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 | Radford University | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 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 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 8300 | 27100 | 0.6927 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 6 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8400 | 98000 | 0.9146 | 9,164 | 1494 | 0.2965 | |
| 7 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 9200 | 48800 | 0.8117 | 10,049 | 1005 | 0.9234 | |
| 8 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9600 | 36900 | 0.74 | 3,207 | 1060 | 0.8034 | |
| 9 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5775 | 7,206 | 1015 | 0.7214 | |
| 10 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 11200 | 21100 | 0.4703 | 6,029 | 1075 | 0.9173 | |
| 11 | Savannah State University | 11400 | 40400 | 0.717 | 2,857 | 950 | 0.8368 | |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Flint | 11600 | 45600 | 0.7453 | 5,011 | 1103 | 0.7047 | |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 11800 | 27800 | 0.5734 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 12000 | 22800 | 0.4737 | 10,656 | 1075 | 0.7289 | |
| 15 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 12100 | 41900 | 0.7107 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 16 | Saint Xavier University | 12600 | 53300 | 0.7625 | 3,039 | 1125 | 0.8575 | |
| 16 | Texas A&M University-Commerce | 12600 | 30000 | 0.5801 | 9,666 | 1040 | 0.7498 | |
| 18 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 12700 | 34600 | 0.6336 | 8,975 | 1065 | 0.9721 | |
| 19 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 12900 | 23400 | 0.4493 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 20 | Northern Illinois University | 13200 | 29000 | 0.5437 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 21 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 13500 | 13500 | 0 | 1,919 | 1245 | 0.7844 | |
| 22 | Coastal Carolina University | 13700 | 27200 | 0.4964 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 49300 | 0.7221 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 24 | Fort Hays State University | 13800 | 40700 | 0.662 | 10,206 | 1110 | 0.9177 | |
| 25 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 14100 | 46000 | 0.6931 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 25 | University of Illinois Chicago | 14100 | 30400 | 0.5355 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 27 | University of California-Riverside | 14200 | 66000 | 0.7853 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 28 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 14300 | 37300 | 0.6167 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 29 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 14400 | 32200 | 0.5534 | 2,836 | 1135 | 0.3787 | |
| 30 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 15200 | 42500 | 0.6431 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 30 | University of North Georgia | 15200 | 48000 | 0.6836 | 18,329 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 32 | Alabama State University | 15300 | 37900 | 0.5968 | 3,322 | 970 | 0.9564 | |
| 33 | Wayne State University | 15400 | 32900 | 0.5316 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 34 | Dickinson State University | 15600 | 21700 | 0.2828 | 1,339 | 1005 | 0.3695 | |
| 35 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 15700 | 46800 | 0.665 | 6,550 | 1110 | 0.7456 | |
| 36 | University of North Florida | 15800 | 33000 | 0.5216 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 36 | Wayne State College | 15800 | 20000 | 0.2099 | 3,902 | 0 | 1 | |
| 38 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 15900 | 42600 | 0.627 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 39 | New Mexico Highlands University | 16200 | 31500 | 0.4854 | 1,710 | 945 | 0.9481 | |
| 40 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 16300 | 35700 | 0.5435 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 41 | Jacksonville State University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5455 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 42 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.7045 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 42 | SUNY at Fredonia | 16500 | 27800 | 0.407 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 42 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 16500 | 17700 | 0.0679 | 18,667 | 1090 | 0.9711 | |
| 45 | Central Connecticut State University | 17400 | 34000 | 0.488 | 8,170 | 1010 | 0.7333 | |
| 45 | University of South Alabama | 17400 | 35200 | 0.5059 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 47 | Southern University at New Orleans | 17500 | 34200 | 0.4881 | 1,773 | 885 | 0.6021 | |
| 47 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 17500 | 44900 | 0.6098 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 49 | Morgan State University | 17600 | 37200 | 0.5269 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 50 | Boston College | 17800 | 96200 | 0.8146 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 51 | 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 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 18100 | 26700 | 0.3221 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 55 | Emporia State University | 18500 | 29800 | 0.3797 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 56 | Angelo State University | 18600 | 23100 | 0.1968 | 9,779 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 56 | Florida Memorial University | 18600 | 44900 | 0.5858 | 1,299 | 0 | 0.7431 | |
