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 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 7900 | 31800 | 0.7526 | 11,562 | 1110 | 0.5836 | |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology | 8000 | 90300 | 0.9112 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 4 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 8300 | 33400 | 0.7524 | 10,049 | 1005 | 0.9234 | |
| 5 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 8400 | 34500 | 0.7561 | 16,086 | 1293 | 0.5117 | |
| 6 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9200 | 30500 | 0.6982 | 3,207 | 1050 | 0.8034 | |
| 6 | University of Houston-Victoria | 9200 | 23500 | 0.6094 | 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 | Coppin State University | 10700 | 32800 | 0.6736 | 1,810 | 950 | 0.4956 | |
| 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 | |
| 14 | Northwestern University | 12600 | 87700 | 0.8563 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 15 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 12700 | 37100 | 0.6572 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 16 | Northern Kentucky University | 12900 | 25900 | 0.5028 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 17 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13300 | 27100 | 0.5085 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 18 | Fort Hays State University | 13600 | 22000 | 0.382 | 10,206 | 1120 | 0.9177 | |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 32200 | 0.5744 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 20 | University of North Florida | 14000 | 22400 | 0.3755 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 14000 | 19600 | 0.2856 | 10,656 | 1075 | 0.7289 | |
| 22 | University of South Florida | 14100 | 17100 | 0.1753 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 23 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 14200 | 19400 | 0.2681 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 24 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 25 | Goshen College | 14900 | 55800 | 0.734 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 26 | Alabama State University | 15100 | 28000 | 0.4616 | 3,322 | 945 | 0.9564 | |
| 27 | Coastal Carolina University | 15400 | 27200 | 0.4339 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 28 | Dickinson State University | 15500 | 21600 | 0.283 | 1,339 | 1005 | 0.3695 | |
| 28 | University of North Texas | 15500 | 25400 | 0.3904 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 28 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 15500 | 24800 | 0.3744 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 31 | Wayne State College | 15600 | 26400 | 0.4096 | 3,902 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 32 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 16000 | 28800 | 0.4443 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 33 | Northeastern University | 16100 | 89900 | 0.8213 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 34 | Southern University at New Orleans | 16300 | 31600 | 0.484 | 1,773 | 885 | 0.6021 | |
| 35 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 16400 | 26800 | 0.3882 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 36 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 16800 | 64800 | 0.7406 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 37 | Jacksonville State University | 17000 | 26600 | 0.3612 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,428 | 1090 | 0.9529 | |
| 39 | SUNY Brockport | 17900 | 26200 | 0.3162 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 40 | Georgia Southern University | 18000 | 23800 | 0.2441 | 23,618 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 41 | Morgan State University | 18100 | 19700 | 0.0813 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 42 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 18300 | 20300 | 0.0985 | 1,919 | 1245 | 0.7844 | |
| 43 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 18600 | 25200 | 0.2618 | 6,853 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 43 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18600 | 27500 | 0.3235 | 5,517 | 1174 | 0.8057 | |
| 45 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 19200 | 32900 | 0.417 | 624 | 1115 | 0.9664 | |
| 46 | Savannah State University | 19700 | 27300 | 0.2779 | 2,857 | 950 | 0.8368 | |
| 47 | Florida Memorial University | 20100 | 46100 | 0.5641 | 1,299 | 0 | 0.7431 | |
| 48 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20200 | 38800 | 0.481 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 48 | University of Colorado Boulder | 20200 | 30600 | 0.3398 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 50 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 50 | Dakota State University | 20400 | 22500 | 0.0912 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8814 | |
| 52 | Lincoln University | 20800 | 24900 | 0.1646 | 1,707 | 920 | 0 | |
| 52 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20800 | 57800 | 0.6395 | 1,083 | 1205 | 0.9278 | |
| 54 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 20900 | 30300 | 0.3099 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 55 | Tarleton State University | 21000 | 23000 | 0.087 | 15,130 | 0 | 0.5256 | |
| 56 | Luther College | 21500 | 71900 | 0.7011 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8402 | |
| 56 | Rutgers University-Newark | 21500 | 38900 | 0.4474 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 58 | Cleveland State University | 21700 | 30900 | 0.2974 | 9,418 | 1005 | 0.913 | |
| 59 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 22300 | 36400 | 0.3869 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 61 | Averett University | 23300 | 57200 | 0.593 | 1,180 | 1010 | 0.478 | |
| 61 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5993 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 63 | Syracuse University | 23600 | 83100 | 0.716 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 64 | Bemidji State University | 24300 | 26400 | 0.0786 | 3,610 | 1110 | 0.9131 | |
