 | University of West Florida | 12400 | 21500 | 0.4227 | 9,661 | 1120 | 0.5687 | |
| 9 | Eastern Illinois University | 12700 | 24500 | 0.4795 | 6,785 | 1020 | 0.6535 | |
| 10 | Fort Hays State University | 13300 | 22000 | 0.3956 | 10,206 | 1120 | 0.9177 | |
| 11 | Florida Gulf Coast University | 13500 | 22500 | 0.4006 | 14,243 | 1125 | 0.7675 | |
| 12 | University of South Florida | 13700 | 17100 | 0.1987 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 13 | University of North Texas at Dallas | 13800 | 25000 | 0.4475 | 3,018 | 920 | 0.9386 | |
| 14 | Northern Arizona University | 14000 | 25400 | 0.4509 | 22,991 | 1145 | 0.8961 | |
| 15 | Kansas State University | 14100 | 26100 | 0.4583 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8199 | |
| 16 | West Virginia University | 14200 | 23300 | 0.3905 | 18,614 | 1125 | 0.778 | |
| 17 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 14300 | 26500 | 0.4624 | 22,351 | 1159 | 0.7504 | |
| 18 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14500 | 41100 | 0.6478 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 18 | Western Carolina University | 14500 | 19600 | 0.2602 | 10,112 | 1130 | 0.818 | |
| 20 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 14600 | 31600 | 0.5375 | 7,290 | 1035 | 0.6409 | |
| 21 | Central Michigan University | 15200 | 40600 | 0.6257 | 10,219 | 1095 | 0.8982 | |
| 22 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 15500 | 32300 | 0.5208 | 2,836 | 1170 | 0.3787 | |
| 23 | Livingstone College | 15600 | 29900 | 0.4788 | 799 | 855 | 0.7409 | |
| 24 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 15900 | 28800 | 0.4478 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 24 | Troy University | 15900 | 26700 | 0.4044 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 26 | Appalachian State University | 16100 | 19500 | 0.1742 | 19,560 | 1159 | 0.9014 | |
| 27 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 16400 | 30700 | 0.4662 | 6,910 | 1053 | 0.9734 | |
| 27 | Middle Tennessee State University | 16400 | 23200 | 0.2928 | 17,668 | 1124 | 0.68 | |
| 29 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 16600 | 25700 | 0.3541 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 29 | Southeast Missouri State University | 16600 | 30300 | 0.4531 | 7,926 | 1080 | 0.6897 | |
| 31 | Ferris State University | 16800 | 31000 | 0.4588 | 8,989 | 1015 | 0.9151 | |
| 32 | University of Georgia | 17000 | 27100 | 0.373 | 31,514 | 1336 | 0.3719 | |
| 33 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | 17100 | 27400 | 0.3757 | 27,082 | 1099 | 0.8459 | |
| 34 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 17200 | 26300 | 0.3464 | 19,701 | 1214 | 0.8749 | |
| 34 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | 17200 | 24300 | 0.2923 | 2,067 | 1025 | 0.6918 | |
| 36 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 17700 | 26700 | 0.3376 | 4,894 | 1090 | 0.8596 | |
| 37 | Husson University | 17800 | 48100 | 0.6293 | 2,762 | 1115 | 0.8095 | |
| 37 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus | 17800 | 28800 | 0.3822 | 7,353 | 1085 | 0.9077 | |
| 37 | University of South Alabama | 17800 | 22400 | 0.2057 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 40 | Delaware State University | 18300 | 33100 | 0.4474 | 4,941 | 960 | 0.6167 | |
| 41 | College of Coastal Georgia | 18600 | 32900 | 0.4352 | 3,468 | 985 | 0.9813 | |
| 41 | Framingham State University | 18600 | 31000 | 0.4001 | 2,817 | 1125 | 0.8491 | |
| 43 | Eastern Michigan University | 18800 | 36100 | 0.4792 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 44 | San Jose State University | 19200 | 29900 | 0.3576 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 45 | Youngstown State University | 19300 | 29300 | 0.3409 | 8,436 | 1065 | 0.8066 | |
| 46 | University of Mississippi | 19400 | 27000 | 0.2814 | 21,585 | 1182 | 0.9658 | |
