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 | Savannah State University | 6900 | 29000 | 0.7616 | 2,966 | 925 | 0.4614 | |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology | 7500 | 91800 | 0.9183 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 3 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 7700 | 36100 | 0.7877 | 10,051 | 1064 | 0.9234 | |
| 4 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8300 | 97100 | 0.915 | 9,164 | 1535 | 0.0399 | |
| 5 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9800 | 20400 | 0.5201 | 3,224 | 1085 | 0.7643 | |
| 6 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 10300 | 10300 | 0 | 6,139 | 1070 | 0.9052 | |
| 7 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5775 | 7,166 | 1015 | 0.7229 | |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 11700 | 27800 | 0.5771 | 20,885 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 12400 | 29200 | 0.5745 | 38,040 | 1418 | 0.452 | |
| 10 | Fort Hays State University | 12800 | 22600 | 0.435 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 11 | University of South Florida | 12900 | 17100 | 0.2454 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Flint | 13000 | 46300 | 0.719 | 5,011 | 1109 | 0.7046 | |
| 13 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 25700 | 0.4862 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9419 | |
| 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 | Grand Valley State University | 14100 | 25300 | 0.4432 | 19,002 | 1084 | 0.8302 | |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 14100 | 19600 | 0.2805 | 10,632 | 1075 | 0.8859 | |
| 20 | Alabama State University | 14200 | 31300 | 0.5476 | 3,521 | 945 | 0.9755 | |
| 21 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5047 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 22 | Dickinson State University | 14400 | 25000 | 0.4259 | 1,339 | 990 | 0.3702 | |
| 23 | Northern Kentucky University | 14600 | 25900 | 0.4369 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 23 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14600 | 29600 | 0.5075 | 7,622 | 1075 | 0.9254 | |
| 23 | Northwestern University | 14600 | 88300 | 0.8348 | 9,399 | 1527 | 0.0769 | |
| 23 | Salisbury University | 14600 | 28700 | 0.4916 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 27 | Wayne State College | 15100 | 20300 | 0.2561 | 3,902 | 0 | 0 | |
| 28 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 15200 | 28700 | 0.4704 | 6,761 | 1105 | 0.8475 | |
| 29 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15600 | 31000 | 0.4964 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 30 | James Madison University | 15700 | 28900 | 0.4573 | 20,973 | 1260 | 0.7152 | |
| 31 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 15900 | 38500 | 0.5862 | 37,140 | 1406 | 0.4237 | |
| 32 | Jacksonville State University | 16000 | 27000 | 0.4081 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 33 | Emporia State University | 16100 | 22900 | 0.2971 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 33 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 16100 | 23400 | 0.3124 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8698 | |
| 35 | Frostburg State University | 16200 | 26600 | 0.3907 | 3,422 | 1095 | 0.8918 | |
| 36 | Grove City College | 16400 | 39700 | 0.5876 | 2,341 | 1266 | 0.7232 | |
| 37 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.7045 | 780 | 995 | 0.8407 | |
| 37 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 16500 | 40600 | 0.593 | 581 | 1132 | 0.9821 | |
| 37 | Wayne State University | 16500 | 32900 | 0.4982 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 40 | Southern University at New Orleans | 16600 | 31000 | 0.4639 | 2,179 | 950 | 0.789 | |
| 41 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 16900 | 44500 | 0.6198 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 42 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17100 | 27800 | 0.3854 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 43 | Central Connecticut State University | 17600 | 34000 | 0.4818 | 8,170 | 1075 | 0.7333 | |
| 44 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,288 | 1090 | 0.9068 | |
| 45 | Boston College | 17900 | 97600 | 0.8164 | 10,314 | 1490 | 0.1643 | |
| 45 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 17900 | 35300 | 0.4926 | 1,813 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 47 | College of Charleston | 18000 | 33900 | 0.4696 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 47 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 18000 | 39000 | 0.5397 | 37,985 | 1390 | 0.5815 | |
| 49 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 18100 | 25200 | 0.2812 | 6,835 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 50 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3428 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 50 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 18200 | 28600 | 0.3634 | 4,218 | 1030 | 0.9489 | |
| 52 | Towson University | 18300 | 29900 | 0.3876 | 16,264 | 1098 | 0.8197 | |
| 53 | SUNY Brockport | 18400 | 26200 | 0.2972 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 54 | University of Houston-Victoria | 18900 | 25000 | 0.2442 | 2,627 | 1095 | 0.959 | |
| 55 | University of South Alabama | 19300 | 22400 | 0.1387 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 56 | Rutgers University-Newark | 19500 | 38000 | 0.4866 | 7,989 | 1159 | 0.7136 | |
| 56 | Saint Xavier University | 19500 | 53300 | 0.6329 | 3,098 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 58 | Norwich University | 19600 | 73800 | 0.7342 | 2,626 | 1186 | 0.7444 | |
