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 | 4800 | 40700 | 0.8811 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 2 | Savannah State University | 6900 | 29000 | 0.7616 | 2,966 | 925 | 0.4614 | |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology | 7400 | 91800 | 0.9194 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 4 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 7700 | 36100 | 0.7877 | 10,051 | 1064 | 0.9234 | |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8300 | 97100 | 0.915 | 9,164 | 1535 | 0.0399 | |
| 6 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9800 | 20400 | 0.5201 | 3,224 | 1085 | 0.7643 | |
| 7 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 10300 | 10300 | 0 | 6,139 | 1070 | 0.9052 | |
| 8 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5775 | 7,166 | 1015 | 0.7229 | |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 12400 | 29200 | 0.5745 | 38,040 | 1418 | 0.452 | |
| 10 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 11 | University of North Florida | 12600 | 22400 | 0.438 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Flint | 13000 | 46300 | 0.719 | 5,011 | 1109 | 0.7046 | |
| 13 | East Texas A&M University | 13200 | 30000 | 0.5601 | 9,992 | 1045 | 0.9224 | |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 13200 | 19400 | 0.3197 | 14,416 | 1210 | 0.8851 | |
| 15 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 13500 | 13500 | 0 | 1,973 | 1189 | 0.8135 | |
| 16 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 17 | Fairmont State University | 13800 | 21400 | 0.3556 | 3,088 | 970 | 0.9862 | |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 14100 | 19600 | 0.2805 | 10,632 | 1075 | 0.8859 | |
| 19 | Alabama State University | 14200 | 31300 | 0.5476 | 3,521 | 945 | 0.9755 | |
| 20 | Dickinson State University | 14300 | 25000 | 0.4271 | 1,339 | 990 | 0.3702 | |
| 20 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 22 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14400 | 37400 | 0.6144 | 7,622 | 1075 | 0.9254 | |
| 23 | Northern Kentucky University | 14600 | 25900 | 0.4369 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 23 | Northwestern University | 14600 | 88300 | 0.8348 | 9,399 | 1527 | 0.0769 | |
| 25 | Wayne State College | 15100 | 20300 | 0.2561 | 3,902 | 0 | 0 | |
| 26 | Coastal Carolina University | 15400 | 27200 | 0.4339 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 26 | Radford University | 15400 | 32000 | 0.5193 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 28 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 15800 | 38500 | 0.5888 | 37,140 | 1406 | 0.4237 | |
| 29 | Jacksonville State University | 16000 | 27000 | 0.4081 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 30 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 16100 | 23400 | 0.3124 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8698 | |
| 31 | Grove City College | 16400 | 39700 | 0.5876 | 2,341 | 1266 | 0.7232 | |
| 32 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.705 | 780 | 995 | 0.8407 | |
| 32 | Wayne State University | 16500 | 32900 | 0.4982 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 34 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 16600 | 64800 | 0.7438 | 20,885 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 35 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 16900 | 44500 | 0.6198 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 36 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 17200 | 43500 | 0.6041 | 581 | 1132 | 0.9821 | |
| 37 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,288 | 1090 | 0.9068 | |
| 38 | Boston College | 17800 | 97600 | 0.8174 | 10,314 | 1490 | 0.1643 | |
| 39 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 17900 | 35300 | 0.4926 | 1,813 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 40 | College of Charleston | 18000 | 33900 | 0.4696 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 40 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 18000 | 39000 | 0.5379 | 37,985 | 1390 | 0.5815 | |
| 42 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 18100 | 25200 | 0.2812 | 6,835 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 43 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3428 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 43 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 18200 | 28600 | 0.3634 | 4,218 | 1030 | 0.9489 | |
| 43 | Towson University | 18200 | 29900 | 0.3909 | 16,264 | 1098 | 0.8197 | |
| 46 | Angelo State University | 18300 | 23100 | 0.2067 | 9,702 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 47 | SUNY Brockport | 18400 | 26200 | 0.2972 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 48 | University of Houston-Victoria | 18900 | 25000 | 0.2442 | 2,627 | 1095 | 0.959 | |
| 49 | Rutgers University-Newark | 19500 | 38000 | 0.4866 | 7,989 | 1159 | 0.7136 | |
| 49 | Saint Xavier University | 19500 | 53300 | 0.6329 | 3,098 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 51 | Norwich University | 19600 | 73800 | 0.7342 | 2,626 | 1186 | 0.7444 | |
| 51 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 19600 | 41400 | 0.5262 | 502 | 1189 | 0.9641 | |
| 53 | Central Connecticut State University | 19800 | 29500 | 0.3286 | 8,170 | 1075 | 0.7333 | |
| 54 | University of Colorado Boulder | 19900 | 31900 | 0.3767 | 32,244 | 1351 | 0.7808 | |
| 55 | Cleveland State University | 20000 | 30900 | 0.3523 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 56 | Dakota State University | 20400 | 22500 | 0.0912 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8805 | |
| 56 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20400 | 39900 | 0.489 | 5,255 | 1109 | 0.7295 | |
| 58 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20600 | 57800 | 0.6431 | 1,932 | 1193 | 0.9278 | |
