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 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 7100 | 41500 | 0.8299 | 38,572 | 1455 | 0.3659 | |
| 2 | Brigham Young University | 8000 | 22200 | 0.6405 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 3 | California State University-East Bay | 9000 | 45100 | 0.8008 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 4 | Kentucky State University | 9500 | 27400 | 0.6532 | 1,793 | 865 | 0.9608 | |
| 5 | Berea College | 9600 | 69400 | 0.8617 | 1,529 | 1209 | 0.1567 | |
| 6 | Indiana State University | 10100 | 25900 | 0.611 | 6,352 | 1015 | 0.9157 | |
| 7 | University of California-Davis | 10200 | 38600 | 0.7362 | 31,695 | 1290 | 0.4435 | |
| 8 | Southern Utah University | 10500 | 51400 | 0.7957 | 13,176 | 1140 | 0.9998 | |
| 9 | Eastern Kentucky University | 10900 | 27300 | 0.6018 | 13,448 | 1075 | 0.9683 | |
| 10 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 11100 | 32800 | 0.6612 | 46,627 | 1366 | 0.492 | |
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago | 12200 | 30200 | 0.5969 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 12 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 12900 | 26500 | 0.5126 | 13,039 | 1020 | 0.894 | |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 13100 | 19400 | 0.3248 | 14,865 | 1175 | 0.9113 | |
| 14 | Louisiana Tech University | 13300 | 42900 | 0.6899 | 11,071 | 1189 | 0.9073 | |
| 14 | Northern Illinois University | 13300 | 32100 | 0.5856 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 16 | University of Georgia | 13500 | 27200 | 0.503 | 32,824 | 1348 | 0.3425 | |
| 17 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 61700 | 0.7774 | 39,193 | 1418 | 0.4081 | |
| 18 | Texas Woman's University | 14000 | 28200 | 0.5036 | 9,962 | 1010 | 0.9658 | |
| 19 | California State University-San Marcos | 14300 | 38300 | 0.6265 | 15,770 | 990 | 0.9513 | |
| 20 | California State University-San Bernardino | 14400 | 32700 | 0.5594 | 15,948 | 1020 | 0.943 | |
| 21 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14900 | 50100 | 0.7023 | 7,501 | 1055 | 0.9467 | |
| 21 | Sonoma State University | 14900 | 26700 | 0.442 | 4,449 | 1050 | 0.9841 | |
| 23 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 15000 | 31600 | 0.5259 | 7,402 | 1054 | 0.9684 | |
| 23 | Texas State University | 15000 | 26700 | 0.4375 | 39,353 | 1080 | 0.9118 | |
| 25 | University of Maine | 15100 | 29300 | 0.4849 | 9,182 | 1195 | 0.9562 | |
| 26 | University of North Texas | 15800 | 26100 | 0.3943 | 34,414 | 1094 | 0.7089 | |
| 27 | Greensboro College | 16000 | 38300 | 0.5817 | 899 | 1005 | 0.7014 | |
| 28 | Alcorn State University | 16100 | 22200 | 0.2742 | 2,469 | 905 | 0.3675 | |
| 29 | Texas Tech University | 16500 | 27100 | 0.391 | 34,021 | 1195 | 0.6906 | |
| 30 | California State University-Long Beach | 16600 | 25800 | 0.3567 | 36,056 | 1135 | 0.4543 | |
| 30 | Georgia Southern University | 16600 | 49700 | 0.6662 | 25,595 | 1045 | 0.695 | |
| 32 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 17500 | 44100 | 0.6035 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 33 | State University of New York at Oswego | 17600 | 27700 | 0.3645 | 5,293 | 1179 | 0.7989 | |
| 34 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 17800 | 44000 | 0.5951 | 586 | 1140 | 0.9577 | |
| 34 | University of Arkansas | 17800 | 28500 | 0.3779 | 29,252 | 1179 | 0.7388 | |
| 36 | University of Rhode Island | 18500 | 33900 | 0.4544 | 14,466 | 1197 | 0.7456 | |
| 37 | Columbia College | 18600 | 60700 | 0.6931 | 1,566 | 950 | 0.966 | |
| 38 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | 18700 | 48900 | 0.6172 | 5,274 | 1103 | 0.9513 | |
