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 | Stephen F Austin State University | 10000 | 27800 | 0.6392 | 9,905 | 1055 | 0.8339 | |
| 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 | 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 | |
| 10 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 12800 | 26500 | 0.5164 | 13,039 | 1020 | 0.894 | |
| 11 | University of South Florida | 12900 | 17100 | 0.2454 | 39,093 | 1255 | 0.4071 | |
| 12 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 49100 | 0.7312 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 13 | Livingstone College | 13300 | 29900 | 0.5558 | 925 | 890 | 0.5925 | |
| 14 | University of Delaware | 13500 | 34500 | 0.6079 | 19,287 | 1302 | 0.6924 | |
| 15 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 16 | Arkansas Tech University | 14300 | 34400 | 0.5844 | 8,279 | 1055 | 0.9747 | |
| 16 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 18 | Florida Gulf Coast University | 14400 | 20300 | 0.29 | 14,434 | 1125 | 0.6344 | |
| 19 | Central Michigan University | 14500 | 37800 | 0.6157 | 10,238 | 1099 | 0.9104 | |
| 19 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 14500 | 26500 | 0.4515 | 23,003 | 1164 | 0.7367 | |
| 21 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14600 | 29600 | 0.5075 | 7,501 | 1055 | 0.9467 | |
| 22 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 14800 | 31600 | 0.5323 | 7,402 | 1054 | 0.9684 | |
| 23 | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | 15300 | 26900 | 0.4309 | 2,477 | 930 | 0.9641 | |
| 24 | Troy University | 15400 | 26700 | 0.4231 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 24 | Western Carolina University | 15400 | 16500 | 0.0668 | 10,268 | 1140 | 0.7076 | |
| 26 | Ball State University | 15700 | 22400 | 0.2995 | 15,950 | 1185 | 0.8625 | |
| 27 | Appalachian State University | 15800 | 19500 | 0.1899 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 27 | University of North Texas | 15800 | 26100 | 0.3953 | 34,414 | 1094 | 0.7089 | |
| 29 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 16300 | 28200 | 0.4215 | 7,425 | 1074 | 0.9147 | |
| 30 | Eastern Michigan University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5458 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 31 | Ferris State University | 16500 | 31000 | 0.4685 | 8,980 | 1015 | 0.8237 | |
| 31 | West Virginia University | 16500 | 40900 | 0.5963 | 18,206 | 1120 | 0.8514 | |
| 33 | Middle Tennessee State University | 17200 | 23200 | 0.2586 | 18,042 | 1140 | 0.6909 | |
| 34 | Colorado Mesa University | 17400 | 28600 | 0.3917 | 9,459 | 1050 | 0.8314 | |
| 35 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | 17600 | 27400 | 0.3575 | 27,963 | 1090 | 0.8395 | |
| 36 | College of Charleston | 18000 | 33900 | 0.4696 | 10,596 | 1234 | 0.73 | |
| 37 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 18100 | 25300 | 0.285 | 1,817 | 905 | 0.4118 | |
| 38 | University of Mississippi | 18300 | 45000 | 0.5938 | 22,939 | 1172 | 0.9738 | |
| 39 | Delaware State University | 18700 | 42200 | 0.5563 | 4,581 | 930 | 0.4658 | |
| 40 | Framingham State University | 18800 | 31000 | 0.3937 | 2,782 | 1190 | 0.8366 | |
| 40 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 18800 | 31000 | 0.394 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 42 | Grand Canyon University | 18900 | 33700 | 0.4392 | 75,936 | 1075 | 0.7891 | |
| 43 | Saint Xavier University | 19500 | 53300 | 0.6329 | 3,100 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 44 | Central Connecticut State University | 19800 | 29500 | 0.3286 | 9,463 | 1020 | 0.793 | |
| 44 | Columbia College | 19800 | 35800 | 0.447 | 1,566 | 950 | 0.966 | |
| 46 | Iowa State University | 19900 | 24200 | 0.1788 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 46 | University of New Orleans | 19900 | 30600 | 0.3502 | 5,419 | 1040 | 0.7431 | |