| 59 | Albright College | 21000 | 49300 | 0.5739 | 1,230 | 1050 | 0.7633 | |
| 60 | Luther College | 21300 | 71900 | 0.7033 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.7154 | |
| 61 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 21800 | 37300 | 0.4156 | 26,221 | 1204 | 0.8854 | |
| 62 | Grand Valley State University | 22100 | 35900 | 0.3849 | 19,002 | 1084 | 0.8302 | |
| 62 | Lincoln University | 22100 | 24900 | 0.1124 | 1,926 | 0 | 0 | |
| 64 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 22200 | 33600 | 0.339 | 21,210 | 1148 | 0.9262 | |
| 65 | Grambling State University | 22400 | 25700 | 0.1286 | 4,313 | 950 | 0.4486 | |
| 65 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22400 | 53000 | 0.5768 | 1,472 | 1075 | 0.8459 | |
| 67 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 22500 | 25400 | 0.1143 | 2,906 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 67 | New Mexico Highlands University | 22500 | 27200 | 0.1726 | 1,603 | 0 | 0 | |
| 69 | San Jose State University | 23000 | 41100 | 0.4405 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 70 | Florida Memorial University | 23100 | 42000 | 0.4495 | 1,206 | 0 | 0.8526 | |
| 71 | Houghton University | 23200 | 44300 | 0.4763 | 1,162 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 71 | Robert Morris University | 23200 | 58000 | 0.6011 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 73 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 23700 | 34400 | 0.311 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 74 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5721 | 2,690 | 1005 | 0.9032 | |
| 75 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 76 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 24200 | 36300 | 0.3337 | 5,444 | 1220 | 0.7064 | |
| 76 | Westfield State University | 24200 | 39000 | 0.3791 | 3,868 | 1085 | 0.8141 | |
| 78 | Western Oregon University | 24600 | 24600 | 0 | 3,167 | 1040 | 0.981 | |
| 79 | Emporia State University | 24900 | 32000 | 0.2218 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 79 | Pennsylvania Western University | 24900 | 34400 | 0.2759 | 7,586 | 1045 | 0.9433 | |
| 81 | Doane University | 25300 | 71000 | 0.644 | 1,315 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 82 | Bethune-Cookman University | 25800 | 32700 | 0.2111 | 2,738 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 83 | Fort Hays State University | 25900 | 36100 | 0.2844 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 84 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26000 | 28300 | 0.0806 | 3,375 | 1090 | 0.5876 | |
| 85 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 26200 | 28400 | 0.0802 | 14,504 | 1149 | 0.7637 | |
| 86 | Columbia College | 26400 | 46900 | 0.4372 | 5,207 | 1145 | 0.4714 | |
| 86 | Southern University at New Orleans | 26400 | 42300 | 0.3757 | 2,179 | 950 | 0.789 | |
| 88 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1161 | 0.9523 | |
| 89 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26700 | 41500 | 0.3564 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 90 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 26800 | 30100 | 0.109 | 5,086 | 1124 | 0.949 | |
| 90 | Northwood University | 26800 | 54500 | 0.5087 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 92 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 27300 | 36500 | 0.2522 | 7,505 | 1073 | 0.9633 | |
| 93 | Kennesaw State University | 27400 | 27400 | 0 | 42,760 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 93 | Rowan University | 27400 | 41300 | 0.3369 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 93 | University of North Georgia | 27400 | 38600 | 0.2905 | 18,322 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 96 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 27600 | 27600 | 0 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 97 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6653 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 98 | George Fox University | 28300 | 69400 | 0.5925 | 3,354 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 99 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28500 | 32300 | 0.1176 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 100 | Elmhurst University | 28700 | 67000 | 0.5719 | 3,213 | 1148 | 0.7364 | |
| 101 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 28800 | 36700 | 0.2151 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9419 | |
| 102 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 28900 | 42400 | 0.3187 | 6,761 | 1105 | 0.8475 | |
| 102 | University of North Texas | 28900 | 37400 | 0.2271 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 104 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 34000 | 0.1383 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 105 | Morgan State University | 29600 | 41900 | 0.2938 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 106 | University of Toledo | 29700 | 42000 | 0.2926 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 107 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 29800 | 39700 | 0.2495 | 4,487 | 1115 | 0.6726 | |
| 108 | Mercy University | 30100 | 44500 | 0.3237 | 6,774 | 1135 | 0.8584 | |
| 109 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30400 | 54700 | 0.4443 | 1,427 | 1025 | 0.4941 | |
| 110 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30500 | 54600 | 0.4411 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 111 | Central College | 30600 | 36800 | 0.1686 | 1,084 | 1145 | 0.8617 | |
| 112 | Frostburg State University | 31000 | 43000 | 0.2792 | 3,422 | 1095 | 0.8918 | |
| 113 | Hampton University | 31400 | 54800 | 0.427 | 3,728 | 947 | 0.6225 | |