| 39 | Stephens College | 19200 | 70100 | 0.726 | 392 | 1045 | 0.7709 | |
| 39 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 19200 | 54000 | 0.6441 | 3,991 | 1010 | 0.9654 | |
| 41 | Connecticut College | 19300 | 93000 | 0.7922 | 1,953 | 1284 | 0.3923 | |
| 42 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 19600 | 40900 | 0.5213 | 1,078 | 1217 | 0.9646 | |
| 43 | Stockton University | 19800 | 32100 | 0.383 | 7,583 | 1134 | 0.901 | |
| 44 | University of Houston | 19900 | 28400 | 0.2996 | 40,366 | 1224 | 0.7577 | |
| 45 | Bradley University | 20400 | 59500 | 0.6564 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 46 | SUNY Oneonta | 20600 | 55300 | 0.6281 | 4,815 | 1090 | 0.7696 | |
| 46 | Syracuse University | 20600 | 83600 | 0.7536 | 16,149 | 1374 | 0.4879 | |
| 48 | Washington State University | 20800 | 35900 | 0.4198 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 49 | Southern Virginia University | 20900 | 53200 | 0.6076 | 936 | 1094 | 0.9659 | |
| 50 | Iowa State University | 21400 | 25700 | 0.1685 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 51 | Utah State University | 21800 | 38800 | 0.4382 | 26,629 | 1168 | 0.9212 | |
| 52 | South Dakota State University | 21900 | 25200 | 0.1303 | 10,883 | 1115 | 0.9618 | |
| 53 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32100 | 0.302 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 53 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 22400 | 26000 | 0.1383 | 21,138 | 1134 | 0.9039 | |
| 53 | Rockford University | 22400 | 80100 | 0.7205 | 983 | 975 | 0.9289 | |
| 53 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 22400 | 42500 | 0.4729 | 14,249 | 1084 | 0.7761 | |
| 57 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 22500 | 22500 | 0 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 58 | Seattle Pacific University | 22900 | 98900 | 0.7688 | 1,657 | 1174 | 0.9301 | |
| 59 | Concordia University-Saint Paul | 23200 | 44800 | 0.4818 | 3,604 | 1069 | 0.9761 | |
| 60 | Lamar University | 23500 | 37700 | 0.3765 | 8,387 | 1040 | 0.8353 | |
| 61 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 24000 | 47900 | 0.4985 | 2,280 | 1224 | 0.9675 | |
| 62 | Abilene Christian University | 24600 | 58800 | 0.5818 | 5,101 | 1149 | 0.6615 | |
| 63 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 24900 | 36800 | 0.3235 | 15,273 | 1115 | 0.8089 | |
| 64 | Illinois State University | 25100 | 36400 | 0.3116 | 19,513 | 1115 | 0.8555 | |
| 65 | Westminster College | 25700 | 57600 | 0.5538 | 1,110 | 1145 | 0.9167 | |
| 66 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 26100 | 49600 | 0.4735 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 67 | University of Mount Union | 27100 | 56300 | 0.5183 | 2,207 | 1089 | 0.782 | |
| 68 | University of Central Oklahoma | 27600 | 33800 | 0.1833 | 10,777 | 1075 | 0.7812 | |
| 69 | North Dakota State University | 27700 | 30400 | 0.0884 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 69 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 27700 | 30000 | 0.0762 | 6,227 | 1184 | 0.9171 | |
| 71 | Houston Christian University | 30800 | 60500 | 0.4912 | 3,277 | 1099 | 0.8645 | |
| 72 | Oklahoma Christian University | 30900 | 45000 | 0.3122 | 2,098 | 1129 | 0.9654 | |
| 73 | Kent State University at Kent | 31200 | 37500 | 0.1676 | 21,144 | 1104 | 0.7603 | |
| 74 | Southern Wesleyan University | 31400 | 47100 | 0.3348 | 784 | 1170 | 0.9953 | |
| 75 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 32000 | 54400 | 0.4117 | 35,248 | 1289 | 0.6939 | |
