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 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | 5900 | 34100 | 0.8272 | 3,237 | 0 | 0.3861 | |
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 6700 | 39100 | 0.8296 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 3 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 7900 | 34500 | 0.7705 | 16,086 | 1293 | 0.5117 | |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology | 8000 | 90300 | 0.9112 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 5 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 8300 | 33400 | 0.7524 | 10,049 | 1005 | 0.9234 | |
| 6 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9600 | 20000 | 0.5199 | 3,207 | 1050 | 0.8034 | |
| 7 | University of Houston-Victoria | 10100 | 23500 | 0.571 | 2,707 | 930 | 0.7671 | |
| 8 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 10200 | 94100 | 0.8919 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 9 | New Mexico Highlands University | 10500 | 21500 | 0.5112 | 1,710 | 945 | 0.9481 | |
| 9 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5776 | 7,206 | 1015 | 0.7214 | |
| 11 | Savannah State University | 11600 | 17400 | 0.3327 | 2,857 | 950 | 0.8368 | |
| 12 | Christopher Newport University | 11900 | 33900 | 0.6489 | 4,407 | 1209 | 0.8796 | |
| 13 | Northern Illinois University | 12400 | 29000 | 0.5718 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 12400 | 27200 | 0.5443 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 15 | Fairmont State University | 12500 | 21400 | 0.4164 | 3,060 | 1005 | 0.9924 | |
| 16 | Northwestern University | 12600 | 87700 | 0.8563 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 17 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 12700 | 37100 | 0.6572 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 18 | Northern Kentucky University | 13300 | 25900 | 0.4873 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 19 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 14200 | 19400 | 0.2681 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 19 | University of South Florida | 14200 | 17100 | 0.1695 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 21 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 22 | Goshen College | 14900 | 55800 | 0.734 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 23 | Alabama State University | 15200 | 28000 | 0.459 | 3,322 | 945 | 0.9564 | |
| 23 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 15200 | 35700 | 0.5744 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 25 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15300 | 28100 | 0.4555 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 26 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 15400 | 35400 | 0.5645 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 26 | University of Michigan-Flint | 15400 | 36600 | 0.5792 | 5,011 | 1084 | 0.7047 | |
| 28 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 15500 | 24800 | 0.3744 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 29 | Wayne State College | 15600 | 26400 | 0.4096 | 3,902 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 30 | James Madison University | 15700 | 28600 | 0.4503 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 31 | Grand Valley State University | 16000 | 25300 | 0.368 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 32 | Northeastern University | 16100 | 89900 | 0.8213 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 33 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 16200 | 23400 | 0.3081 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 34 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 16300 | 28800 | 0.4339 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 34 | Southern University at New Orleans | 16300 | 31600 | 0.484 | 1,773 | 885 | 0.6021 | |
| 36 | SUNY at Fredonia | 16600 | 27800 | 0.4034 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 37 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 16800 | 64800 | 0.7406 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 38 | Dickinson State University | 17200 | 23700 | 0.2739 | 1,339 | 1005 | 0.3695 | |
| 39 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,428 | 1090 | 0.9529 | |
| 40 | SUNY Brockport | 18000 | 26200 | 0.3124 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 41 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 18300 | 20300 | 0.0985 | 1,919 | 1245 | 0.7844 | |
| 42 | Angelo State University | 18500 | 23100 | 0.1979 | 9,779 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 43 | Westfield State University | 18900 | 32500 | 0.4191 | 3,868 | 1105 | 0.8671 | |
| 44 | Coppin State University | 19300 | 43100 | 0.5526 | 1,810 | 950 | 0.4956 | |
| 44 | San Jose State University | 19300 | 29900 | 0.3542 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 46 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 19400 | 27000 | 0.2819 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 47 | Wayne State University | 19800 | 32300 | 0.3875 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 48 | Florida Memorial University | 20100 | 46100 | 0.5641 | 1,299 | 0 | 0.7431 | |
| 49 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20200 | 38800 | 0.481 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 49 | University of Colorado Boulder | 20200 | 30600 | 0.3398 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 51 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 52 | East Carolina University | 20800 | 23800 | 0.1258 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 52 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20800 | 57800 | 0.6395 | 1,083 | 1193 | 0.9278 | |
| 54 | Lincoln University | 20900 | 24900 | 0.1606 | 1,707 | 920 | 0 | |
| 54 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27100 | 0.2289 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 56 | Rutgers University-Newark | 21000 | 38900 | 0.4603 | 7,417 | 1159 | 0.7873 | |
| 57 | Luther College | 21500 | 71900 | 0.7011 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8402 | |
| 58 | Cleveland State University | 21700 | 30900 | 0.2974 | 9,418 | 1005 | 0.913 | |
| 59 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 22200 | 34400 | 0.3546 | 14,783 | 1140 | 0.8096 | |
| 59 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 61 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 22400 | 28000 | 0.1999 | 5,789 | 1115 | 0.5774 | |
