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 Michigan-Ann Arbor | 4900 | 40700 | 0.8787 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology | 6800 | 91800 | 0.9264 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 3 | Northern Kentucky University | 7200 | 25900 | 0.723 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 4 | University of Houston-Victoria | 7700 | 39700 | 0.8063 | 2,707 | 930 | 0.7671 | |
| 5 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 8000 | 36100 | 0.7793 | 10,049 | 1005 | 0.9234 | |
| 6 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 8200 | 43500 | 0.8122 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 7 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8400 | 98000 | 0.9146 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 8 | Fairmont State University | 9400 | 21400 | 0.5615 | 3,060 | 975 | 0.9924 | |
| 9 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9600 | 36900 | 0.74 | 3,207 | 1060 | 0.8034 | |
| 10 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5775 | 7,206 | 1015 | 0.7214 | |
| 11 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 11200 | 21100 | 0.4703 | 6,029 | 1075 | 0.9173 | |
| 12 | Savannah State University | 11400 | 40400 | 0.717 | 2,857 | 950 | 0.8368 | |
| 13 | University of Michigan-Flint | 11600 | 45600 | 0.7453 | 5,011 | 1103 | 0.7047 | |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 12000 | 22800 | 0.4737 | 10,656 | 1075 | 0.7289 | |
| 15 | Saint Xavier University | 12600 | 53300 | 0.7625 | 3,039 | 1125 | 0.8575 | |
| 16 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 12700 | 34600 | 0.6336 | 8,975 | 1065 | 0.9721 | |
| 17 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 12900 | 23400 | 0.4493 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 18 | University of California-Riverside | 13000 | 36500 | 0.6434 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 19 | Northern Illinois University | 13200 | 29000 | 0.5435 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 51900 | 0.7365 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 21 | Fort Hays State University | 13800 | 40700 | 0.6617 | 10,206 | 1110 | 0.9177 | |
| 22 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 13900 | 46000 | 0.6974 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 23 | University of Illinois Chicago | 14000 | 30400 | 0.5387 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 24 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 14400 | 32200 | 0.5534 | 2,836 | 1135 | 0.3787 | |
| 25 | Radford University | 15000 | 32000 | 0.5318 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 25 | University of North Texas | 15000 | 25700 | 0.4169 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 27 | University of North Georgia | 15100 | 21400 | 0.2944 | 18,329 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 28 | Alabama State University | 15300 | 37900 | 0.5967 | 3,322 | 970 | 0.9564 | |
| 29 | Dickinson State University | 15500 | 21700 | 0.2868 | 1,339 | 1005 | 0.3695 | |
| 30 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 15700 | 46800 | 0.665 | 6,550 | 1110 | 0.7456 | |
| 31 | University of North Florida | 15800 | 33000 | 0.5216 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 31 | Wayne State College | 15800 | 20000 | 0.2099 | 3,902 | 0 | 1 | |
| 33 | New Mexico Highlands University | 15900 | 31500 | 0.4949 | 1,710 | 945 | 0.9481 | |
| 33 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 15900 | 42600 | 0.627 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 35 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 16300 | 35700 | 0.5435 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 36 | Jacksonville State University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5455 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 37 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.7042 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 37 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 16500 | 17700 | 0.0679 | 18,667 | 1090 | 0.9711 | |
| 37 | Wayne State University | 16500 | 46200 | 0.643 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 40 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 16800 | 64800 | 0.7416 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 41 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 17000 | 32200 | 0.4719 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 42 | Central Connecticut State University | 17400 | 34000 | 0.488 | 8,170 | 1010 | 0.7333 | |
| 42 | University of South Alabama | 17400 | 35200 | 0.5059 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 44 | Southern University at New Orleans | 17500 | 34200 | 0.4881 | 1,773 | 885 | 0.6021 | |
| 45 | Frostburg State University | 17600 | 26600 | 0.3381 | 2,619 | 1095 | 0.892 | |
| 45 | Morgan State University | 17600 | 37200 | 0.5269 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 47 | Boston College | 17800 | 96200 | 0.8146 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 47 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17800 | 39600 | 0.5512 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 47 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 17800 | 44900 | 0.6031 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 50 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 17900 | 36400 | 0.5076 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 50 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 17900 | 52500 | 0.659 | 21,210 | 1171 | 0.9232 | |
| 52 | SUNY Brockport | 18000 | 26200 | 0.3124 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 52 | Westfield State University | 18000 | 36600 | 0.5076 | 3,868 | 1105 | 0.8671 | |
| 54 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 18100 | 27700 | 0.3461 | 31,112 | 1114 | 0.8129 | |