| 47 | Western Kentucky University | 19500 | 26800 | 0.2725 | 14,151 | 1090 | 0.9387 | |
| 48 | Georgia State University | 19800 | 26000 | 0.2386 | 27,438 | 1089 | 0.5543 | |
| 48 | University of Southern Mississippi | 19800 | 26300 | 0.2468 | 10,193 | 1181 | 0.9912 | |
| 50 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | 20100 | 28600 | 0.2977 | 2,634 | 1030 | 0.8841 | |
| 51 | Piedmont University | 20200 | 47200 | 0.572 | 1,159 | 1130 | 0.9328 | |
| 51 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 20200 | 43700 | 0.5382 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5499 | |
| 53 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20600 | 38100 | 0.4588 | 11,365 | 1216 | 0.8816 | |
| 54 | San Diego State University | 20700 | 28100 | 0.2635 | 34,637 | 1208 | 0.3598 | |
| 55 | Central Connecticut State University | 21000 | 34000 | 0.3821 | 8,170 | 1010 | 0.7333 | |
| 56 | Saint Peter's University | 21300 | 66300 | 0.6785 | 2,101 | 1070 | 0.9053 | |
| 57 | Stockton University | 21500 | 32100 | 0.33 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 58 | Madonna University | 21900 | 50400 | 0.5655 | 1,839 | 1005 | 0.9293 | |
| 59 | South Dakota State University | 22000 | 25200 | 0.1263 | 10,728 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 60 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 61 | Cleary University | 22300 | 47200 | 0.5279 | 811 | 1060 | 0.5097 | |
| 61 | Southern Connecticut State University | 22300 | 52500 | 0.5758 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 63 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 22400 | 32000 | 0.2999 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 64 | Columbia College | 22600 | 36800 | 0.3864 | 1,268 | 950 | 0.9614 | |
| 64 | Florida State University | 22600 | 25000 | 0.0962 | 32,711 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 66 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 22900 | 22900 | 0 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 66 | Washington State University | 22900 | 36800 | 0.3783 | 14,346 | 1139 | 0.8797 | |
| 68 | Robert Morris University | 23200 | 58000 | 0.5994 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 69 | Saint Leo University | 23400 | 50000 | 0.5318 | 7,603 | 1085 | 0.721 | |
| 70 | Keystone College | 23900 | 42900 | 0.4426 | 894 | 1035 | 0.848 | |
| 71 | University of the Virgin Islands | 24100 | 37000 | 0.349 | 1,569 | 925 | 0.9898 | |
| 72 | Meredith College | 24200 | 65900 | 0.6327 | 1,206 | 1237 | 0.7418 | |
| 72 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 24200 | 39200 | 0.3828 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 74 | University of New Orleans | 24300 | 31000 | 0.2161 | 5,476 | 1125 | 0.6677 | |
| 75 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 24400 | 76300 | 0.6804 | 7,703 | 1105 | 0.9556 | |
| 76 | Saint Cloud State University | 24500 | 35100 | 0.303 | 8,013 | 1094 | 0.9495 | |
| 77 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 24700 | 42300 | 0.4158 | 1,905 | 965 | 0.5754 | |
| 78 | Northern Michigan University | 24800 | 32900 | 0.2465 | 6,684 | 1100 | 0.8402 | |
| 79 | Montana State University | 24900 | 31400 | 0.207 | 15,053 | 1184 | 0.8214 | |
| 79 | Temple University | 24900 | 36300 | 0.3143 | 21,428 | 1245 | 0.8045 | |
| 81 | Flagler College | 25100 | 37800 | 0.3362 | 2,409 | 785 | 0.8076 | |
| 81 | New Jersey City University | 25100 | 39800 | 0.3697 | 4,209 | 1015 | 0.8918 | |
| 83 | Bellevue University | 25200 | 25700 | 0.0194 | 11,096 | 0 | 0.995 | |
| 84 | Ball State University | 25400 | 25900 | 0.0193 | 15,189 | 1170 | 0.855 | |
| 85 | California State University-Northridge | 25900 | 36600 | 0.2919 | 32,499 | 1005 | 0.9219 | |
| 85 | Lakeland University | 25900 | 56500 | 0.5415 | 2,318 | 1000 | 0.914 | |
| 85 | Northwood University | 25900 | 54500 | 0.5252 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 88 | Iowa State University | 26100 | 42800 | 0.3889 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 88 | Roosevelt University | 26100 | 43300 | 0.3958 | 2,605 | 1015 | 0.9427 | |
