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 | 32,952 | 1374 | 0.6778 | |
| 2 | Utah State University | 9700 | 26700 | 0.6361 | 25,706 | 1176 | 0.9247 | |
| 3 | University of California-Davis | 10200 | 38100 | 0.7328 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 4 | University of California-San Diego | 11500 | 39700 | 0.7102 | 34,955 | 1375 | 0.2671 | |
| 5 | Eastern Kentucky University | 11800 | 22900 | 0.4856 | 13,448 | 1110 | 0.7761 | |
| 6 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 11900 | 25700 | 0.5363 | 46,815 | 1378 | 0.6057 | |
| 7 | Texas Woman's University | 12100 | 28200 | 0.571 | 10,039 | 1035 | 0.9612 | |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 12400 | 29200 | 0.5745 | 38,040 | 1418 | 0.452 | |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 10 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 11 | University of Georgia | 13700 | 26600 | 0.4854 | 32,399 | 1382 | 0.377 | |
| 11 | University of Houston | 13700 | 22000 | 0.3766 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 13 | University of Idaho | 14100 | 25800 | 0.4543 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 14 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 15 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14400 | 37400 | 0.6144 | 7,622 | 1075 | 0.9254 | |
| 16 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 14600 | 26500 | 0.4513 | 22,364 | 1159 | 0.7504 | |
| 16 | Sonoma State University | 14600 | 26700 | 0.4532 | 5,272 | 1050 | 0.9343 | |
| 18 | Kentucky State University | 15000 | 28900 | 0.4806 | 1,793 | 865 | 0.9608 | |
| 19 | California State University-East Bay | 15500 | 30100 | 0.4857 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 20 | Florida State University | 15600 | 22900 | 0.3184 | 32,720 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 21 | University of Central Missouri | 15700 | 26600 | 0.4094 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 22 | Alcorn State University | 16100 | 25900 | 0.3783 | 2,532 | 925 | 0.4533 | |
| 23 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 16500 | 40600 | 0.593 | 581 | 1132 | 0.9821 | |
| 24 | Connecticut College | 16600 | 95300 | 0.8254 | 1,990 | 1421 | 0.3704 | |
| 25 | Houston Christian University | 16900 | 56800 | 0.7024 | 2,899 | 1090 | 0.8444 | |
| 26 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 17200 | 25700 | 0.3307 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 27 | Greensboro College | 17700 | 37800 | 0.5317 | 899 | 1005 | 0.7014 | |
| 28 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3428 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 28 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 18200 | 28600 | 0.3634 | 4,218 | 1030 | 0.9489 | |
| 30 | Benedict College | 18300 | 33000 | 0.445 | 1,628 | 915 | 0.957 | |
| 30 | University of Vermont | 18300 | 37800 | 0.5164 | 12,276 | 1379 | 0.653 | |
| 32 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 18900 | 31400 | 0.3981 | 13,921 | 1119 | 0.7468 | |
| 33 | University of Central Oklahoma | 19100 | 22700 | 0.1586 | 10,777 | 1075 | 0.7812 | |
| 34 | Stephens College | 19200 | 49900 | 0.6155 | 392 | 1045 | 0.7722 | |
| 35 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 19400 | 36900 | 0.4748 | 24,449 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 36 | Gallaudet University | 19600 | 44600 | 0.5604 | 875 | 895 | 0.5806 | |
| 36 | SUNY Oneonta | 19600 | 29300 | 0.331 | 4,681 | 1234 | 0.696 | |
| 36 | University of Arizona | 19600 | 30900 | 0.3663 | 44,848 | 1233 | 0.8614 | |
| 39 | Columbia College | 19800 | 35800 | 0.447 | 1,391 | 950 | 0.9393 | |
| 40 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 20100 | 45200 | 0.5559 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5478 | |
| 41 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20400 | 23200 | 0.1207 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 42 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20700 | 39200 | 0.4722 | 11,355 | 1222 | 0.8816 | |
| 43 | Southern Virginia University | 21000 | 46700 | 0.5503 | 936 | 1094 | 0.9642 | |
| 44 | Louisiana Tech University | 21400 | 26100 | 0.1802 | 10,881 | 1189 | 0.864 | |
| 45 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | 21500 | 48900 | 0.5599 | 5,692 | 1124 | 0.9508 | |
| 46 | South Dakota State University | 21900 | 25200 | 0.1301 | 10,719 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 47 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 48 | The University of Alabama | 22600 | 31000 | 0.2708 | 34,389 | 1284 | 0.7665 | |
| 49 | Washington State University | 23600 | 38700 | 0.3897 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 50 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 23700 | 34400 | 0.311 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 51 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 52 | Indiana State University | 24200 | 32400 | 0.2532 | 6,224 | 1020 | 0.8077 | |
| 53 | Abilene Christian University | 24300 | 59000 | 0.5877 | 3,263 | 1189 | 0.6603 | |
| 54 | Temple University | 24800 | 36100 | 0.3132 | 21,457 | 1135 | 0.8041 | |
| 55 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 25800 | 37500 | 0.3124 | 1,236 | 1193 | 0.9811 | |
| 55 | Seattle Pacific University | 25800 | 70000 | 0.6314 | 1,776 | 1180 | 0.834 | |
| 57 | Rockford University | 25900 | 58500 | 0.5577 | 983 | 975 | 0.9291 | |
| 57 | Westminster College | 25900 | 57600 | 0.5504 | 1,137 | 1149 | 0.9256 | |
| 59 | Iowa State University | 26000 | 42800 | 0.3912 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 60 | University of Mount Union | 26400 | 50900 | 0.4812 | 2,207 | 1089 | 0.782 | |
