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 | 6600 | 38400 | 0.8291 | 1,500 | 1130 | 0.1097 | |
| 2 | Southern Utah University | 10300 | 22200 | 0.5371 | 13,176 | 1140 | 0.9998 | |
| 3 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 11200 | 18400 | 0.392 | 1,184 | 1015 | 0.7989 | |
| 4 | Northern Arizona University | 11500 | 27900 | 0.5865 | 22,203 | 1129 | 0.8961 | |
| 5 | Florida Atlantic University | 11800 | 25800 | 0.5433 | 25,626 | 1150 | 0.5497 | |
| 6 | Boston University | 12300 | 92800 | 0.8676 | 18,289 | 1475 | 0.1283 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 8 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 12600 | 12600 | 0 | 25,312 | 1134 | 0.7395 | |
| 8 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 12600 | 25700 | 0.5097 | 21,138 | 1134 | 0.9039 | |
| 8 | University of the Virgin Islands | 12600 | 22800 | 0.4467 | 1,650 | 900 | 0.9936 | |
| 11 | Eastern Illinois University | 12700 | 24300 | 0.4766 | 6,731 | 1020 | 0.7073 | |
| 12 | Fort Hays State University | 12800 | 22600 | 0.4368 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 12 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 12800 | 26500 | 0.5164 | 13,039 | 1020 | 0.894 | |
| 14 | Western Kentucky University | 13000 | 27000 | 0.5169 | 13,732 | 1090 | 0.9145 | |
| 15 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 49100 | 0.7312 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 16 | Livingstone College | 13300 | 29900 | 0.5558 | 925 | 890 | 0.5925 | |
| 17 | University of Delaware | 13500 | 34500 | 0.608 | 19,287 | 1302 | 0.6924 | |
| 18 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 19 | Arkansas Tech University | 14300 | 34400 | 0.5844 | 8,279 | 1055 | 0.9747 | |
| 19 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 21 | Florida Gulf Coast University | 14400 | 20300 | 0.29 | 14,434 | 1125 | 0.6344 | |
| 22 | Central Michigan University | 14500 | 37800 | 0.6157 | 10,238 | 1099 | 0.9104 | |
| 22 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 14500 | 26500 | 0.4515 | 23,003 | 1164 | 0.7367 | |
| 24 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14600 | 29600 | 0.5075 | 7,501 | 1055 | 0.9467 | |
| 25 | Stephen F Austin State University | 14700 | 23400 | 0.3714 | 9,905 | 1055 | 0.8339 | |
| 26 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 14800 | 31600 | 0.5323 | 7,402 | 1054 | 0.9684 | |
| 27 | Western Carolina University | 15400 | 16500 | 0.0668 | 10,268 | 1140 | 0.7076 | |
| 28 | Ball State University | 15700 | 22400 | 0.2995 | 15,950 | 1185 | 0.8625 | |
| 29 | Kansas State University | 15800 | 26100 | 0.3962 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 30 | University of North Texas at Dallas | 16000 | 25000 | 0.3601 | 2,953 | 975 | 0.8445 | |
| 31 | California State University-Long Beach | 16100 | 25800 | 0.3761 | 36,056 | 1135 | 0.4543 | |
| 32 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 16300 | 28200 | 0.4215 | 7,425 | 1074 | 0.9147 | |
| 33 | Eastern Michigan University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5459 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 34 | Ferris State University | 16500 | 31000 | 0.4685 | 8,980 | 1015 | 0.8237 | |
| 35 | West Virginia University | 16800 | 40900 | 0.589 | 18,206 | 1120 | 0.8514 | |
| 36 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 16900 | 26300 | 0.3574 | 19,787 | 1197 | 0.8807 | |
| 37 | Colorado Mesa University | 17400 | 28600 | 0.3917 | 9,459 | 1050 | 0.8314 | |
| 38 | Salem State University | 17500 | 28500 | 0.3859 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 39 | East Carolina University | 17600 | 26100 | 0.3256 | 21,693 | 1065 | 0.9003 | |
| 39 | Morgan State University | 17600 | 28500 | 0.3823 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 41 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 18100 | 25300 | 0.285 | 1,817 | 905 | 0.4118 | |
| 42 | Central Washington University | 18400 | 22700 | 0.1892 | 10,033 | 1060 | 0.9061 | |
| 43 | Delaware State University | 18700 | 42200 | 0.5563 | 4,581 | 930 | 0.4658 | |
