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 | Kentucky State University | 10100 | 17400 | 0.4184 | 1,793 | 865 | 0.9608 | |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 11900 | 25700 | 0.5363 | 46,815 | 1378 | 0.6057 | |
| 5 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 7 | University of Houston | 13700 | 22000 | 0.3766 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 50700 | 0.7294 | 38,040 | 1418 | 0.452 | |
| 9 | Texas Woman's University | 14100 | 23200 | 0.3916 | 10,039 | 1035 | 0.9612 | |
| 10 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 11 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14400 | 37400 | 0.6144 | 7,622 | 1075 | 0.9254 | |
| 12 | California State University-San Marcos | 14600 | 24700 | 0.4097 | 14,977 | 1040 | 0.951 | |
| 13 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 14700 | 26500 | 0.4465 | 22,364 | 1159 | 0.7504 | |
| 14 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 14800 | 31600 | 0.5323 | 6,907 | 1060 | 0.974 | |
| 15 | University of Central Oklahoma | 15500 | 28700 | 0.46 | 10,777 | 1075 | 0.7812 | |
| 16 | Florida State University | 15600 | 22900 | 0.3184 | 32,720 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 17 | University of Central Missouri | 15700 | 26600 | 0.4094 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 18 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 15900 | 38500 | 0.5862 | 37,140 | 1406 | 0.4237 | |
| 19 | Alcorn State University | 16100 | 25900 | 0.3783 | 2,532 | 925 | 0.4533 | |
| 20 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 16500 | 40600 | 0.593 | 581 | 1132 | 0.9821 | |
| 21 | Southern University at New Orleans | 16600 | 31000 | 0.4639 | 2,179 | 950 | 0.789 | |
| 22 | Connecticut College | 16700 | 95300 | 0.8244 | 1,990 | 1421 | 0.3704 | |
| 23 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 17200 | 25700 | 0.3307 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 24 | Greensboro College | 17700 | 37800 | 0.5317 | 899 | 1005 | 0.7014 | |
| 25 | Houston Christian University | 17800 | 56800 | 0.6866 | 2,899 | 1090 | 0.8444 | |
| 26 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 18200 | 18200 | 0 | 34,242 | 1273 | 0.7333 | |
| 26 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3428 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 26 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 18200 | 28600 | 0.3634 | 4,218 | 1030 | 0.9489 | |
| 29 | Benedict College | 18300 | 33000 | 0.445 | 1,628 | 915 | 0.957 | |
| 29 | University of Vermont | 18300 | 37800 | 0.5164 | 12,276 | 1379 | 0.653 | |
| 31 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 18900 | 31400 | 0.3981 | 13,921 | 1119 | 0.7468 | |
| 32 | Stephens College | 19200 | 49900 | 0.6155 | 392 | 1045 | 0.7722 | |
| 32 | University of Nevada-Reno | 19200 | 28200 | 0.3189 | 19,117 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 34 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 19400 | 36900 | 0.4748 | 24,449 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 35 | Gallaudet University | 19600 | 44600 | 0.5604 | 875 | 895 | 0.5806 | |
| 35 | SUNY Oneonta | 19600 | 29300 | 0.331 | 4,681 | 1234 | 0.696 | |
| 35 | University of Arizona | 19600 | 30900 | 0.3663 | 44,848 | 1233 | 0.8614 | |
| 38 | Columbia College | 19800 | 35800 | 0.447 | 1,391 | 950 | 0.9393 | |
| 39 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 20200 | 45200 | 0.5537 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5478 | |
| 40 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20600 | 23200 | 0.1121 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 41 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.3258 | 44,819 | 1327 | 0.4987 | |
| 41 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20700 | 39200 | 0.4722 | 11,355 | 1222 | 0.8816 | |
| 43 | Southern Virginia University | 20900 | 46700 | 0.5524 | 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 | 22100 | 25200 | 0.1231 | 10,719 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 47 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 48 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 49 | Indiana State University | 24200 | 32400 | 0.2532 | 6,224 | 1020 | 0.8077 | |
| 50 | Abilene Christian University | 24300 | 59000 | 0.5877 | 3,263 | 1189 | 0.6603 | |
| 51 | Illinois State University | 25200 | 36400 | 0.3067 | 19,107 | 1120 | 0.8815 | |
| 52 | Eastern Kentucky University | 25400 | 38400 | 0.3389 | 13,448 | 1110 | 0.7761 | |
| 53 | Seattle Pacific University | 25800 | 70000 | 0.6314 | 1,776 | 1180 | 0.834 | |
| 54 | Rockford University | 25900 | 58500 | 0.5577 | 983 | 975 | 0.9291 | |
| 55 | Westminster College | 26100 | 57600 | 0.5469 | 1,137 | 1149 | 0.9256 | |
| 56 | Iowa State University | 26200 | 42800 | 0.3871 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 57 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 26400 | 36800 | 0.2828 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 58 | University of Mount Union | 26500 | 50900 | 0.4794 | 2,207 | 1089 | 0.782 | |
| 59 | Georgia Southern University | 26600 | 26800 | 0.0075 | 23,541 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 26800 | 48100 | 0.4432 | 2,371 | 1189 | 0.9806 | |
| 60 | University of Arkansas | 26800 | 28900 | 0.0729 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.743 | |