| 90 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 26300 | 36800 | 0.2853 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 90 | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | 26300 | 39000 | 0.3255 | 2,233 | 930 | 0.9036 | |
| 92 | University of North Alabama | 26900 | 41500 | 0.352 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 93 | Kennesaw State University | 27000 | 27000 | 0 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 94 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | 27100 | 55200 | 0.5088 | 1,997 | 1160 | 0.9526 | |
| 95 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 27300 | 29500 | 0.0741 | 6,124 | 1159 | 0.8747 | |
| 96 | Southern Utah University | 27400 | 35600 | 0.2301 | 13,126 | 1140 | 0.8179 | |
| 97 | Central Washington University | 27600 | 27800 | 0.0072 | 10,033 | 1060 | 0.9061 | |
| 97 | University of North Texas | 27600 | 37400 | 0.2622 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 99 | North Dakota State University | 27800 | 30400 | 0.0851 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 100 | California State University-Long Beach | 28000 | 38400 | 0.2712 | 35,843 | 1135 | 0.4628 | |
| 101 | Florida Atlantic University | 28100 | 39200 | 0.2834 | 24,942 | 1130 | 0.6613 | |
| 102 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 28200 | 50700 | 0.4451 | 582 | 1010 | 0.9073 | |
| 103 | Mitchell College | 28400 | 65900 | 0.5687 | 500 | 817 | 0.7336 | |
| 104 | Lipscomb University | 28500 | 57600 | 0.5052 | 3,327 | 1214 | 0.6774 | |
| 105 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 28700 | 78100 | 0.6326 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 106 | Salem State University | 29400 | 38900 | 0.244 | 4,853 | 1100 | 0.9557 | |
| 107 | California State University-East Bay | 29900 | 43000 | 0.3044 | 10,562 | 940 | 0.9681 | |
| 108 | Kent State University at Kent | 30000 | 37500 | 0.2 | 20,841 | 1105 | 0.8634 | |
| 109 | Belmont University | 30200 | 67800 | 0.5538 | 7,167 | 1273 | 0.9528 | |
| 110 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 30600 | 43700 | 0.2995 | 1,002 | 1115 | 0.8898 | |
| 111 | Culinary Institute of America | 30700 | 69500 | 0.558 | 3,011 | 1050 | 0.981 | |
| 112 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 31100 | 63700 | 0.5114 | 1,184 | 1015 | 0.7989 | |
| 112 | Siena Heights University | 31100 | 46300 | 0.3283 | 1,669 | 1000 | 0.6656 | |
| 114 | San Francisco State University | 31200 | 45200 | 0.3099 | 20,756 | 1035 | 0.9615 | |
| 115 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 31300 | 41100 | 0.2387 | 25,255 | 1134 | 0.737 | |
| 116 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | 32100 | 44800 | 0.2835 | 3,856 | 1169 | 0.7518 | |
| 117 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 32300 | 34700 | 0.0691 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 118 | Southern New Hampshire University | 32400 | 47600 | 0.3192 | 159,653 | 965 | 0.9612 | |
| 119 | Widener University | 32500 | 75300 | 0.5682 | 2,811 | 1155 | 0.8402 | |
| 120 | California Lutheran University | 32700 | 65800 | 0.5027 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 120 | Southeastern University | 32700 | 60500 | 0.4592 | 10,351 | 1130 | 0.6165 | |
| 122 | Liberty University | 32800 | 43900 | 0.2528 | 52,823 | 1181 | 0.9932 | |
| 123 | Colorado Mesa University | 33000 | 40000 | 0.1736 | 9,473 | 1050 | 0.9829 | |
| 124 | Virginia State University | 33300 | 42200 | 0.2111 | 4,829 | 935 | 0.891 | |
| 125 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 1,956 | 1153 | 0.9146 | |
| 126 | Lasell University | 33500 | 47000 | 0.287 | 1,293 | 1139 | 0.927 | |
| 127 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 33600 | 46200 | 0.2729 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 128 | Stephen F Austin State University | 33700 | 42800 | 0.2126 | 9,129 | 1060 | 0.7445 | |