| 65 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 24600 | 26600 | 0.0779 | 3,413 | 1085 | 0.5295 | |
| 66 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 24700 | 32200 | 0.2328 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 66 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | 24700 | 62200 | 0.6033 | 686 | 1030 | 0.8649 | |
| 68 | Dominican University | 24800 | 55500 | 0.5522 | 2,690 | 1035 | 0.9032 | |
| 68 | Elmhurst University | 24800 | 67000 | 0.6301 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 70 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 24900 | 28000 | 0.1098 | 5,086 | 1000 | 0.9821 | |
| 70 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 24900 | 51700 | 0.5179 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.6327 | |
| 72 | Boston College | 25100 | 94600 | 0.7347 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 73 | Houghton University | 25200 | 35500 | 0.29 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 74 | Texas A&M University-Commerce | 25500 | 37400 | 0.3186 | 9,666 | 1040 | 0.7498 | |
| 75 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 25800 | 36500 | 0.2928 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 75 | Westfield State University | 25800 | 39000 | 0.3381 | 3,868 | 1105 | 0.8671 | |
| 77 | Northwood University | 25900 | 54500 | 0.5252 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 78 | Bethune-Cookman University | 26000 | 32700 | 0.205 | 2,739 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 78 | Doane University | 26000 | 62800 | 0.5861 | 1,323 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 80 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 26300 | 36800 | 0.2853 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 81 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 26400 | 28400 | 0.073 | 14,504 | 1145 | 0.7637 | |
| 82 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 82 | Norwich University | 26500 | 70900 | 0.6264 | 2,642 | 1209 | 0.7361 | |
| 84 | Pennsylvania Western University | 26600 | 35600 | 0.2531 | 7,586 | 1070 | 0.9433 | |
| 85 | Columbia College | 26900 | 41300 | 0.349 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 86 | Kennesaw State University | 27000 | 27000 | 0 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 86 | University of North Georgia | 27000 | 35500 | 0.2393 | 18,329 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 88 | Emporia State University | 27200 | 37700 | 0.2783 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 88 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 27200 | 35600 | 0.2358 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 90 | Fairmont State University | 27500 | 32000 | 0.1408 | 3,060 | 1005 | 0.9924 | |
| 90 | Rowan University | 27500 | 40500 | 0.3209 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 92 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 27600 | 27600 | 0 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 92 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 27600 | 40300 | 0.315 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 94 | Grand Valley State University | 28200 | 35700 | 0.2101 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 95 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 31500 | 0.0921 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 96 | George Fox University | 28700 | 67100 | 0.5727 | 3,401 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 96 | Mercy University | 28700 | 44500 | 0.3552 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 98 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 28800 | 44100 | 0.3472 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 99 | Radford University | 28900 | 32800 | 0.1189 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 99 | University of Utah | 28900 | 32000 | 0.0961 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 101 | Concord University | 29000 | 46500 | 0.3763 | 1,609 | 990 | 0.9256 | |
| 102 | Furman University | 29200 | 79600 | 0.6329 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 103 | Clemson University | 29300 | 37100 | 0.2121 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 104 | University of Toledo | 29500 | 32600 | 0.0943 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 104 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 29500 | 36500 | 0.1919 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 106 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 29700 | 38200 | 0.2227 | 6,550 | 1140 | 0.7456 | |
| 107 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 29900 | 51100 | 0.4151 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 107 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 29900 | 52900 | 0.435 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 109 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 110 | Saint Xavier University | 30300 | 51200 | 0.4067 | 3,039 | 1125 | 0.8575 | |
| 110 | San Jose State University | 30300 | 41000 | 0.2608 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 112 | SUNY at Fredonia | 30400 | 39600 | 0.2326 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 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 Arkansas at Little Rock | 31500 | 36700 | 0.1417 | 5,789 | 1115 | 0.5774 | |
| 117 | Washington Adventist University | 31500 | 37800 | 0.1668 | 605 | 950 | 0.4536 | |
| 119 | Thomas Jefferson University | 31600 | 67700 | 0.5331 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 120 | Angelo State University | 31800 | 35400 | 0.101 | 9,779 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 121 | Saint Michael's College | 32000 | 68400 | 0.5319 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 122 | McKendree University | 32100 | 52200 | 0.3857 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 123 | Hampton University | 32300 | 47000 | 0.3128 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 123 | University of Scranton | 32300 | 76300 | 0.5763 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.812 | |