| 44 | Framingham State University | 18800 | 31000 | 0.3937 | 2,782 | 1190 | 0.8366 | |
| 44 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 18800 | 32000 | 0.4129 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 44 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 18800 | 31000 | 0.394 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 47 | Grand Canyon University | 18900 | 33700 | 0.4392 | 75,936 | 1075 | 0.7891 | |
| 48 | University of New Orleans | 19200 | 27200 | 0.2941 | 5,419 | 1040 | 0.7431 | |
| 48 | University of South Alabama | 19200 | 22400 | 0.1431 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 50 | University of Mississippi | 19400 | 27000 | 0.2814 | 22,939 | 1172 | 0.9738 | |
| 51 | Saint Xavier University | 19500 | 53300 | 0.6329 | 3,100 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 51 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | 19500 | 30400 | 0.3584 | 2,881 | 1040 | 0.89 | |
| 53 | Central Connecticut State University | 19800 | 29500 | 0.3286 | 9,463 | 1020 | 0.793 | |
| 53 | Columbia College | 19800 | 35800 | 0.447 | 1,566 | 950 | 0.966 | |
| 55 | Youngstown State University | 19900 | 34000 | 0.4147 | 9,687 | 1120 | 0.9145 | |
| 56 | Bay Path University | 20100 | 55400 | 0.637 | 1,178 | 1110 | 0.8514 | |
| 56 | Georgia State University | 20100 | 26000 | 0.2271 | 26,785 | 1089 | 0.5722 | |
| 58 | Bellevue University | 20200 | 36400 | 0.4445 | 11,037 | 0 | 1 | |
| 58 | Lasell University | 20200 | 48500 | 0.5831 | 1,347 | 1095 | 0.7457 | |
| 58 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20200 | 29400 | 0.3124 | 5,196 | 1050 | 0.8422 | |
| 61 | Husson University | 20500 | 48100 | 0.5732 | 2,865 | 1174 | 0.8143 | |
| 62 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20700 | 39200 | 0.4722 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 63 | College of Coastal Georgia | 20800 | 29400 | 0.2925 | 3,609 | 1005 | 0.9885 | |
| 64 | Northern Michigan University | 21300 | 33100 | 0.3565 | 6,650 | 1100 | 0.8505 | |
| 65 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 21500 | 36400 | 0.4088 | 2,710 | 1218 | 0.9374 | |
| 66 | Bradley University | 21700 | 49900 | 0.5642 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 67 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 21800 | 37300 | 0.4156 | 26,490 | 1183 | 0.8863 | |
| 68 | South Dakota State University | 21900 | 25200 | 0.1305 | 10,883 | 1115 | 0.9618 | |
| 69 | Montana State University | 22300 | 27100 | 0.1769 | 15,142 | 1184 | 0.9938 | |
| 70 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32400 | 0.3091 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 70 | New York University | 22400 | 91800 | 0.7556 | 29,471 | 1520 | 0.0906 | |
| 72 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 22600 | 25400 | 0.1104 | 2,907 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 72 | The University of Alabama | 22600 | 31000 | 0.2708 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 74 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 22700 | 31300 | 0.2751 | 5,130 | 1099 | 0.8645 | |
| 75 | Saint Cloud State University | 22900 | 36800 | 0.3775 | 8,209 | 1079 | 0.948 | |
| 75 | San Jose State University | 22900 | 41100 | 0.4429 | 29,890 | 1135 | 0.8039 | |
| 77 | Robert Morris University | 23100 | 58000 | 0.6012 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 78 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 23400 | 26700 | 0.1233 | 7,290 | 1015 | 0.6409 | |
| 78 | York College of Pennsylvania | 23400 | 45800 | 0.4895 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 80 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 23600 | 90700 | 0.7398 | 8,727 | 1055 | 0.9703 | |
| 81 | Florida International University | 23700 | 23700 | 0 | 46,249 | 1180 | 0.6085 | |
| 81 | University of Kentucky | 23700 | 36400 | 0.3479 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 83 | Eastern Kentucky University | 24800 | 38400 | 0.3545 | 13,448 | 1075 | 0.9683 | |
| 83 | Temple University | 24800 | 36100 | 0.3132 | 21,031 | 1172 | 0.8622 | |