| 129 | Charleston Southern University | 34300 | 48400 | 0.2928 | 2,914 | 1070 | 0.7609 | |
| 130 | DePaul University | 34900 | 56200 | 0.3791 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 131 | St. Thomas Aquinas College | 35300 | 64400 | 0.4522 | 1,889 | 985 | 0.9305 | |
| 132 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35700 | 47300 | 0.2452 | 2,862 | 1194 | 0.757 | |
| 132 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 35700 | 43500 | 0.1794 | 13,179 | 1110 | 0.8883 | |
| 134 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 36300 | 53300 | 0.3189 | 1,044 | 1095 | 0.7209 | |
| 135 | Ashland University | 36400 | 52700 | 0.3091 | 5,180 | 1145 | 0.8053 | |
| 135 | University of Denver | 36400 | 76800 | 0.5259 | 6,619 | 1323 | 0.7729 | |
| 137 | Florida International University | 36500 | 36800 | 0.0081 | 44,904 | 1175 | 0.5466 | |
| 138 | University of Central Florida | 36700 | 39600 | 0.0733 | 59,649 | 1280 | 0.4471 | |
| 139 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 140 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38400 | 38400 | 0 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 141 | Nichols College | 39600 | 59600 | 0.3359 | 1,152 | 1070 | 0.8814 | |
| 141 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 39600 | 53700 | 0.2626 | 23,920 | 1390 | 0.5973 | |
| 143 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | 40500 | 66000 | 0.3868 | 3,908 | 1050 | 0.8844 | |
| 144 | Webber International University | 40700 | 44400 | 0.0831 | 879 | 965 | 0.7756 | |
| 145 | Endicott College | 40800 | 63200 | 0.3544 | 3,176 | 1215 | 0.7229 | |
| 146 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41300 | 53900 | 0.2337 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 147 | York College of Pennsylvania | 41400 | 41400 | 0 | 3,308 | 1135 | 0.942 | |
| 148 | Campbell University | 41600 | 65100 | 0.3608 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 149 | St. John's University-New York | 42100 | 80100 | 0.4742 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 150 | University of Alaska Anchorage | 42200 | 42200 | 0 | 9,965 | 1095 | 0.5958 | |
| 151 | Mercyhurst University | 42500 | 66400 | 0.3601 | 2,274 | 1189 | 0.8102 | |
| 152 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 42600 | 55100 | 0.227 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 153 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4478 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 154 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2747 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 155 | Montclair State University | 46300 | 46600 | 0.0064 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 156 | James Madison University | 46400 | 46400 | 0 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 157 | Michigan State University | 47200 | 56200 | 0.1601 | 41,234 | 1223 | 0.848 | |
| 157 | University of Delaware | 47200 | 53200 | 0.1127 | 19,119 | 1303 | 0.6356 | |
| 159 | The University of Alabama | 48800 | 48800 | 0 | 34,389 | 1233 | 0.7665 | |
| 160 | College of Charleston | 49600 | 59000 | 0.1594 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 161 | University of Kentucky | 51000 | 56000 | 0.0893 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 162 | Drexel University | 51100 | 82600 | 0.3812 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 163 | Lynn University | 51500 | 64200 | 0.1979 | 2,861 | 1130 | 0.7347 | |
| 164 | University of San Francisco | 53500 | 83200 | 0.3568 | 5,321 | 1292 | 0.6171 | |
| 165 | Auburn University | 55400 | 55400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 166 | Dallas Baptist University | 55900 | 56100 | 0.0036 | 2,785 | 1104 | 0.8884 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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