| 59 | Dakota State University | 20400 | 22500 | 0.0912 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8805 | |
| 59 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20400 | 39900 | 0.489 | 5,255 | 1109 | 0.7295 | |
| 61 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20800 | 57800 | 0.6408 | 1,932 | 1193 | 0.9278 | |
| 62 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27300 | 0.2346 | 31,133 | 1463 | 0.4479 | |
| 63 | Tarleton State University | 21000 | 23000 | 0.087 | 15,254 | 1080 | 0.8955 | |
| 64 | Albright College | 21200 | 49300 | 0.5699 | 1,230 | 1050 | 0.7633 | |
| 65 | Luther College | 21400 | 71900 | 0.7019 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.7154 | |
| 66 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 21800 | 37300 | 0.4156 | 26,221 | 1204 | 0.8854 | |
| 67 | Lincoln University | 22100 | 24900 | 0.1124 | 1,926 | 0 | 0 | |
| 68 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 22200 | 33600 | 0.339 | 21,210 | 1148 | 0.9262 | |
| 69 | Grambling State University | 22400 | 25700 | 0.1286 | 4,313 | 950 | 0.4486 | |
| 69 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22400 | 53000 | 0.5768 | 1,472 | 1075 | 0.8459 | |
| 71 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 22500 | 25400 | 0.1143 | 2,906 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 71 | New Mexico Highlands University | 22500 | 27200 | 0.1726 | 1,603 | 0 | 0 | |
| 73 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 22900 | 45900 | 0.5015 | 502 | 1189 | 0.9641 | |
| 74 | San Jose State University | 23000 | 41100 | 0.4405 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 75 | Florida Memorial University | 23100 | 42000 | 0.4495 | 1,206 | 0 | 0.8526 | |
| 76 | Houghton University | 23200 | 44300 | 0.4763 | 1,162 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 77 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5988 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 78 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 23600 | 24900 | 0.0522 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 79 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 23700 | 34400 | 0.311 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 80 | University of Kentucky | 23800 | 36400 | 0.3454 | 25,534 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 81 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5716 | 2,690 | 1005 | 0.9032 | |
| 82 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 82 | Stockton University | 24100 | 32100 | 0.2491 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 84 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 24200 | 36300 | 0.3337 | 5,444 | 1220 | 0.7064 | |
| 84 | Westfield State University | 24200 | 39000 | 0.3791 | 3,868 | 1085 | 0.8141 | |
| 86 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 24600 | 40500 | 0.3927 | 25,900 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 86 | Western Oregon University | 24600 | 24600 | 0 | 3,167 | 1040 | 0.981 | |
| 88 | Pennsylvania Western University | 24900 | 34400 | 0.2759 | 7,586 | 1045 | 0.9433 | |
| 89 | Doane University | 25300 | 71000 | 0.644 | 1,315 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 90 | Bethune-Cookman University | 25900 | 32700 | 0.208 | 2,738 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 91 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26100 | 28300 | 0.076 | 3,375 | 1090 | 0.5876 | |
| 92 | Columbia College | 26400 | 46900 | 0.4371 | 5,207 | 1145 | 0.4714 | |
| 93 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1161 | 0.9523 | |
| 94 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26700 | 41500 | 0.3564 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 95 | Northwood University | 26800 | 54500 | 0.5087 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 96 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 26900 | 30100 | 0.1047 | 5,086 | 1124 | 0.949 | |
| 97 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 27200 | 37700 | 0.2788 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 98 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 27300 | 36500 | 0.2522 | 7,505 | 1073 | 0.9633 | |
| 99 | Kennesaw State University | 27400 | 27400 | 0 | 42,760 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 99 | University of North Georgia | 27400 | 38600 | 0.2905 | 18,322 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 101 | Rowan University | 27500 | 41300 | 0.3345 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 102 | Syracuse University | 27700 | 83100 | 0.6665 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 103 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 27800 | 36700 | 0.2427 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 104 | George Fox University | 28300 | 69400 | 0.5925 | 3,354 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 105 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 32300 | 0.1145 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 106 | Elmhurst University | 28700 | 67000 | 0.5719 | 3,213 | 1148 | 0.7364 | |
| 107 | University of North Texas | 28900 | 37400 | 0.2271 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 108 | East Texas A&M University | 29500 | 36500 | 0.1917 | 9,992 | 1045 | 0.9224 | |
| 109 | Morgan State University | 29700 | 41900 | 0.2914 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 110 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 29800 | 39700 | 0.2495 | 4,487 | 1115 | 0.6726 | |
| 110 | University of Toledo | 29800 | 42000 | 0.2895 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 112 | Mercy University | 30100 | 44500 | 0.3237 | 6,774 | 1135 | 0.8584 | |
| 113 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30500 | 54700 | 0.4419 | 1,427 | 1025 | 0.4941 | |