| 75 | Southern Nazarene University | 32000 | 48400 | 0.3384 | 1,473 | 1055 | 1 | |
| 77 | Anderson University | 32300 | 54700 | 0.4098 | 3,724 | 1209 | 0.5491 | |
| 77 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 32300 | 43900 | 0.2643 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 79 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 32400 | 38400 | 0.1562 | 23,003 | 1164 | 0.7367 | |
| 80 | Liberty University | 32500 | 44700 | 0.2729 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 81 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | 32700 | 44700 | 0.2684 | 3,219 | 1226 | 0.5836 | |
| 82 | Baylor University | 33500 | 70400 | 0.5244 | 14,183 | 1302 | 0.5222 | |
| 83 | Bridgewater College | 34200 | 42500 | 0.1952 | 1,412 | 1115 | 0.903 | |
| 84 | University of Vermont | 34500 | 66300 | 0.4799 | 12,159 | 1372 | 0.7304 | |
| 85 | Samford University | 34600 | 93800 | 0.6312 | 4,210 | 1199 | 0.8236 | |
| 86 | University of Idaho | 34800 | 48700 | 0.2854 | 9,656 | 1104 | 0.7476 | |
| 87 | University of Nevada-Reno | 35000 | 45800 | 0.2359 | 20,204 | 1109 | 0.8313 | |
| 88 | Temple University | 35800 | 57200 | 0.3739 | 21,031 | 1172 | 0.8622 | |
| 89 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 36000 | 39700 | 0.0932 | 4,789 | 1040 | 0.6671 | |
| 90 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 36400 | 54000 | 0.326 | 32,041 | 1324 | 0.4358 | |
| 91 | University of Connecticut | 37200 | 66200 | 0.4384 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 92 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 66700 | 0.4394 | 31,536 | 1366 | 0.5457 | |
| 93 | Hope International University | 38300 | 58600 | 0.3462 | 649 | 995 | 0.6253 | |
| 94 | Oakwood University | 38500 | 43300 | 0.1106 | 1,184 | 1005 | 0.4563 | |
| 95 | Mississippi State University | 39100 | 53400 | 0.2674 | 19,093 | 1205 | 0.8363 | |
| 96 | University of Wyoming | 40000 | 45300 | 0.1167 | 8,138 | 1163 | 0.9695 | |
| 97 | Kansas State University | 40900 | 41900 | 0.0239 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 98 | Lesley University | 42500 | 57500 | 0.2609 | 1,230 | 1115 | 0.9687 | |
| 99 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 42600 | 63300 | 0.3271 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 100 | University of Arizona | 42800 | 48600 | 0.1193 | 43,294 | 1186 | 0.8351 | |
| 101 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4478 | 4,123 | 1124 | 0.6927 | |
| 102 | George Mason University | 43700 | 61400 | 0.2884 | 28,862 | 1271 | 0.8647 | |
| 103 | Montclair State University | 44600 | 47000 | 0.0511 | 19,048 | 1005 | 0.894 | |
| 104 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2752 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 105 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48500 | 51200 | 0.0544 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 106 | University of California-San Diego | 48800 | 79600 | 0.3868 | 35,442 | 1375 | 0.2856 | |
| 107 | Binghamton University | 50500 | 52800 | 0.0433 | 14,559 | 1404 | 0.3731 | |
| 108 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0425 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 109 | The University of Alabama | 53700 | 58000 | 0.0741 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 110 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58300 | 63600 | 0.0834 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 111 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 59300 | 61600 | 0.0371 | 25,141 | 1256 | 0.7613 | |
| 112 | Howard University | 60000 | 88500 | 0.3222 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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