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 | 5700 | 43900 | 0.8704 | 3,237 | 0 | 0.3861 | |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology | 8000 | 90300 | 0.9112 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 3 | CUNY Lehman College | 8300 | 35100 | 0.7643 | 11,217 | 1037 | 0.4601 | |
| 4 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 8700 | 31800 | 0.7274 | 11,562 | 1110 | 0.5836 | |
| 5 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9500 | 20000 | 0.5249 | 3,207 | 1050 | 0.8034 | |
| 6 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 10200 | 94100 | 0.8919 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 7 | New Mexico Highlands University | 10500 | 21500 | 0.5112 | 1,710 | 945 | 0.9481 | |
| 7 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5776 | 7,206 | 1015 | 0.7214 | |
| 9 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 11800 | 27800 | 0.5744 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 10 | Christopher Newport University | 11900 | 33900 | 0.6489 | 4,407 | 1209 | 0.8796 | |
| 11 | Northern Illinois University | 12400 | 29000 | 0.5718 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 12 | Northwestern University | 12600 | 87700 | 0.8563 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 13 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 12700 | 37100 | 0.6572 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 14 | Northern Kentucky University | 13100 | 25900 | 0.495 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 15 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13300 | 27100 | 0.5085 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 16 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 32200 | 0.5744 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 17 | University of South Florida | 14100 | 17100 | 0.1753 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 18 | Radford University | 14300 | 21900 | 0.347 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 18 | University of North Florida | 14300 | 22400 | 0.3621 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 20 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 21 | Goshen College | 14900 | 55800 | 0.734 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 22 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 15000 | 29300 | 0.4877 | 6,550 | 1140 | 0.7456 | |
| 23 | Coastal Carolina University | 15300 | 27200 | 0.4375 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 23 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15300 | 28100 | 0.4555 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 23 | University of Michigan-Flint | 15300 | 36600 | 0.5819 | 5,011 | 1084 | 0.7047 | |
| 26 | University of California-Riverside | 15500 | 36500 | 0.5749 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 27 | Wayne State College | 15600 | 26400 | 0.4096 | 3,902 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 28 | Dickinson State University | 15700 | 21600 | 0.2737 | 1,339 | 1005 | 0.3695 | |
| 28 | James Madison University | 15700 | 28600 | 0.4503 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 30 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 15900 | 35400 | 0.5503 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 31 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 16000 | 23400 | 0.3166 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 32 | Northeastern University | 16100 | 89900 | 0.8213 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 33 | Southern University at New Orleans | 16300 | 31600 | 0.484 | 1,773 | 885 | 0.6021 | |
| 33 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 16300 | 26800 | 0.392 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 35 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 16400 | 32400 | 0.494 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 36 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 16600 | 42300 | 0.6078 | 10,049 | 1005 | 0.9234 | |
| 36 | SUNY at Fredonia | 16600 | 27800 | 0.4034 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 38 | Emporia State University | 16900 | 27000 | 0.3743 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 39 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,428 | 1090 | 0.9529 | |
| 40 | Morgan State University | 17800 | 19700 | 0.0966 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 41 | University of Houston-Victoria | 18400 | 34400 | 0.4654 | 2,707 | 930 | 0.7671 | |
| 42 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18600 | 27500 | 0.3235 | 5,517 | 1174 | 0.8057 | |
| 43 | San Jose State University | 19200 | 29900 | 0.3576 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 44 | Coppin State University | 19300 | 43100 | 0.5526 | 1,810 | 950 | 0.4956 | |
| 44 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 19300 | 27000 | 0.2856 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 46 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 19600 | 32900 | 0.4048 | 624 | 1115 | 0.9664 | |
| 47 | Savannah State University | 19700 | 27300 | 0.2779 | 2,857 | 950 | 0.8368 | |
| 48 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 20000 | 27200 | 0.265 | 31,112 | 1130 | 0.8129 | |
| 49 | Florida Memorial University | 20100 | 46100 | 0.5641 | 1,299 | 0 | 0.7431 | |
| 50 | Alabama State University | 20200 | 37400 | 0.4592 | 3,322 | 945 | 0.9564 | |
| 50 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20200 | 38800 | 0.481 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 52 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 53 | Lincoln University | 20800 | 24900 | 0.1646 | 1,707 | 920 | 0 | |
| 53 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20800 | 57800 | 0.6395 | 1,083 | 1193 | 0.9278 | |
| 53 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 20800 | 30300 | 0.3132 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 56 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27100 | 0.2289 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 57 | Rutgers University-Newark | 21000 | 38900 | 0.4603 | 7,417 | 1159 | 0.7873 | |
