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 | 4900 | 40700 | 0.8787 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology | 6800 | 91800 | 0.9264 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 3 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 8200 | 43500 | 0.8122 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9419 | |
| 4 | University of Houston-Victoria | 8300 | 39700 | 0.7912 | 2,627 | 1095 | 0.959 | |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8400 | 98000 | 0.9146 | 9,164 | 1535 | 0.0399 | |
| 6 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 9400 | 48800 | 0.8076 | 10,051 | 1064 | 0.9234 | |
| 6 | Fairmont State University | 9400 | 21400 | 0.5615 | 3,088 | 970 | 0.9862 | |
| 8 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9600 | 36900 | 0.74 | 3,224 | 1085 | 0.7643 | |
| 9 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5775 | 7,166 | 1015 | 0.7229 | |
| 10 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 11200 | 21100 | 0.4703 | 6,139 | 1070 | 0.9052 | |
| 11 | Savannah State University | 11400 | 40400 | 0.717 | 2,966 | 925 | 0.4614 | |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Flint | 11600 | 45600 | 0.7453 | 5,011 | 1109 | 0.7046 | |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 11800 | 27800 | 0.5763 | 20,885 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 12000 | 22800 | 0.4737 | 10,632 | 1075 | 0.8859 | |
| 15 | Saint Xavier University | 12200 | 53300 | 0.77 | 3,098 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 16 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 12400 | 29100 | 0.5734 | 38,040 | 1418 | 0.452 | |
| 17 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 12700 | 34600 | 0.6336 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 18 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 12900 | 23400 | 0.4493 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8698 | |
| 19 | University of California-Riverside | 13000 | 36500 | 0.6434 | 22,600 | 1199 | 0.7639 | |
| 20 | Northern Illinois University | 13200 | 29000 | 0.5439 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 21 | Fort Hays State University | 13600 | 40700 | 0.6665 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 22 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 14000 | 46000 | 0.6953 | 4,218 | 1030 | 0.9489 | |
| 23 | University of Illinois Chicago | 14100 | 30400 | 0.5355 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 24 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 14300 | 32200 | 0.5566 | 2,906 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 25 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 15200 | 42500 | 0.6431 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 25 | University of North Georgia | 15200 | 48000 | 0.6836 | 18,322 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 27 | Alabama State University | 15300 | 37900 | 0.5966 | 3,521 | 945 | 0.9755 | |
| 27 | Grand Valley State University | 15300 | 25300 | 0.3957 | 19,002 | 1084 | 0.8302 | |
| 29 | Dickinson State University | 15400 | 21700 | 0.2911 | 1,339 | 990 | 0.3702 | |
| 30 | Radford University | 15500 | 32000 | 0.5146 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 31 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 15600 | 46800 | 0.6672 | 6,761 | 1105 | 0.8475 | |
| 32 | University of North Florida | 15800 | 33000 | 0.5216 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 32 | Wayne State College | 15800 | 20000 | 0.2099 | 3,902 | 0 | 0 | |
| 34 | New Mexico Highlands University | 16200 | 31500 | 0.4854 | 1,603 | 0 | 0 | |
| 35 | Grove City College | 16400 | 39700 | 0.5876 | 2,341 | 1266 | 0.7232 | |
| 35 | Jacksonville State University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5455 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 35 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 16400 | 42600 | 0.6153 | 7,622 | 1075 | 0.9254 | |
| 38 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.7041 | 780 | 995 | 0.8407 | |
| 38 | SUNY at Fredonia | 16500 | 27800 | 0.407 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 16500 | 17700 | 0.0679 | 18,288 | 1090 | 0.9068 | |
| 38 | Wayne State University | 16500 | 46200 | 0.643 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 42 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 16700 | 39000 | 0.5703 | 37,985 | 1390 | 0.5815 | |
| 43 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 17000 | 32200 | 0.4719 | 10,200 | 1325 | 0.6507 | |
| 44 | University of South Alabama | 17400 | 35200 | 0.5059 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 45 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 17500 | 44900 | 0.6098 | 5,255 | 1109 | 0.7295 | |
| 46 | Morgan State University | 17600 | 37200 | 0.5269 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 46 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 17600 | 52500 | 0.6647 | 21,210 | 1148 | 0.9262 | |
| 48 | Boston College | 17800 | 96200 | 0.8146 | 10,314 | 1490 | 0.1643 | |
| 48 | Westfield State University | 17800 | 36600 | 0.5131 | 3,868 | 1085 | 0.8141 | |
| 50 | Southern University at New Orleans | 18100 | 34200 | 0.4706 | 2,179 | 950 | 0.789 | |
| 50 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 18100 | 27700 | 0.3461 | 32,545 | 1129 | 0.799 | |
| 50 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 18100 | 26700 | 0.3221 | 7,505 | 1073 | 0.9633 | |