| 62 | Kansas State University | 27000 | 31400 | 0.141 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8169 | |
| 62 | University of Idaho | 27000 | 45200 | 0.4023 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 64 | California State University-San Bernardino | 27400 | 39100 | 0.2991 | 15,365 | 990 | 0.9374 | |
| 65 | Syracuse University | 27700 | 83100 | 0.6665 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 66 | North Dakota State University | 27900 | 30400 | 0.0825 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 66 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 27900 | 30000 | 0.0702 | 6,136 | 1159 | 0.8767 | |
| 68 | Texas State University | 28000 | 28000 | 0 | 36,236 | 1100 | 0.8932 | |
| 69 | Mississippi State University | 28200 | 32300 | 0.1269 | 18,567 | 1214 | 0.7764 | |
| 70 | Concordia University-Saint Paul | 28400 | 46000 | 0.3828 | 3,424 | 1209 | 0.7887 | |
| 71 | University of North Texas | 28900 | 37400 | 0.2271 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 72 | University of Connecticut | 29200 | 39500 | 0.2608 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 73 | California State University-East Bay | 29400 | 45100 | 0.3483 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 74 | Sonoma State University | 29500 | 41200 | 0.284 | 5,272 | 1050 | 0.9343 | |
| 75 | Rivier University | 29800 | 65700 | 0.5463 | 1,252 | 1120 | 0.8259 | |
| 76 | Southern Utah University | 29900 | 40800 | 0.2673 | 13,126 | 1140 | 0.8179 | |
| 77 | Kent State University at Kent | 30000 | 37500 | 0.2 | 20,841 | 1105 | 0.8634 | |
| 78 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 30400 | 39200 | 0.2248 | 12,507 | 1010 | 0.8897 | |
| 79 | California State University-Long Beach | 31000 | 38900 | 0.2032 | 36,082 | 1135 | 0.4627 | |
| 80 | Oklahoma Christian University | 31100 | 45000 | 0.3082 | 2,098 | 1129 | 0.9654 | |
| 81 | Lamar University | 31200 | 38300 | 0.1855 | 8,184 | 1050 | 0.8641 | |
| 82 | Southern Wesleyan University | 31500 | 47100 | 0.331 | 784 | 1170 | 0.9953 | |
| 83 | Baylor University | 31900 | 70300 | 0.546 | 14,915 | 1321 | 0.5128 | |
| 84 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 32200 | 40900 | 0.2127 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 85 | Samford University | 32600 | 64600 | 0.4955 | 4,210 | 1199 | 0.8236 | |
| 86 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | 32700 | 44700 | 0.2684 | 3,219 | 1226 | 0.5836 | |
| 87 | University of Rhode Island | 32900 | 46400 | 0.2907 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 88 | Liberty University | 33200 | 44600 | 0.2556 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 89 | Hope International University | 34200 | 60500 | 0.435 | 564 | 1027 | 0.3298 | |
| 90 | Temple University | 35600 | 56400 | 0.3689 | 21,457 | 1135 | 0.8041 | |
| 90 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 92 | Lesley University | 36800 | 54700 | 0.3274 | 1,229 | 1115 | 0.9687 | |
| 93 | Southern Nazarene University | 38200 | 48400 | 0.2108 | 1,456 | 0 | 0 | |
| 94 | Washington State University | 38300 | 53900 | 0.2897 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 95 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38400 | 38700 | 0.0078 | 14,416 | 1210 | 0.8851 | |
| 96 | Oakwood University | 38700 | 43300 | 0.1064 | 1,177 | 1005 | 0.4522 | |
| 96 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38700 | 53100 | 0.2711 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 98 | University of Maine | 39900 | 45200 | 0.1173 | 9,601 | 1205 | 0.9664 | |
| 99 | University of Wyoming | 40200 | 45300 | 0.1127 | 8,130 | 1179 | 0.9688 | |
| 100 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 40300 | 44100 | 0.0862 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 101 | Montclair State University | 42100 | 46600 | 0.0966 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 102 | Anderson University | 42200 | 53600 | 0.2127 | 3,683 | 1209 | 0.5471 | |
| 103 | Merrimack College | 43600 | 78800 | 0.4468 | 4,102 | 1115 | 0.7002 | |
| 104 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2743 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 105 | University of California-San Diego | 45900 | 76000 | 0.396 | 34,955 | 1375 | 0.2671 | |
| 106 | University of Georgia | 48800 | 51600 | 0.0542 | 32,399 | 1382 | 0.377 | |
| 107 | Binghamton University | 50700 | 52800 | 0.0398 | 14,669 | 1415 | 0.3861 | |
| 108 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.0392 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 109 | George Mason University | 53700 | 61000 | 0.1197 | 28,334 | 1268 | 0.8748 | |
| 110 | The University of Alabama | 55800 | 55800 | 0 | 34,389 | 1284 | 0.7665 | |
| 111 | Miami University-Oxford | 57400 | 57400 | 0 | 16,816 | 1299 | 0.754 | |
| 112 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.092 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 113 | Howard University | 60000 | 66500 | 0.0978 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 114 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60400 | 64100 | 0.0577 | 1,236 | 1193 | 0.9811 | |
| 115 | Berea College | 69000 | 69000 | 0 | 1,527 | 1235 | 0.1934 | |
| 116 | University of California-Davis | 69800 | 69800 | 0 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.