| 58 | Luther College | 21500 | 71900 | 0.7011 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8402 | |
| 59 | Cleveland State University | 21700 | 30900 | 0.2974 | 9,418 | 1005 | 0.913 | |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 21800 | 33000 | 0.3391 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 61 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 62 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 22700 | 36400 | 0.3759 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 62 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 22700 | 22800 | 0.0044 | 10,656 | 1075 | 0.7289 | |
| 64 | University of Illinois Chicago | 22800 | 30300 | 0.2473 | 22,495 | 1247 | 0.7735 | |
| 65 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 22900 | 22900 | 0 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 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 | Bemidji State University | 24300 | 26400 | 0.0786 | 3,610 | 1110 | 0.9131 | |
| 71 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 24400 | 37400 | 0.3473 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 72 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 24600 | 26600 | 0.0779 | 3,413 | 1085 | 0.5295 | |
| 73 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | 24700 | 62200 | 0.6033 | 686 | 1030 | 0.8649 | |
| 73 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 24700 | 34500 | 0.284 | 5,444 | 1214 | 0.7064 | |
| 75 | Dominican University | 24800 | 55500 | 0.5522 | 2,690 | 1035 | 0.9032 | |
| 75 | Elmhurst University | 24800 | 67000 | 0.6301 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 77 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 24900 | 28000 | 0.1098 | 5,086 | 1000 | 0.9821 | |
| 77 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 24900 | 51700 | 0.5179 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.6327 | |
| 79 | University of Akron Main Campus | 25000 | 25000 | 0 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 80 | Boston College | 25100 | 94600 | 0.7347 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 81 | Houghton University | 25200 | 35500 | 0.29 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 82 | Texas A&M University-Commerce | 25500 | 37400 | 0.3186 | 9,666 | 1040 | 0.7498 | |
| 83 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 25800 | 35700 | 0.2775 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 83 | Westfield State University | 25800 | 39000 | 0.3381 | 3,868 | 1105 | 0.8671 | |
| 85 | Northwood University | 25900 | 54500 | 0.5252 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 86 | Bethune-Cookman University | 26000 | 32700 | 0.205 | 2,739 | 915 | 0.8824 | |
| 86 | Doane University | 26000 | 62800 | 0.5861 | 1,323 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 88 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 26100 | 36500 | 0.2846 | 14,783 | 1140 | 0.8096 | |
| 88 | 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 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 91 | Georgia Southern University | 26500 | 26700 | 0.0075 | 23,618 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 91 | Norwich University | 26500 | 70900 | 0.6264 | 2,642 | 1209 | 0.7361 | |
| 94 | Pennsylvania Western University | 26600 | 35600 | 0.2531 | 7,586 | 1070 | 0.9433 | |
| 95 | Columbia College | 26900 | 41300 | 0.349 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 95 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 26900 | 35600 | 0.2442 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 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 | Fairmont State University | 27500 | 32000 | 0.1408 | 3,060 | 1005 | 0.9924 | |
| 99 | Rowan University | 27500 | 40500 | 0.3209 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 101 | University of North Texas | 27600 | 37400 | 0.2622 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 102 | Grand Valley State University | 28200 | 35700 | 0.2101 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 103 | Jacksonville State University | 28500 | 38200 | 0.2537 | 8,663 | 1065 | 0.7769 | |
| 104 | George Fox University | 28700 | 67100 | 0.5727 | 3,401 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 104 | Mercy University | 28700 | 44500 | 0.3552 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 106 | University of Utah | 28900 | 32000 | 0.0961 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 107 | Concord University | 29000 | 46500 | 0.3763 | 1,609 | 990 | 0.9256 | |
| 108 | Furman University | 29200 | 79600 | 0.6329 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 109 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 29900 | 51100 | 0.4151 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 109 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 29900 | 52900 | 0.435 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 111 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 112 | Saint Xavier University | 30300 | 51200 | 0.4067 | 3,039 | 1125 | 0.8575 | |
| 113 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 30500 | 39500 | 0.2277 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 114 | Albright College | 30600 | 48700 | 0.3717 | 1,328 | 1050 | 0.8615 | |
| 115 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30700 | 54600 | 0.4374 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 115 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | 30700 | 52800 | 0.4182 | 938 | 1090 | 0.951 | |
| 117 | University of Toledo | 30900 | 42000 | 0.2639 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 118 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 31100 | 33200 | 0.0625 | 14,504 | 1145 | 0.7637 | |
| 118 | SUNY Brockport | 31100 | 37900 | 0.1794 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 120 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 31400 | 31400 | 0 | 6,853 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 121 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 31500 | 36700 | 0.1417 | 5,789 | 1115 | 0.5774 | |
| 121 | Washington Adventist University | 31500 | 37800 | 0.1668 | 605 | 950 | 0.4536 | |