| 114 | Saint Michael's College | 31700 | 68500 | 0.5375 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 115 | McKendree University | 31900 | 52200 | 0.3896 | 1,757 | 1098 | 0.7172 | |
| 116 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 32200 | 40900 | 0.2127 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 116 | Washington Adventist University | 32200 | 37800 | 0.1483 | 513 | 995 | 0.4618 | |
| 118 | University of Scranton | 32300 | 78700 | 0.5891 | 3,613 | 1250 | 0.8123 | |
| 119 | Suffolk University | 32900 | 70300 | 0.5319 | 4,326 | 1209 | 0.8233 | |
| 120 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 15,254 | 1080 | 0.8955 | |
| 121 | Immaculata University | 33600 | 47900 | 0.2987 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8576 | |
| 122 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,677 | 1430 | 0.4709 | |
| 123 | LeTourneau University | 33900 | 54800 | 0.3817 | 3,187 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 124 | Salisbury University | 34000 | 41700 | 0.1845 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 124 | Thomas Jefferson University | 34000 | 68100 | 0.501 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8097 | |
| 126 | SUNY at Fredonia | 34100 | 39600 | 0.1391 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 127 | Charleston Southern University | 34200 | 48400 | 0.2948 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 128 | University of South Florida | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 129 | Adelphi University | 35100 | 63300 | 0.4465 | 5,325 | 1237 | 0.6591 | |
| 129 | California Lutheran University | 35100 | 70000 | 0.4988 | 2,297 | 1254 | 0.7567 | |
| 131 | Stockton University | 35200 | 44500 | 0.2091 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 132 | Christopher Newport University | 35300 | 36200 | 0.0249 | 4,369 | 1189 | 0.8604 | |
| 132 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 35300 | 56700 | 0.3775 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8304 | |
| 134 | Averett University | 35400 | 57200 | 0.3813 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 135 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 36000 | 56300 | 0.3601 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 136 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 36400 | 41600 | 0.1268 | 5,386 | 1050 | 0.9092 | |
| 137 | Furman University | 36700 | 82900 | 0.5571 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 137 | Loyola University Maryland | 36700 | 78800 | 0.5343 | 3,881 | 1303 | 0.7549 | |
| 139 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 36900 | 38100 | 0.0315 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 139 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 36900 | 37100 | 0.0054 | 5,939 | 1065 | 0.5878 | |
| 141 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1160 | 0.8921 | |
| 142 | DePaul University | 37800 | 66000 | 0.4275 | 14,188 | 1254 | 0.7589 | |
| 143 | University of Illinois Chicago | 38200 | 50600 | 0.2451 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 144 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38400 | 53100 | 0.2767 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 145 | Stony Brook University | 39700 | 53000 | 0.2506 | 18,263 | 1410 | 0.4904 | |
| 145 | University of South Alabama | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 147 | Pace University | 40700 | 74800 | 0.4558 | 8,038 | 1260 | 0.7592 | |
| 148 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 41500 | 55200 | 0.2481 | 25,900 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 149 | University of Mount Olive | 42100 | 50400 | 0.1643 | 1,944 | 1075 | 0.7575 | |
| 150 | University of Maryland-College Park | 43000 | 53600 | 0.1979 | 31,133 | 1463 | 0.4479 | |
| 151 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4477 | 4,102 | 1115 | 0.7002 | |
| 152 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 43800 | 57100 | 0.2328 | 23,329 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 153 | James Madison University | 45200 | 45200 | 0 | 20,973 | 1260 | 0.7152 | |
| 154 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 67900 | 0.2945 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 155 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 48000 | 55800 | 0.1398 | 32,545 | 1129 | 0.799 | |
| 156 | Drexel University | 48600 | 83900 | 0.4208 | 13,309 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 157 | Mercer University | 48900 | 63700 | 0.2324 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 158 | University of Kentucky | 49000 | 58000 | 0.1559 | 25,534 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 159 | University of California-Riverside | 49300 | 66000 | 0.2532 | 22,600 | 1199 | 0.7639 | |
| 160 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0425 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 161 | Dallas Baptist University | 56400 | 63400 | 0.1104 | 2,785 | 1109 | 0.8884 | |
| 162 | Molloy University | 59800 | 62300 | 0.0402 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 163 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60400 | 64100 | 0.0577 | 1,236 | 1193 | 0.9811 | |
| 164 | Thiel College | 60500 | 69100 | 0.1244 | 833 | 1065 | 0.7155 | |
| 165 | Clemson University | 61400 | 63700 | 0.0358 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 166 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 62000 | 64200 | 0.0343 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 167 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 63700 | 63700 | 0 | 10,200 | 1325 | 0.6507 | |
| 168 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 63900 | 63900 | 0 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 169 | Fordham University | 69600 | 95100 | 0.268 | 10,582 | 1406 | 0.5931 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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