| 46 | Youngstown State University | 19900 | 34000 | 0.4147 | 9,687 | 1120 | 0.9145 | |
| 49 | Bay Path University | 20100 | 55400 | 0.637 | 1,178 | 1110 | 0.8514 | |
| 49 | Georgia State University | 20100 | 26000 | 0.2271 | 26,785 | 1089 | 0.5722 | |
| 49 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20100 | 39900 | 0.4965 | 5,196 | 1050 | 0.8422 | |
| 52 | Bellevue University | 20200 | 36400 | 0.4444 | 11,037 | 0 | 1 | |
| 52 | Lasell University | 20200 | 48500 | 0.5831 | 1,347 | 1095 | 0.7457 | |
| 54 | Eastern Illinois University | 20400 | 28100 | 0.2733 | 6,731 | 1020 | 0.7073 | |
| 55 | Husson University | 20500 | 48100 | 0.5732 | 2,865 | 1174 | 0.8143 | |
| 56 | Northern Michigan University | 21300 | 33100 | 0.3565 | 6,650 | 1100 | 0.8505 | |
| 57 | Bradley University | 21700 | 49900 | 0.5642 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 58 | South Dakota State University | 21900 | 25200 | 0.1303 | 10,883 | 1115 | 0.9618 | |
| 59 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 22100 | 25900 | 0.1446 | 6,227 | 1184 | 0.9171 | |
| 60 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32400 | 0.3091 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 60 | New York University | 22400 | 91800 | 0.7556 | 29,471 | 1520 | 0.0906 | |
| 60 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 63 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 22600 | 25400 | 0.1104 | 2,907 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 64 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 22700 | 31300 | 0.2751 | 5,130 | 1099 | 0.8645 | |
| 65 | Saint Cloud State University | 22900 | 36800 | 0.3773 | 8,209 | 1079 | 0.948 | |
| 65 | San Jose State University | 22900 | 41100 | 0.4429 | 29,890 | 1135 | 0.8039 | |
| 67 | Robert Morris University | 23100 | 58000 | 0.6012 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 67 | University of Southern Mississippi | 23100 | 23100 | 0 | 10,371 | 1181 | 0.926 | |
| 69 | Central Washington University | 23400 | 27900 | 0.1615 | 10,033 | 1060 | 0.9061 | |
| 69 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 23400 | 26700 | 0.1231 | 7,290 | 1015 | 0.6409 | |
| 69 | York College of Pennsylvania | 23400 | 45800 | 0.4895 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 72 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 23600 | 90700 | 0.7398 | 8,727 | 1055 | 0.9703 | |
| 73 | University of Kentucky | 23700 | 36400 | 0.3478 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 74 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | 24500 | 36300 | 0.3247 | 2,881 | 1040 | 0.89 | |
| 75 | Eastern Kentucky University | 24800 | 38400 | 0.3545 | 13,448 | 1075 | 0.9683 | |
| 75 | Temple University | 24800 | 36100 | 0.3132 | 21,031 | 1172 | 0.8622 | |
| 77 | Lewis University | 25100 | 57700 | 0.5649 | 4,914 | 1127 | 0.6916 | |
| 78 | Kent State University at Kent | 25200 | 28400 | 0.1155 | 21,144 | 1104 | 0.7603 | |
| 78 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 25200 | 31100 | 0.1894 | 19,787 | 1197 | 0.8807 | |
| 80 | Saint Leo University | 25300 | 50000 | 0.4938 | 7,519 | 1110 | 0.7877 | |
| 81 | Fort Hays State University | 25900 | 36100 | 0.2846 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 81 | Southeast Missouri State University | 25900 | 28600 | 0.0973 | 7,926 | 1070 | 0.6897 | |
| 83 | Salem State University | 26000 | 43200 | 0.3984 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 84 | College of Coastal Georgia | 26600 | 36000 | 0.2612 | 3,609 | 1005 | 0.9885 | |
| 85 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26700 | 41500 | 0.3564 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 86 | Northwood University | 26800 | 54500 | 0.5087 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 86 | Western Kentucky University | 26800 | 41800 | 0.3588 | 13,732 | 1090 | 0.9145 | |