| 62 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 22500 | 32000 | 0.2967 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 63 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 22700 | 36400 | 0.3759 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 63 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 22700 | 22800 | 0.0044 | 10,656 | 1075 | 0.7289 | |
| 65 | University of Illinois Chicago | 22800 | 30300 | 0.2473 | 22,495 | 1247 | 0.7735 | |
| 66 | Dakota State University | 23100 | 25600 | 0.0977 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8814 | |
| 67 | Averett University | 23300 | 57200 | 0.593 | 1,180 | 1010 | 0.478 | |
| 67 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5993 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 69 | Syracuse University | 23600 | 83100 | 0.716 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 70 | University of Kentucky | 23900 | 36000 | 0.3355 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 71 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 24100 | 34500 | 0.3014 | 5,444 | 1214 | 0.7064 | |
| 71 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 24100 | 39200 | 0.3853 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 73 | Bemidji State University | 24300 | 26400 | 0.0786 | 3,610 | 1110 | 0.9131 | |
| 73 | Grambling State University | 24300 | 26700 | 0.09 | 4,279 | 955 | 0.2368 | |
| 75 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 24600 | 26600 | 0.0779 | 3,413 | 1085 | 0.5295 | |
| 76 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 24700 | 32200 | 0.2328 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 76 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | 24700 | 62200 | 0.6033 | 686 | 1030 | 0.8649 | |
| 78 | Dominican University | 24800 | 55500 | 0.5522 | 2,690 | 1035 | 0.9032 | |
| 78 | Elmhurst University | 24800 | 67000 | 0.6301 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 80 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 24900 | 28000 | 0.1098 | 5,086 | 1000 | 0.9821 | |
| 80 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 24900 | 51700 | 0.5179 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.6327 | |
| 82 | Boston College | 25100 | 94600 | 0.7347 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 83 | Houghton University | 25200 | 35500 | 0.29 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 84 | Texas A&M University-Commerce | 25500 | 37400 | 0.3186 | 9,666 | 1040 | 0.7498 | |
| 85 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 25700 | 35700 | 0.2803 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 86 | Northwood University | 25900 | 54500 | 0.5252 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 87 | Bethune-Cookman University | 26000 | 32700 | 0.205 | 2,739 | 915 | 0.8824 | |
| 87 | Doane University | 26000 | 62800 | 0.5861 | 1,323 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 89 | Stony Brook University | 26100 | 33200 | 0.2129 | 18,263 | 1395 | 0.4904 | |
| 90 | Fort Hays State University | 26200 | 35200 | 0.256 | 10,206 | 1120 | 0.9177 | |
| 91 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 26400 | 28400 | 0.073 | 14,504 | 1145 | 0.7637 | |
| 92 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 92 | Georgia Southern University | 26500 | 26700 | 0.0075 | 23,618 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 92 | Norwich University | 26500 | 70900 | 0.6264 | 2,642 | 1209 | 0.7361 | |
| 95 | Pennsylvania Western University | 26600 | 35600 | 0.2531 | 7,586 | 1070 | 0.9433 | |
| 96 | Columbia College | 26900 | 41300 | 0.349 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 97 | Kennesaw State University | 27000 | 27000 | 0 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 97 | University of North Georgia | 27000 | 35500 | 0.2393 | 18,329 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 99 | Emporia State University | 27200 | 37700 | 0.2783 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 100 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 27300 | 40300 | 0.3224 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 101 | Rowan University | 27500 | 40500 | 0.3209 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 102 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 27600 | 41900 | 0.3412 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 102 | University of North Texas | 27600 | 37400 | 0.2622 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 104 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 28000 | 28000 | 0 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 105 | Jacksonville State University | 28500 | 38200 | 0.2537 | 8,663 | 1065 | 0.7769 | |
| 106 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 31500 | 0.0921 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 107 | George Fox University | 28700 | 67100 | 0.5727 | 3,401 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 107 | Mercy University | 28700 | 44500 | 0.3552 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 107 | Salisbury University | 28700 | 28700 | 0 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 110 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 28800 | 44100 | 0.3472 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 111 | Radford University | 28900 | 32800 | 0.1189 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 111 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 28900 | 39700 | 0.2722 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 111 | University of Utah | 28900 | 32000 | 0.0961 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 114 | Concord University | 29000 | 46500 | 0.3763 | 1,609 | 990 | 0.9256 | |
| 115 | Furman University | 29200 | 79600 | 0.6329 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 116 | University of Toledo | 29500 | 32600 | 0.0943 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 117 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 29700 | 38200 | 0.2227 | 6,550 | 1140 | 0.7456 | |
| 118 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 29900 | 51100 | 0.4151 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 118 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 29900 | 52900 | 0.435 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 120 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 121 | Saint Xavier University | 30300 | 51200 | 0.4067 | 3,039 | 1125 | 0.8575 | |