| 61 | Southern University at New Orleans | 26500 | 42300 | 0.3733 | 2,179 | 950 | 0.789 | |
| 62 | Georgia Southern University | 26600 | 26800 | 0.0075 | 23,541 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 62 | University of Arkansas | 26600 | 28900 | 0.079 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.743 | |
| 64 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 26800 | 48100 | 0.4432 | 2,371 | 1189 | 0.9806 | |
| 65 | Kansas State University | 27000 | 31400 | 0.1414 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8169 | |
| 66 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 27200 | 29500 | 0.0773 | 6,136 | 1159 | 0.8767 | |
| 67 | California State University-San Bernardino | 27400 | 39100 | 0.2991 | 15,365 | 990 | 0.9374 | |
| 68 | North Dakota State University | 27700 | 30400 | 0.0882 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 69 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6653 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 70 | Texas State University | 28000 | 28000 | 0 | 36,236 | 1100 | 0.8932 | |
| 71 | California State University-San Marcos | 28200 | 38300 | 0.2636 | 14,977 | 1040 | 0.951 | |
| 72 | Concordia University-Saint Paul | 28300 | 46000 | 0.3849 | 3,424 | 1209 | 0.7887 | |
| 73 | Oregon State University | 28800 | 36700 | 0.2152 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 74 | University of North Texas | 28900 | 37400 | 0.2271 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 75 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 29400 | 34000 | 0.1352 | 6,907 | 1060 | 0.974 | |
| 75 | Montclair State University | 29400 | 36300 | 0.1902 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 77 | Rivier University | 29700 | 65700 | 0.5479 | 1,252 | 1120 | 0.8259 | |
| 78 | Southern Utah University | 29900 | 40800 | 0.2673 | 13,126 | 1140 | 0.8179 | |
| 79 | Kent State University at Kent | 30000 | 37500 | 0.2 | 20,841 | 1105 | 0.8634 | |
| 80 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 30500 | 39200 | 0.2222 | 12,507 | 1010 | 0.8897 | |
| 81 | California State University-Long Beach | 30900 | 38900 | 0.2058 | 36,082 | 1135 | 0.4627 | |
| 81 | Oklahoma Christian University | 30900 | 45000 | 0.3121 | 2,098 | 1129 | 0.9654 | |
| 83 | Lamar University | 31200 | 38300 | 0.1855 | 8,184 | 1050 | 0.8641 | |
| 84 | Southern Wesleyan University | 31400 | 47100 | 0.3347 | 784 | 1170 | 0.9953 | |
| 85 | Baylor University | 31900 | 70300 | 0.546 | 14,915 | 1321 | 0.5128 | |
| 86 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 32200 | 40900 | 0.2127 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 87 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 32300 | 35100 | 0.0799 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 88 | Samford University | 32600 | 64600 | 0.4955 | 4,210 | 1199 | 0.8236 | |
| 89 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | 32700 | 44700 | 0.2684 | 3,219 | 1226 | 0.5836 | |
| 90 | University of Rhode Island | 32900 | 46400 | 0.2907 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 91 | Liberty University | 33200 | 44600 | 0.2556 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 92 | Hope International University | 34200 | 60500 | 0.435 | 564 | 1027 | 0.3298 | |
| 93 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 94 | Mississippi State University | 36200 | 50500 | 0.283 | 18,567 | 1214 | 0.7764 | |
| 95 | Lesley University | 36800 | 54700 | 0.3274 | 1,229 | 1115 | 0.9687 | |
| 96 | University of Connecticut | 37200 | 53600 | 0.3062 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 97 | Southern Nazarene University | 38000 | 48400 | 0.2144 | 1,456 | 0 | 0 | |
| 97 | University of Nevada-Reno | 38000 | 45800 | 0.1704 | 19,117 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 99 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38400 | 38700 | 0.0078 | 14,416 | 1210 | 0.8851 | |
| 100 | Oakwood University | 38500 | 43300 | 0.1105 | 1,177 | 1005 | 0.4522 | |
| 101 | University of Maine | 39900 | 45200 | 0.1173 | 9,601 | 1205 | 0.9664 | |
| 102 | University of Wyoming | 40000 | 45300 | 0.1166 | 8,130 | 1179 | 0.9688 | |
| 103 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 40300 | 44100 | 0.0862 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 104 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 40400 | 50000 | 0.1922 | 34,242 | 1273 | 0.7333 | |
| 105 | Anderson University | 42200 | 53600 | 0.2127 | 3,683 | 1209 | 0.5471 | |
| 106 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4477 | 4,102 | 1115 | 0.7002 | |
| 107 | Illinois State University | 43800 | 49100 | 0.1076 | 19,107 | 1120 | 0.8815 | |
| 108 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48500 | 51200 | 0.0543 | 44,819 | 1327 | 0.4987 | |
| 109 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 49800 | 62200 | 0.1995 | 37,140 | 1406 | 0.4237 | |
| 110 | Binghamton University | 50500 | 52800 | 0.0432 | 14,669 | 1415 | 0.3861 | |
| 111 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0425 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 112 | George Mason University | 53500 | 61000 | 0.123 | 28,334 | 1268 | 0.8748 | |
| 113 | Howard University | 55000 | 66500 | 0.173 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 114 | Miami University-Oxford | 57400 | 57400 | 0 | 16,816 | 1299 | 0.754 | |
| 115 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.092 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 116 | Berea College | 68700 | 69000 | 0.0043 | 1,527 | 1235 | 0.1934 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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