| 56 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 18600 | 42800 | 0.5648 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 56 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18600 | 27700 | 0.3284 | 5,517 | 1164 | 0.8057 | |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 18700 | 43800 | 0.5725 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 61 | Rutgers University-Newark | 18800 | 38000 | 0.505 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 62 | Stockton University | 19100 | 44500 | 0.5711 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 63 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 19400 | 38000 | 0.4892 | 5,444 | 1214 | 0.7064 | |
| 64 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 19700 | 38100 | 0.483 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 65 | San Jose State University | 19800 | 33600 | 0.4104 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 66 | Bradley University | 20100 | 48500 | 0.5849 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 67 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 20300 | 40900 | 0.5042 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 68 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 68 | Dakota State University | 20400 | 22500 | 0.0912 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8814 | |
| 68 | Grove City College | 20400 | 39700 | 0.4868 | 2,341 | 1256 | 0.7232 | |
| 71 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 20600 | 34400 | 0.4011 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 72 | East Carolina University | 20800 | 23800 | 0.1258 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 72 | Lincoln University | 20800 | 24900 | 0.1646 | 1,707 | 920 | 0 | |
| 72 | Pennsylvania Western University | 20800 | 26600 | 0.218 | 7,586 | 0 | 0.9433 | |
| 75 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20900 | 57800 | 0.6391 | 1,083 | 1171 | 0.9278 | |
| 75 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27100 | 0.2285 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 77 | Tarleton State University | 21000 | 23000 | 0.087 | 15,130 | 1095 | 0.5256 | |
| 78 | Albright College | 21300 | 49300 | 0.5678 | 1,328 | 1050 | 0.8615 | |
| 79 | Kennesaw State University | 21400 | 27200 | 0.2133 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 80 | Elmhurst University | 21500 | 67000 | 0.6794 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 80 | Luther College | 21500 | 71900 | 0.7008 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8402 | |
| 82 | Averett University | 22100 | 57200 | 0.614 | 1,180 | 1070 | 0.478 | |
| 83 | Northwestern University | 22200 | 88100 | 0.7483 | 9,060 | 1533 | 0.0769 | |
| 84 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 22600 | 47900 | 0.5278 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 85 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22800 | 58100 | 0.608 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 86 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 23100 | 44400 | 0.4794 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 87 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 23200 | 45200 | 0.4871 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 88 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5988 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 89 | Grambling State University | 23600 | 34800 | 0.3215 | 4,279 | 955 | 0.2368 | |
| 90 | Houghton University | 23900 | 61900 | 0.6142 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 90 | University of Kentucky | 23900 | 36100 | 0.3366 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 92 | Dominican University | 24100 | 56000 | 0.5698 | 2,690 | 1060 | 0.9032 | |
| 93 | Norwich University | 24300 | 88400 | 0.7253 | 2,642 | 1182 | 0.7361 | |
| 94 | Western Oregon University | 24600 | 24600 | 0 | 3,343 | 1120 | 0.9871 | |
| 95 | Northwood University | 25200 | 54500 | 0.5381 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 96 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 25800 | 39200 | 0.3419 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 97 | Columbia College | 25900 | 51600 | 0.4985 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 98 | Doane University | 26000 | 77700 | 0.665 | 1,323 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 99 | Grand Valley State University | 26200 | 36300 | 0.2786 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 99 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26200 | 28300 | 0.0725 | 3,413 | 1095 | 0.5295 | |
| 101 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 26300 | 43000 | 0.388 | 5,789 | 1060 | 0.5774 | |
| 102 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 103 | Furman University | 26700 | 79600 | 0.6643 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 104 | Bethune-Cookman University | 26800 | 32700 | 0.1805 | 2,739 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 105 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 27100 | 41500 | 0.3468 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 106 | Cleveland State University | 27300 | 37300 | 0.2682 | 9,418 | 1105 | 0.913 | |
| 107 | Fairmont State University | 27500 | 32200 | 0.146 | 3,060 | 975 | 0.9924 | |
| 108 | George Fox University | 27700 | 76800 | 0.6393 | 3,401 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 108 | Thomas Jefferson University | 27700 | 67700 | 0.5907 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 110 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6654 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 111 | California Lutheran University | 28100 | 70000 | 0.5988 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 112 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 33400 | 0.1437 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 113 | Mercy University | 28700 | 44500 | 0.3552 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 114 | University of Utah | 29000 | 32000 | 0.0953 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 115 | Clemson University | 29300 | 37100 | 0.2114 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 115 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 33900 | 0.1358 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 117 | University of North Texas | 30500 | 37400 | 0.1844 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 118 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30600 | 54700 | 0.4401 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.5568 | |