| 54 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 18100 | 26700 | 0.3221 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 56 | Angelo State University | 18500 | 23100 | 0.2005 | 9,779 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 56 | Emporia State University | 18500 | 29800 | 0.3797 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 58 | Florida Memorial University | 18600 | 44900 | 0.5858 | 1,299 | 0 | 0.7431 | |
| 58 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 18600 | 42800 | 0.5648 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 60 | College of Charleston | 18700 | 33900 | 0.4489 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 18700 | 43800 | 0.5725 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 62 | Stockton University | 19100 | 44500 | 0.5711 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 63 | Lincoln University | 19900 | 40800 | 0.5128 | 1,707 | 920 | 0 | |
| 64 | Towson University | 20000 | 30000 | 0.3329 | 16,264 | 1093 | 0.8198 | |
| 65 | Bradley University | 20100 | 48500 | 0.5849 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 66 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 20300 | 40900 | 0.5042 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 66 | State University of New York at Oswego | 20300 | 40200 | 0.4952 | 5,517 | 1164 | 0.8057 | |
| 68 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 68 | Grove City College | 20400 | 39700 | 0.4868 | 2,341 | 1256 | 0.7232 | |
| 70 | Pennsylvania Western University | 20800 | 26600 | 0.218 | 7,586 | 0 | 0.9433 | |
| 70 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20800 | 57800 | 0.6406 | 1,083 | 1171 | 0.9278 | |
| 72 | Albright College | 21200 | 49300 | 0.5699 | 1,328 | 1050 | 0.8615 | |
| 73 | Kennesaw State University | 21400 | 27200 | 0.2133 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 74 | Elmhurst University | 21500 | 67000 | 0.6794 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 74 | Luther College | 21500 | 71900 | 0.7017 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8402 | |
| 74 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 21500 | 38900 | 0.4469 | 1,919 | 1245 | 0.7844 | |
| 77 | Averett University | 22100 | 57200 | 0.614 | 1,180 | 1070 | 0.478 | |
| 78 | Northwestern University | 22200 | 88100 | 0.7483 | 9,060 | 1533 | 0.0769 | |
| 78 | San Jose State University | 22200 | 41100 | 0.46 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 80 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22800 | 58100 | 0.608 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 81 | Dakota State University | 23100 | 25600 | 0.0977 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8814 | |
| 81 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 23100 | 44400 | 0.4794 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 83 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 23200 | 45200 | 0.4871 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 84 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5986 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 85 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 23400 | 36800 | 0.3643 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 86 | Grambling State University | 23600 | 34800 | 0.3215 | 4,279 | 955 | 0.2368 | |
| 87 | Houghton University | 23900 | 61900 | 0.6142 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 88 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5713 | 2,690 | 1060 | 0.9032 | |
| 89 | Norwich University | 24300 | 88400 | 0.7253 | 2,642 | 1182 | 0.7361 | |
| 90 | Western Oregon University | 24600 | 24600 | 0 | 3,343 | 1120 | 0.9871 | |
| 91 | Northwood University | 25200 | 54500 | 0.5381 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 92 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 25800 | 39200 | 0.3419 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 93 | Columbia College | 25900 | 51600 | 0.4985 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 94 | Doane University | 26000 | 77700 | 0.665 | 1,323 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 95 | Grand Valley State University | 26200 | 36300 | 0.2786 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 95 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26200 | 28300 | 0.0755 | 3,413 | 1095 | 0.5295 | |
| 97 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 26300 | 28400 | 0.0751 | 14,504 | 1145 | 0.7637 | |
| 97 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 26300 | 43000 | 0.388 | 5,789 | 1060 | 0.5774 | |
| 99 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 100 | Bethune-Cookman University | 26700 | 32700 | 0.1835 | 2,739 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 100 | Furman University | 26700 | 79600 | 0.6643 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 102 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 27100 | 41500 | 0.3468 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 103 | Cleveland State University | 27300 | 37300 | 0.2682 | 9,418 | 1105 | 0.913 | |
| 103 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 27300 | 47900 | 0.4298 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 105 | Rowan University | 27500 | 41600 | 0.3386 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 106 | Thomas Jefferson University | 27600 | 67700 | 0.5922 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 107 | George Fox University | 27700 | 76800 | 0.6393 | 3,401 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 108 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6654 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 109 | California Lutheran University | 28100 | 70000 | 0.5988 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 110 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 33400 | 0.1437 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 111 | Mercy University | 28700 | 44500 | 0.3552 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 112 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 33900 | 0.1358 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 113 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30500 | 54700 | 0.4416 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.5568 | |