| 53 | Stockton University | 18400 | 32100 | 0.4266 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 54 | Emporia State University | 18500 | 29800 | 0.3797 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 55 | Florida Memorial University | 18600 | 44900 | 0.5858 | 1,206 | 0 | 0.8526 | |
| 55 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 18600 | 42800 | 0.5648 | 581 | 1132 | 0.9821 | |
| 57 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 18700 | 43800 | 0.5725 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 58 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 19000 | 25200 | 0.2457 | 6,835 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 59 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 19100 | 38900 | 0.5085 | 1,973 | 1189 | 0.8135 | |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 19800 | 38100 | 0.4804 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 61 | Central Connecticut State University | 20000 | 29500 | 0.3219 | 8,170 | 1075 | 0.7333 | |
| 62 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 20300 | 40900 | 0.5042 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 63 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1145 | 0.8617 | |
| 64 | State University of New York at Oswego | 20500 | 40200 | 0.4902 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 65 | Lincoln University | 20800 | 24900 | 0.1646 | 1,926 | 0 | 0 | |
| 65 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20800 | 57800 | 0.6405 | 1,932 | 1193 | 0.9278 | |
| 67 | Albright College | 21200 | 49300 | 0.5699 | 1,230 | 1050 | 0.7633 | |
| 67 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 21200 | 45200 | 0.5314 | 502 | 1189 | 0.9641 | |
| 69 | Kennesaw State University | 21400 | 27200 | 0.2133 | 42,760 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 70 | Elmhurst University | 21500 | 67000 | 0.6794 | 3,213 | 1148 | 0.7364 | |
| 70 | Luther College | 21500 | 71900 | 0.7016 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.7154 | |
| 70 | Pennsylvania Western University | 21500 | 28200 | 0.238 | 7,586 | 1045 | 0.9433 | |
| 73 | Averett University | 22000 | 57200 | 0.6158 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 74 | Northwestern University | 22200 | 88100 | 0.7483 | 9,399 | 1527 | 0.0769 | |
| 75 | Bradley University | 22300 | 48500 | 0.5395 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 76 | SUNY Brockport | 22500 | 35100 | 0.359 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 77 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 22600 | 47900 | 0.5278 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 78 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22800 | 58100 | 0.608 | 1,472 | 1075 | 0.8459 | |
| 78 | San Jose State University | 22800 | 41100 | 0.4454 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 80 | Dakota State University | 23100 | 25600 | 0.0977 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8805 | |
| 80 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 23100 | 44400 | 0.4794 | 1,813 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 82 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 23300 | 36800 | 0.367 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 82 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5985 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 84 | Grambling State University | 23600 | 34800 | 0.3215 | 4,313 | 950 | 0.4486 | |
| 85 | Houghton University | 23900 | 61900 | 0.6142 | 1,162 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 86 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5712 | 2,690 | 1005 | 0.9032 | |
| 87 | Norwich University | 24300 | 88400 | 0.7253 | 2,626 | 1186 | 0.7444 | |
| 88 | Northwood University | 25100 | 54500 | 0.5399 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 89 | Northern Kentucky University | 25900 | 32100 | 0.1933 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 90 | Doane University | 26000 | 77700 | 0.665 | 1,315 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 91 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26200 | 28300 | 0.0753 | 3,375 | 1090 | 0.5876 | |
| 92 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 26400 | 43000 | 0.3857 | 5,939 | 1065 | 0.5878 | |
| 93 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1161 | 0.9523 | |
| 93 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 26500 | 39200 | 0.3241 | 4,487 | 1115 | 0.6726 | |
| 95 | Bethune-Cookman University | 26700 | 32700 | 0.1835 | 2,738 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 95 | Furman University | 26700 | 79600 | 0.6643 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 97 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 26900 | 40500 | 0.3359 | 25,900 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 98 | Cleveland State University | 27100 | 37300 | 0.2736 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 98 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 27100 | 41500 | 0.3468 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 100 | Columbia College | 27300 | 51600 | 0.4713 | 5,207 | 1145 | 0.4714 | |
| 101 | Rowan University | 27500 | 41600 | 0.3386 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 102 | Thomas Jefferson University | 27600 | 67700 | 0.5922 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8097 | |
| 103 | George Fox University | 27700 | 76800 | 0.6393 | 3,354 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 104 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6654 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 105 | California Lutheran University | 28100 | 70000 | 0.5988 | 2,297 | 1254 | 0.7567 | |