| 123 | Thomas Jefferson University | 31600 | 67700 | 0.5331 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 124 | Angelo State University | 31800 | 35400 | 0.101 | 9,779 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 125 | Saint Michael's College | 32000 | 68400 | 0.5319 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 126 | McKendree University | 32100 | 52200 | 0.3857 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 127 | Hampton University | 32300 | 47000 | 0.3128 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 127 | University of Scranton | 32300 | 76300 | 0.5763 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.812 | |
| 129 | California Lutheran University | 32700 | 65800 | 0.5027 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 130 | Frostburg State University | 32900 | 43100 | 0.2367 | 2,619 | 1082 | 0.892 | |
| 130 | Harding University | 32900 | 47000 | 0.2995 | 3,523 | 1193 | 0.3942 | |
| 130 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 32900 | 45200 | 0.2722 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 133 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 15,130 | 0 | 0.5256 | |
| 134 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 1,956 | 1153 | 0.9146 | |
| 135 | Stockton University | 33600 | 44500 | 0.2451 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 136 | College of Charleston | 33700 | 33700 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 136 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 54600 | 0.383 | 1,903 | 1214 | 0.7787 | |
| 136 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 136 | Grambling State University | 33700 | 35300 | 0.0454 | 4,279 | 955 | 0.2368 | |
| 140 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54600 | 0.3754 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 141 | DePaul University | 34900 | 56200 | 0.3791 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 142 | City University of Seattle | 35100 | 45400 | 0.227 | 1,180 | 0 | 0.9025 | |
| 143 | Adelphi University | 35300 | 63300 | 0.4433 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 143 | Stevenson University | 35300 | 59900 | 0.4105 | 3,106 | 1100 | 0.7891 | |
| 143 | University of Mount Olive | 35300 | 35300 | 0 | 1,937 | 945 | 0.7775 | |
| 146 | Salisbury University | 36100 | 40900 | 0.1175 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 147 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 36200 | 56300 | 0.3565 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 148 | Mercer University | 36500 | 60500 | 0.3967 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 148 | Towson University | 36500 | 45700 | 0.2013 | 16,264 | 1093 | 0.8198 | |
| 150 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 36900 | 38900 | 0.0533 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 151 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 152 | Immaculata University | 37200 | 47800 | 0.2215 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8578 | |
| 153 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 37600 | 38900 | 0.0334 | 1,919 | 1245 | 0.7844 | |
| 153 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 37600 | 41600 | 0.0979 | 5,187 | 1005 | 0.9229 | |
| 155 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38400 | 38400 | 0 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 156 | Suffolk University | 38600 | 73600 | 0.4758 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 157 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 39000 | 52900 | 0.2626 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 158 | Wayne State University | 39300 | 45500 | 0.1362 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 159 | Pace University | 39700 | 74100 | 0.464 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 160 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 40000 | 45400 | 0.1189 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 161 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 40300 | 40300 | 0 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 162 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 40500 | 40500 | 0 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 163 | Loyola University Maryland | 42000 | 78800 | 0.4671 | 3,881 | 1309 | 0.7549 | |
| 164 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42500 | 54900 | 0.2261 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 165 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 42600 | 55100 | 0.227 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 166 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 16,086 | 1293 | 0.5117 | |
| 166 | Western Oregon University | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 3,343 | 1120 | 0.9871 | |
| 168 | Merrimack College | 43600 | 78800 | 0.4464 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 169 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 56200 | 0.1476 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 170 | Molloy University | 48200 | 62300 | 0.2265 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 171 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 49900 | 56400 | 0.1152 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 172 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 50200 | 52300 | 0.0401 | 21,210 | 1171 | 0.9232 | |
| 173 | University of Kentucky | 51000 | 56000 | 0.0893 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 173 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 51000 | 84200 | 0.3944 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 175 | Drexel University | 51200 | 82600 | 0.38 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 176 | University of Colorado Boulder | 51500 | 56300 | 0.0852 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 177 | Fordham University | 56000 | 94600 | 0.4082 | 10,307 | 1415 | 0.5628 | |
| 178 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 56900 | 58900 | 0.0352 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 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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