| 88 | Keystone College | 26900 | 50500 | 0.4678 | 676 | 1020 | 0.7385 | |
| 89 | Kansas State University | 27000 | 31400 | 0.1412 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 90 | California State University-Northridge | 27100 | 36500 | 0.2596 | 32,846 | 1005 | 0.9176 | |
| 91 | Kennesaw State University | 27400 | 27400 | 0 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 91 | University of North Alabama | 27400 | 37300 | 0.2655 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 93 | Lackawanna College | 27700 | 35500 | 0.2195 | 2,211 | 0 | 0.8619 | |
| 93 | North Dakota State University | 27700 | 30400 | 0.0884 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 95 | Mitchell College | 27800 | 66600 | 0.5826 | 442 | 817 | 0.9466 | |
| 95 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 27800 | 36700 | 0.2427 | 1,709 | 1218 | 0.9653 | |
| 97 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | 28100 | 69300 | 0.5943 | 2,012 | 1174 | 0.9631 | |
| 98 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 28200 | 50700 | 0.4451 | 927 | 1010 | 0.7653 | |
| 99 | Roosevelt University | 28500 | 47600 | 0.4017 | 2,868 | 1049 | 0.9716 | |
| 100 | North Carolina Central University | 28600 | 40000 | 0.2849 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 101 | Flagler College | 28700 | 61200 | 0.5309 | 2,359 | 1175 | 0.787 | |
| 102 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29000 | 34000 | 0.1472 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 103 | California State University-East Bay | 29400 | 45100 | 0.3483 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 103 | Montclair State University | 29400 | 36300 | 0.1902 | 19,048 | 1005 | 0.894 | |
| 105 | Montana State University | 29500 | 31900 | 0.0751 | 15,142 | 1184 | 0.9938 | |
| 106 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 29700 | 31600 | 0.0601 | 7,088 | 1100 | 0.7448 | |
| 107 | Lipscomb University | 29800 | 57800 | 0.4841 | 3,327 | 1214 | 0.6774 | |
| 108 | Southern Utah University | 29900 | 40800 | 0.2673 | 13,176 | 1140 | 0.9998 | |
| 109 | University of West Florida | 30000 | 38000 | 0.2104 | 9,971 | 1120 | 0.5822 | |
| 110 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30600 | 78100 | 0.608 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 111 | San Francisco State University | 30800 | 47700 | 0.3544 | 19,444 | 1035 | 0.9644 | |
| 112 | California State University-Long Beach | 30900 | 38900 | 0.2058 | 36,056 | 1135 | 0.4543 | |
| 113 | San Diego State University | 31300 | 36100 | 0.1329 | 36,196 | 1208 | 0.3741 | |
| 114 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 31500 | 41200 | 0.2357 | 25,312 | 1134 | 0.7395 | |
| 115 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 32300 | 48400 | 0.3328 | 1,094 | 1109 | 0.8917 | |
| 116 | Belmont University | 32400 | 69900 | 0.5371 | 7,174 | 1273 | 0.9367 | |
| 117 | Morgan State University | 32500 | 41900 | 0.2245 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 118 | Liberty University | 33200 | 44600 | 0.2556 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 119 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 2,055 | 1188 | 0.9397 | |
| 120 | Warner University | 33500 | 41000 | 0.183 | 803 | 931 | 0.4281 | |
| 121 | Meredith College | 33900 | 64200 | 0.4721 | 1,212 | 1239 | 0.7506 | |
| 122 | Charleston Southern University | 34200 | 48400 | 0.2949 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 123 | Southeastern University | 34400 | 60500 | 0.4312 | 11,981 | 1110 | 0.4247 | |
| 124 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 34700 | 38700 | 0.1034 | 14,865 | 1175 | 0.9113 | |
| 125 | Stockton University | 34800 | 44500 | 0.2181 | 7,583 | 1134 | 0.901 | |
| 126 | Culinary Institute of America | 35000 | 69900 | 0.4995 | 2,935 | 1050 | 0.9486 | |