| 114 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30600 | 54600 | 0.4387 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 115 | Central College | 30700 | 36800 | 0.1659 | 1,084 | 1145 | 0.8617 | |
| 116 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 31000 | 33200 | 0.0648 | 14,504 | 1149 | 0.7637 | |
| 117 | University of North Florida | 31300 | 33000 | 0.0516 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 118 | Hampton University | 31400 | 54800 | 0.427 | 3,728 | 947 | 0.6225 | |
| 119 | Angelo State University | 31700 | 35400 | 0.1031 | 9,702 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 120 | Saint Michael's College | 31900 | 68500 | 0.5346 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 121 | McKendree University | 32000 | 52200 | 0.3872 | 1,757 | 1098 | 0.7172 | |
| 122 | Washington Adventist University | 32300 | 37800 | 0.1457 | 513 | 995 | 0.4618 | |
| 123 | University of Scranton | 32500 | 78700 | 0.5874 | 3,613 | 1250 | 0.8123 | |
| 124 | Suffolk University | 32900 | 70300 | 0.5319 | 4,326 | 1209 | 0.8233 | |
| 124 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 32900 | 45100 | 0.2705 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 126 | Cleveland State University | 33500 | 37300 | 0.1019 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 127 | Immaculata University | 33600 | 47500 | 0.2924 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8576 | |
| 128 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,677 | 1430 | 0.4709 | |
| 129 | LeTourneau University | 34000 | 54800 | 0.3798 | 3,187 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 129 | Thomas Jefferson University | 34000 | 68100 | 0.501 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8097 | |
| 131 | Charleston Southern University | 34300 | 48400 | 0.2921 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 132 | Coastal Carolina University | 34700 | 45100 | 0.2304 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 133 | California Lutheran University | 35100 | 70000 | 0.4988 | 2,297 | 1254 | 0.7567 | |
| 134 | Adelphi University | 35200 | 63300 | 0.4445 | 5,325 | 1237 | 0.6591 | |
| 135 | Christopher Newport University | 35300 | 36200 | 0.0249 | 4,369 | 1189 | 0.8604 | |
| 135 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 35300 | 56700 | 0.3775 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8304 | |
| 137 | Averett University | 35400 | 57200 | 0.3813 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 138 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 36200 | 56300 | 0.3578 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 139 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 36500 | 41600 | 0.1237 | 5,386 | 1050 | 0.9092 | |
| 140 | Furman University | 36700 | 82900 | 0.5571 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 140 | Loyola University Maryland | 36700 | 78800 | 0.5343 | 3,881 | 1303 | 0.7549 | |
| 142 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 36900 | 38100 | 0.0315 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 142 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 36900 | 37100 | 0.0054 | 5,939 | 1065 | 0.5878 | |
| 144 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1160 | 0.8921 | |
| 145 | DePaul University | 37800 | 66000 | 0.4275 | 14,188 | 1254 | 0.7589 | |
| 146 | University of Illinois Chicago | 38300 | 50600 | 0.2431 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 147 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38600 | 53100 | 0.2729 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 148 | Stony Brook University | 39900 | 53000 | 0.2481 | 18,263 | 1410 | 0.4904 | |
| 149 | Pace University | 40700 | 74800 | 0.4558 | 8,038 | 1260 | 0.7592 | |
| 150 | University of Mount Olive | 42300 | 50400 | 0.1617 | 1,944 | 1075 | 0.7575 | |
| 151 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4474 | 4,102 | 1115 | 0.7002 | |
| 152 | Radford University | 43600 | 45700 | 0.047 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 153 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 43900 | 57100 | 0.2305 | 23,329 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 154 | University of Colorado Boulder | 47000 | 57700 | 0.1842 | 32,244 | 1351 | 0.7808 | |
| 155 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 67900 | 0.2945 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 156 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 48000 | 55800 | 0.1398 | 32,545 | 1129 | 0.799 | |
| 157 | Drexel University | 48800 | 83900 | 0.4184 | 13,309 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 158 | Mercer University | 48900 | 63700 | 0.2324 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 159 | University of California-Riverside | 49300 | 66000 | 0.2532 | 22,600 | 1199 | 0.7639 | |
| 160 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 50900 | 84700 | 0.3991 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 161 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.04 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 162 | Dallas Baptist University | 56400 | 63400 | 0.1104 | 2,785 | 1109 | 0.8884 | |
| 163 | Molloy University | 59800 | 62300 | 0.0402 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 164 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60400 | 64100 | 0.0577 | 1,236 | 1193 | 0.9811 | |
| 165 | Thiel College | 60600 | 69100 | 0.123 | 833 | 1065 | 0.7155 | |
| 166 | Clemson University | 61500 | 63700 | 0.0338 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 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 | 69900 | 95100 | 0.2649 | 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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