| 122 | Albright College | 30600 | 48700 | 0.3717 | 1,328 | 1050 | 0.8615 | |
| 123 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30700 | 54600 | 0.4374 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 123 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | 30700 | 52800 | 0.4182 | 938 | 1090 | 0.951 | |
| 125 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 31100 | 45200 | 0.3121 | 624 | 1115 | 0.9664 | |
| 126 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 31400 | 31400 | 0 | 6,853 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 126 | State University of New York at Oswego | 31400 | 38300 | 0.1799 | 5,517 | 1174 | 0.8057 | |
| 128 | Washington Adventist University | 31500 | 37800 | 0.1668 | 605 | 950 | 0.4536 | |
| 129 | Thomas Jefferson University | 31600 | 67700 | 0.5331 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 130 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 31800 | 31800 | 0 | 11,562 | 1110 | 0.5836 | |
| 130 | University of North Florida | 31800 | 37900 | 0.161 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 132 | Saint Michael's College | 32000 | 68400 | 0.5319 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 133 | McKendree University | 32100 | 52200 | 0.3857 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 134 | Hampton University | 32300 | 47000 | 0.3128 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 134 | University of Scranton | 32300 | 76300 | 0.5763 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.812 | |
| 136 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 32500 | 34700 | 0.0633 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 137 | California Lutheran University | 32700 | 65800 | 0.5027 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 138 | Frostburg State University | 32900 | 43100 | 0.2367 | 2,619 | 1082 | 0.892 | |
| 138 | Harding University | 32900 | 47000 | 0.2995 | 3,523 | 1193 | 0.3942 | |
| 138 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 32900 | 44100 | 0.2539 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 141 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 15,130 | 0 | 0.5256 | |
| 142 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 1,956 | 1153 | 0.9146 | |
| 143 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 33600 | 40900 | 0.1786 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 143 | Stockton University | 33600 | 44500 | 0.2451 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 145 | College of Charleston | 33700 | 33700 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 145 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 54600 | 0.383 | 1,903 | 1214 | 0.7787 | |
| 145 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 148 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54600 | 0.3754 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 149 | Morgan State University | 34400 | 37200 | 0.0753 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 150 | DePaul University | 34900 | 56200 | 0.3791 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 151 | City University of Seattle | 35100 | 45400 | 0.227 | 1,180 | 0 | 0.9025 | |
| 151 | Coastal Carolina University | 35100 | 44700 | 0.2146 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 151 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 35100 | 49600 | 0.2921 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 154 | Adelphi University | 35300 | 63300 | 0.4433 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 154 | Stevenson University | 35300 | 59900 | 0.4105 | 3,106 | 1100 | 0.7891 | |
| 154 | University of Mount Olive | 35300 | 35300 | 0 | 1,937 | 945 | 0.7775 | |
| 157 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 35700 | 42400 | 0.158 | 31,112 | 1130 | 0.8129 | |
| 158 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 36200 | 56300 | 0.3565 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 159 | Mercer University | 36500 | 60500 | 0.3967 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 159 | Towson University | 36500 | 45700 | 0.2013 | 16,264 | 1093 | 0.8198 | |
| 161 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 36900 | 38900 | 0.0533 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 162 | Immaculata University | 37200 | 47800 | 0.2215 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8578 | |
| 163 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 37600 | 41600 | 0.0979 | 5,187 | 1005 | 0.9229 | |
| 164 | Suffolk University | 38600 | 73600 | 0.4758 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 165 | Pace University | 39700 | 74100 | 0.464 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 166 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 40000 | 45400 | 0.1189 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 167 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 40300 | 40300 | 0 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 168 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 40500 | 40500 | 0 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 169 | Loyola University Maryland | 42000 | 78800 | 0.4671 | 3,881 | 1309 | 0.7549 | |
| 170 | Western Oregon University | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 3,343 | 1120 | 0.9871 | |
| 171 | University of California-Riverside | 43500 | 66400 | 0.3448 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 172 | Merrimack College | 43600 | 78800 | 0.4464 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 173 | CUNY Lehman College | 45500 | 45800 | 0.0066 | 11,217 | 1037 | 0.4601 | |
| 174 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 56200 | 0.1476 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 175 | Molloy University | 48200 | 62300 | 0.2265 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 176 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 50200 | 52300 | 0.0401 | 21,210 | 1171 | 0.9232 | |
| 177 | Drexel University | 51200 | 82600 | 0.38 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 178 | Fordham University | 56000 | 94600 | 0.4082 | 10,307 | 1415 | 0.5628 | |
| 179 | Clemson University | 61600 | 63700 | 0.0326 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 180 | Thiel College | 67400 | 69100 | 0.0246 | 831 | 1065 | 0.7189 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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