| 114 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 30600 | 62800 | 0.5124 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 115 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30700 | 54600 | 0.4385 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 116 | East Texas A&M University | 30800 | 36500 | 0.1561 | 9,666 | 1040 | 0.7498 | |
| 116 | University of Toledo | 30800 | 42000 | 0.2653 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 118 | Coastal Carolina University | 31300 | 45100 | 0.3061 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 118 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 31300 | 31300 | 0 | 6,853 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 120 | DePaul University | 32000 | 67100 | 0.5231 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 120 | McKendree University | 32000 | 52200 | 0.3869 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 120 | Saint Michael's College | 32000 | 68500 | 0.5331 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 123 | Washington Adventist University | 32200 | 37800 | 0.1483 | 605 | 951 | 0.4536 | |
| 124 | Hampton University | 32300 | 62400 | 0.482 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 125 | University of Scranton | 32500 | 78700 | 0.5872 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.8029 | |
| 126 | Suffolk University | 32600 | 69700 | 0.5326 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 127 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 32900 | 45100 | 0.2705 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 128 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 15,130 | 1095 | 0.5256 | |
| 129 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 130 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54800 | 0.378 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 130 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 34100 | 58500 | 0.4177 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 132 | Salisbury University | 34200 | 41700 | 0.1797 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 133 | Charleston Southern University | 34300 | 48400 | 0.2918 | 2,914 | 1060 | 0.7609 | |
| 134 | Pace University | 34600 | 74800 | 0.5373 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 135 | Christopher Newport University | 34800 | 36200 | 0.0387 | 4,407 | 1209 | 0.8796 | |
| 136 | University of South Florida | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 137 | Adelphi University | 35200 | 63300 | 0.4443 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 138 | Immaculata University | 36000 | 47800 | 0.2467 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8578 | |
| 139 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 36200 | 56300 | 0.3575 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 140 | Loyola University Maryland | 36300 | 78800 | 0.5394 | 3,881 | 1309 | 0.7549 | |
| 141 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 36700 | 39900 | 0.0786 | 5,086 | 1000 | 0.9821 | |
| 142 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 36800 | 38900 | 0.0548 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 143 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 144 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 37500 | 41600 | 0.0993 | 5,386 | 995 | 0.9092 | |
| 145 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38600 | 38600 | 0 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 146 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38700 | 53400 | 0.2754 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 147 | Stony Brook University | 39900 | 53000 | 0.2478 | 18,263 | 1404 | 0.4904 | |
| 148 | Rutgers University-Newark | 40200 | 60500 | 0.3358 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 149 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 42100 | 67900 | 0.3799 | 3,965 | 1335 | 0.9121 | |
| 150 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42600 | 54700 | 0.2212 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 151 | University of Maryland-College Park | 43000 | 53400 | 0.1948 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 152 | Merrimack College | 43600 | 78800 | 0.4472 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 153 | James Madison University | 45300 | 45300 | 0 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 154 | Mercer University | 47100 | 63700 | 0.2607 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 155 | University of Mount Olive | 48300 | 50400 | 0.0424 | 1,937 | 1020 | 0.7775 | |
| 156 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 48600 | 54600 | 0.1099 | 5,444 | 1214 | 0.7064 | |
| 157 | Drexel University | 48800 | 83800 | 0.4176 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 158 | Molloy University | 48900 | 62300 | 0.2152 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 158 | University of Kentucky | 48900 | 56600 | 0.1362 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 160 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.0398 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 161 | University of Colorado Boulder | 55200 | 56600 | 0.0247 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 162 | Dallas Baptist University | 55900 | 71900 | 0.2224 | 2,785 | 1104 | 0.8884 | |
| 163 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 59100 | 61200 | 0.0349 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 164 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 60600 | 63200 | 0.0411 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 164 | Thiel College | 60600 | 69100 | 0.123 | 830 | 1065 | 0.7189 | |
| 166 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60800 | 64100 | 0.0514 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 167 | Clemson University | 61500 | 63700 | 0.0335 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 168 | Fordham University | 70000 | 95000 | 0.263 | 10,582 | 1406 | 0.5931 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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