| 125 | California Lutheran University | 32700 | 65800 | 0.5027 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 125 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 32700 | 40200 | 0.1867 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 127 | Frostburg State University | 32900 | 43100 | 0.2367 | 2,619 | 1082 | 0.892 | |
| 127 | Harding University | 32900 | 47000 | 0.2995 | 3,523 | 1193 | 0.3942 | |
| 127 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 32900 | 44100 | 0.2539 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 127 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 32900 | 45200 | 0.2722 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 131 | Grambling State University | 33200 | 35300 | 0.0595 | 4,279 | 965 | 0.2368 | |
| 132 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 33300 | 54600 | 0.3899 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 133 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 1,956 | 1153 | 0.9146 | |
| 134 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 33600 | 46200 | 0.2729 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 134 | Stockton University | 33600 | 44500 | 0.2451 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 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 | |
| 138 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54600 | 0.3754 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 139 | DePaul University | 34900 | 56200 | 0.3791 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 140 | City University of Seattle | 35100 | 45400 | 0.227 | 1,180 | 0 | 0.9025 | |
| 141 | Adelphi University | 35300 | 63300 | 0.4433 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 141 | Stevenson University | 35300 | 59900 | 0.4105 | 3,106 | 1100 | 0.7891 | |
| 141 | University of Mount Olive | 35300 | 35300 | 0 | 1,937 | 945 | 0.7775 | |
| 144 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 35700 | 42400 | 0.158 | 31,112 | 1130 | 0.8129 | |
| 145 | Salisbury University | 36100 | 40900 | 0.1175 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 146 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 36200 | 56300 | 0.3565 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 147 | Mercer University | 36500 | 60500 | 0.3967 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 147 | Towson University | 36500 | 45700 | 0.2013 | 16,264 | 1093 | 0.8198 | |
| 149 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 149 | University of Michigan-Flint | 37100 | 39400 | 0.0584 | 5,011 | 1103 | 0.7047 | |
| 151 | Immaculata University | 37200 | 47800 | 0.2215 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8578 | |
| 152 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 37600 | 41600 | 0.0979 | 5,187 | 1005 | 0.9229 | |
| 153 | Suffolk University | 38600 | 73600 | 0.4758 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 154 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 39000 | 52900 | 0.2626 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 155 | University of Illinois Chicago | 39200 | 48000 | 0.1832 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 156 | Wayne State University | 39300 | 45500 | 0.1362 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 157 | Pace University | 39700 | 74100 | 0.464 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 158 | Stony Brook University | 39900 | 53000 | 0.2467 | 18,263 | 1395 | 0.4904 | |
| 159 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 40000 | 45400 | 0.1189 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 160 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 40500 | 40500 | 0 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 161 | Loyola University Maryland | 42000 | 78800 | 0.4671 | 3,881 | 1309 | 0.7549 | |
| 162 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 42600 | 55100 | 0.227 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 163 | University of Maryland-College Park | 42700 | 52900 | 0.1928 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 164 | Western Oregon University | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 3,343 | 1120 | 0.9871 | |
| 165 | University of California-Riverside | 43500 | 66400 | 0.3448 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 166 | Merrimack College | 43600 | 78800 | 0.4464 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 167 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 44000 | 57100 | 0.2292 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 168 | CUNY Lehman College | 44400 | 45800 | 0.0306 | 11,217 | 1020 | 0.4601 | |
| 169 | James Madison University | 46400 | 46400 | 0 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 170 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 47400 | 48100 | 0.0145 | 5,444 | 1214 | 0.7064 | |
| 171 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 56200 | 0.1476 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 172 | Molloy University | 48200 | 62300 | 0.2265 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 173 | College of Charleston | 49700 | 59000 | 0.1577 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 174 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 50200 | 52300 | 0.0401 | 21,210 | 1171 | 0.9232 | |
| 175 | University of Kentucky | 51000 | 56000 | 0.0893 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 175 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 51000 | 84200 | 0.3944 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 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 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 56900 | 58900 | 0.0352 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 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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