| 127 | Mount Mercy University | 35400 | 61200 | 0.4216 | 1,139 | 1110 | 0.8248 | |
| 128 | New Jersey City University | 35600 | 39800 | 0.1056 | 3,871 | 1015 | 0.9838 | |
| 129 | Virginia State University | 36000 | 42200 | 0.147 | 5,124 | 955 | 0.8863 | |
| 130 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 36300 | 53100 | 0.3162 | 32,041 | 1324 | 0.4358 | |
| 131 | Florida International University | 36500 | 36800 | 0.0081 | 46,249 | 1180 | 0.6085 | |
| 132 | East Carolina University | 36900 | 42700 | 0.1355 | 21,693 | 1065 | 0.9003 | |
| 133 | University of North Texas at Dallas | 37100 | 37600 | 0.0133 | 2,953 | 975 | 0.8445 | |
| 134 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 37200 | 57000 | 0.3472 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 135 | St. Thomas Aquinas College | 37300 | 64400 | 0.4211 | 2,138 | 1148 | 0.9469 | |
| 136 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 66300 | 0.436 | 31,536 | 1366 | 0.5457 | |
| 137 | DePaul University | 37800 | 66000 | 0.4275 | 14,338 | 1258 | 0.878 | |
| 138 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | 37900 | 38500 | 0.0156 | 2,162 | 1025 | 0.725 | |
| 139 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 38100 | 38100 | 0 | 2,710 | 1218 | 0.9374 | |
| 139 | Washington State University | 38100 | 53900 | 0.2931 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 141 | Southern Connecticut State University | 38500 | 52900 | 0.2723 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 142 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 66100 | 0.4102 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 143 | University of Denver | 39200 | 76900 | 0.4905 | 5,766 | 1292 | 0.8538 | |
| 144 | University of San Francisco | 39300 | 84800 | 0.5364 | 5,171 | 1333 | 0.7176 | |
| 145 | Nichols College | 39600 | 59600 | 0.3359 | 1,163 | 1135 | 0.8084 | |
| 146 | University of Central Florida | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 60,083 | 1289 | 0.428 | |
| 146 | University of South Alabama | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 148 | Endicott College | 40300 | 64200 | 0.3722 | 3,195 | 1275 | 0.7121 | |
| 149 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | 40400 | 66000 | 0.3875 | 3,908 | 1050 | 0.8844 | |
| 150 | Webber International University | 40600 | 44400 | 0.0853 | 833 | 950 | 0.694 | |
| 151 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 57000 | 0.2774 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 152 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 42600 | 56200 | 0.2421 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 153 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4478 | 4,123 | 1124 | 0.6927 | |
| 154 | Campbell University | 44000 | 68700 | 0.3605 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 155 | St. John's University-New York | 44500 | 78000 | 0.4292 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 156 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2752 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 157 | James Madison University | 45200 | 45200 | 0 | 21,358 | 1259 | 0.6879 | |
| 158 | Drexel University | 47700 | 83900 | 0.4315 | 12,318 | 1354 | 0.699 | |
| 159 | Michigan State University | 49200 | 56200 | 0.1245 | 41,415 | 1212 | 0.8324 | |
| 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 | The University of Alabama | 55700 | 58500 | 0.0478 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 164 | Dallas Baptist University | 55800 | 63400 | 0.1199 | 2,938 | 1073 | 0.9131 | |
| 165 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 166 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 58900 | 61200 | 0.0373 | 26,490 | 1183 | 0.8863 | |
| 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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