| 85 | Lewis University | 25100 | 57700 | 0.5649 | 4,914 | 1127 | 0.6916 | |
| 86 | Saint Leo University | 25300 | 50000 | 0.4938 | 7,519 | 1110 | 0.7877 | |
| 87 | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | 25700 | 39700 | 0.3527 | 2,477 | 930 | 0.9641 | |
| 88 | Michigan State University | 25800 | 28900 | 0.1089 | 41,415 | 1212 | 0.8324 | |
| 88 | Southeast Missouri State University | 25800 | 28600 | 0.0974 | 7,926 | 1070 | 0.6897 | |
| 90 | Iowa State University | 26000 | 42800 | 0.3914 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 91 | University of Southern Mississippi | 26500 | 26500 | 0 | 10,371 | 1181 | 0.926 | |
| 92 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | 26700 | 31800 | 0.1605 | 27,963 | 1090 | 0.8395 | |
| 93 | Northwood University | 26800 | 54500 | 0.5087 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 93 | Troy University | 26800 | 34700 | 0.2277 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 95 | Keystone College | 26900 | 50500 | 0.4678 | 676 | 1020 | 0.7385 | |
| 96 | California State University-Northridge | 27000 | 36500 | 0.2597 | 32,846 | 1005 | 0.9176 | |
| 97 | Kennesaw State University | 27400 | 27400 | 0 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 97 | University of North Alabama | 27400 | 37300 | 0.2655 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 99 | Lackawanna College | 27700 | 35500 | 0.2195 | 2,211 | 0 | 0.8619 | |
| 99 | North Dakota State University | 27700 | 30400 | 0.0886 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 99 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 27700 | 30000 | 0.0763 | 6,227 | 1184 | 0.9171 | |
| 102 | Mitchell College | 27800 | 66600 | 0.5826 | 442 | 817 | 0.9466 | |
| 102 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 27800 | 36700 | 0.2427 | 1,709 | 1218 | 0.9653 | |
| 104 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | 28100 | 69300 | 0.5943 | 2,012 | 1174 | 0.9631 | |
| 105 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 28200 | 50700 | 0.4452 | 927 | 1010 | 0.7653 | |
| 106 | University of North Texas | 28400 | 37400 | 0.2405 | 34,414 | 1094 | 0.7089 | |
| 107 | Roosevelt University | 28500 | 47600 | 0.4017 | 2,868 | 1049 | 0.9716 | |
| 108 | North Carolina Central University | 28600 | 40000 | 0.2849 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 109 | Flagler College | 28700 | 61200 | 0.5309 | 2,359 | 1175 | 0.787 | |
| 110 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29000 | 34000 | 0.1472 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 111 | California State University-East Bay | 29400 | 45100 | 0.3483 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 111 | Montclair State University | 29400 | 36300 | 0.1902 | 19,048 | 1005 | 0.894 | |
| 113 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 29700 | 31600 | 0.0601 | 7,088 | 1100 | 0.7448 | |
| 114 | Lipscomb University | 29800 | 57800 | 0.4841 | 3,327 | 1214 | 0.6774 | |
| 115 | University of West Florida | 30000 | 38000 | 0.2104 | 9,971 | 1120 | 0.5822 | |
| 116 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30600 | 78100 | 0.608 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 117 | San Francisco State University | 30800 | 47700 | 0.3544 | 19,444 | 1035 | 0.9644 | |
| 118 | Kent State University at Kent | 31200 | 37500 | 0.1678 | 21,144 | 1104 | 0.7603 | |
| 119 | San Diego State University | 31300 | 36100 | 0.1329 | 36,196 | 1208 | 0.3741 | |
| 120 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 32300 | 48400 | 0.3328 | 1,094 | 1109 | 0.8917 | |
| 121 | Belmont University | 32400 | 69900 | 0.5372 | 7,174 | 1273 | 0.9367 | |
| 122 | Liberty University | 33200 | 44600 | 0.2556 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 123 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 2,055 | 1188 | 0.9397 | |
| 124 | Warner University | 33500 | 41000 | 0.183 | 803 | 931 | 0.4281 | |
| 125 | Meredith College | 33900 | 64200 | 0.4721 | 1,212 | 1239 | 0.7506 | |
| 126 | Charleston Southern University | 34200 | 48400 | 0.295 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 127 | Southeastern University | 34400 | 60500 | 0.4312 | 11,981 | 1110 | 0.4247 | |