| 119 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30700 | 54600 | 0.4369 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 120 | University of Toledo | 30900 | 42000 | 0.2633 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 121 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 31000 | 36900 | 0.1597 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 122 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 31100 | 33200 | 0.0618 | 14,504 | 1145 | 0.7637 | |
| 123 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 31300 | 31300 | 0 | 6,853 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 124 | DePaul University | 32000 | 67100 | 0.5231 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 125 | McKendree University | 32100 | 52200 | 0.3852 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 125 | Saint Michael's College | 32100 | 68500 | 0.5317 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 127 | Hampton University | 32300 | 62400 | 0.482 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 127 | Washington Adventist University | 32300 | 37800 | 0.1457 | 605 | 951 | 0.4536 | |
| 129 | Suffolk University | 32600 | 69700 | 0.5326 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 129 | University of Scranton | 32600 | 78700 | 0.5862 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.8029 | |
| 131 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 32900 | 45100 | 0.2705 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 132 | Frostburg State University | 33500 | 43000 | 0.221 | 2,619 | 1095 | 0.892 | |
| 133 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 134 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54800 | 0.378 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 134 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 34100 | 58500 | 0.4179 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 136 | Salisbury University | 34200 | 41700 | 0.1797 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 137 | Charleston Southern University | 34400 | 48400 | 0.29 | 2,914 | 1060 | 0.7609 | |
| 138 | Pace University | 34600 | 74800 | 0.5373 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 139 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 34800 | 37800 | 0.0807 | 5,086 | 1000 | 0.9821 | |
| 140 | University of South Florida | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 141 | Adelphi University | 35300 | 63300 | 0.4429 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 142 | Immaculata University | 36100 | 47800 | 0.2446 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8578 | |
| 143 | Loyola University Maryland | 36400 | 78800 | 0.5381 | 3,881 | 1309 | 0.7549 | |
| 144 | Christopher Newport University | 37000 | 51000 | 0.2747 | 4,407 | 1209 | 0.8796 | |
| 145 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 37600 | 41600 | 0.0973 | 5,386 | 995 | 0.9092 | |
| 145 | Towson University | 37600 | 46400 | 0.1897 | 16,264 | 1093 | 0.8198 | |
| 147 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38600 | 38600 | 0 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 148 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38800 | 53400 | 0.2735 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 149 | Stony Brook University | 40000 | 53000 | 0.2462 | 18,263 | 1404 | 0.4904 | |
| 150 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 42100 | 67900 | 0.3799 | 3,965 | 1335 | 0.9121 | |
| 151 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42600 | 54700 | 0.2212 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 152 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4474 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 153 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 44000 | 57100 | 0.2287 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 154 | James Madison University | 45300 | 45300 | 0 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 155 | Mercer University | 47200 | 63700 | 0.2591 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 156 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 48300 | 60000 | 0.1949 | 31,112 | 1114 | 0.8129 | |
| 157 | University of Mount Olive | 48400 | 50400 | 0.0407 | 1,937 | 1020 | 0.7775 | |
| 158 | Drexel University | 48900 | 83800 | 0.4164 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 158 | Molloy University | 48900 | 62300 | 0.2152 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 160 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 51000 | 84700 | 0.398 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 161 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 162 | University of Colorado Boulder | 55200 | 56600 | 0.0247 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 163 | Dallas Baptist University | 55900 | 71900 | 0.2224 | 2,785 | 1104 | 0.8884 | |
| 164 | Thiel College | 60700 | 69100 | 0.1215 | 830 | 1065 | 0.7189 | |
| 165 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60800 | 64100 | 0.0514 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 166 | College of Charleston | 61600 | 61600 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 167 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 63500 | 63500 | 0 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 168 | Fordham University | 70200 | 95000 | 0.2609 | 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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