| 128 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 34700 | 38700 | 0.1034 | 14,865 | 1175 | 0.9113 | |
| 129 | Stockton University | 34800 | 44500 | 0.2181 | 7,583 | 1134 | 0.901 | |
| 130 | Culinary Institute of America | 35000 | 69900 | 0.4995 | 2,935 | 1050 | 0.9486 | |
| 130 | University of South Florida | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 39,093 | 1255 | 0.4071 | |
| 132 | Mount Mercy University | 35400 | 61200 | 0.4216 | 1,139 | 1110 | 0.8248 | |
| 133 | New Jersey City University | 35600 | 39800 | 0.1056 | 3,871 | 1015 | 0.9838 | |
| 134 | Virginia State University | 36000 | 42200 | 0.147 | 5,124 | 955 | 0.8863 | |
| 135 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 36300 | 53100 | 0.3162 | 32,041 | 1324 | 0.4358 | |
| 136 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 37200 | 57000 | 0.3472 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 137 | St. Thomas Aquinas College | 37300 | 64400 | 0.4211 | 2,138 | 1148 | 0.9469 | |
| 138 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 66300 | 0.436 | 31,536 | 1366 | 0.5457 | |
| 139 | DePaul University | 37800 | 66000 | 0.4275 | 14,338 | 1258 | 0.878 | |
| 140 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | 37900 | 38500 | 0.0156 | 2,162 | 1025 | 0.725 | |
| 141 | Washington State University | 38100 | 53900 | 0.2932 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 142 | Southern Connecticut State University | 38500 | 52900 | 0.2723 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 143 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 66100 | 0.4102 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 144 | University of Denver | 39200 | 76900 | 0.4905 | 5,766 | 1292 | 0.8538 | |
| 145 | University of San Francisco | 39300 | 84800 | 0.5364 | 5,171 | 1333 | 0.7176 | |
| 146 | Nichols College | 39600 | 59600 | 0.3359 | 1,163 | 1135 | 0.8084 | |
| 147 | University of Central Florida | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 60,083 | 1289 | 0.428 | |
| 148 | Appalachian State University | 40200 | 40600 | 0.0099 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 149 | Endicott College | 40300 | 64200 | 0.3722 | 3,195 | 1275 | 0.7121 | |
| 150 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | 40400 | 66000 | 0.3875 | 3,908 | 1050 | 0.8844 | |
| 151 | Webber International University | 40600 | 44400 | 0.0855 | 833 | 950 | 0.694 | |
| 152 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 57000 | 0.2774 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 153 | Middle Tennessee State University | 41400 | 46000 | 0.0999 | 18,042 | 1140 | 0.6909 | |
| 154 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4479 | 4,123 | 1124 | 0.6927 | |
| 155 | Campbell University | 44000 | 68700 | 0.3606 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 156 | St. John's University-New York | 44500 | 78000 | 0.4292 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 157 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2752 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 158 | James Madison University | 45200 | 45200 | 0 | 21,358 | 1259 | 0.6879 | |
| 159 | Drexel University | 47700 | 83900 | 0.4315 | 12,318 | 1354 | 0.699 | |
| 160 | University of Georgia | 49700 | 51600 | 0.0368 | 32,824 | 1348 | 0.3425 | |
| 161 | Lynn University | 51800 | 66000 | 0.2151 | 3,020 | 1135 | 0.7425 | |
| 162 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 53600 | 62800 | 0.1465 | 24,019 | 1404 | 0.5989 | |
| 163 | Dallas Baptist University | 55800 | 63400 | 0.1199 | 2,938 | 1073 | 0.9131 | |
| 164 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.092 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 165 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 166 | College of Charleston | 61200 | 61200 | 0 | 10,596 | 1234 | 0.73 | |
| 167 | Mercyhurst University | 66000 | 68000 | 0.0294 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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