| 106 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 33400 | 0.1437 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 107 | Clemson University | 29200 | 37100 | 0.2136 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 108 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 33900 | 0.1358 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 109 | University of Toledo | 29500 | 32600 | 0.096 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 110 | Mercy University | 29800 | 44500 | 0.3305 | 6,774 | 1135 | 0.8584 | |
| 111 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30500 | 54700 | 0.4415 | 1,427 | 1025 | 0.4941 | |
| 111 | University of North Texas | 30500 | 37400 | 0.1844 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 113 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 30600 | 62800 | 0.5124 | 37,140 | 1406 | 0.4237 | |
| 114 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30700 | 54600 | 0.4384 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 115 | East Texas A&M University | 30800 | 36500 | 0.1561 | 9,992 | 1045 | 0.9224 | |
| 116 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 31000 | 36900 | 0.1619 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 117 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 31100 | 33200 | 0.0642 | 14,504 | 1149 | 0.7637 | |
| 118 | Coastal Carolina University | 31300 | 45100 | 0.3061 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 119 | Angelo State University | 31800 | 35400 | 0.1026 | 9,702 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 120 | DePaul University | 31900 | 67100 | 0.5246 | 14,188 | 1254 | 0.7589 | |
| 121 | McKendree University | 32000 | 52200 | 0.3868 | 1,757 | 1098 | 0.7172 | |
| 121 | Saint Michael's College | 32000 | 68500 | 0.5331 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 123 | Hampton University | 32300 | 62400 | 0.482 | 3,728 | 947 | 0.6225 | |
| 124 | Washington Adventist University | 32400 | 37800 | 0.143 | 513 | 995 | 0.4618 | |
| 125 | University of Scranton | 32500 | 78700 | 0.5872 | 3,613 | 1250 | 0.8123 | |
| 126 | Suffolk University | 32600 | 69700 | 0.5326 | 4,326 | 1209 | 0.8233 | |
| 127 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 32900 | 45100 | 0.2705 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 128 | Christopher Newport University | 33300 | 51000 | 0.3474 | 4,369 | 1189 | 0.8604 | |
| 128 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 15,254 | 1080 | 0.8955 | |
| 130 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1430 | 0.4709 | |
| 131 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54800 | 0.378 | 3,187 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 132 | Salisbury University | 34200 | 41700 | 0.1797 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 133 | Charleston Southern University | 34300 | 48400 | 0.2917 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 134 | Pace University | 34800 | 74800 | 0.5346 | 8,038 | 1260 | 0.7592 | |
| 135 | University of South Florida | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 136 | Adelphi University | 35200 | 63300 | 0.4442 | 5,325 | 1237 | 0.6591 | |
| 137 | Immaculata University | 36000 | 47800 | 0.2467 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8576 | |
| 138 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 36200 | 56800 | 0.3624 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8304 | |
| 139 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 36500 | 41600 | 0.1232 | 5,386 | 1050 | 0.9092 | |
| 140 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 36700 | 39900 | 0.0785 | 5,086 | 1124 | 0.949 | |
| 141 | Loyola University Maryland | 36900 | 78800 | 0.5318 | 3,881 | 1303 | 0.7549 | |
| 142 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1160 | 0.8921 | |
| 143 | Towson University | 37700 | 46400 | 0.1876 | 16,264 | 1098 | 0.8197 | |
| 144 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38600 | 38600 | 0 | 14,416 | 1210 | 0.8851 | |
| 145 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38700 | 53400 | 0.2754 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 146 | Rutgers University-Newark | 39200 | 60500 | 0.3523 | 7,989 | 1159 | 0.7136 | |
| 147 | Frostburg State University | 39400 | 43000 | 0.0838 | 3,422 | 1095 | 0.8918 | |
| 148 | Stony Brook University | 39900 | 53000 | 0.2477 | 18,263 | 1410 | 0.4904 | |
| 149 | University of Mount Olive | 42300 | 50400 | 0.1613 | 1,944 | 1075 | 0.7575 | |
| 150 | University of Maryland-College Park | 42900 | 53400 | 0.1966 | 31,133 | 1463 | 0.4479 | |
| 151 | Western Oregon University | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 3,167 | 1040 | 0.981 | |
| 152 | Merrimack College | 43600 | 78800 | 0.4471 | 4,102 | 1115 | 0.7002 | |
| 153 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 43900 | 57100 | 0.2301 | 23,329 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 154 | James Madison University | 45300 | 45300 | 0 | 20,973 | 1260 | 0.7152 | |
| 155 | Mercer University | 47100 | 63700 | 0.2607 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 156 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 67900 | 0.2945 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 157 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 48600 | 54600 | 0.1099 | 5,444 | 1220 | 0.7064 | |
| 158 | University of Colorado Boulder | 48700 | 56600 | 0.1395 | 32,244 | 1351 | 0.7808 | |
| 159 | Drexel University | 48800 | 83800 | 0.4176 | 13,309 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 160 | University of Kentucky | 48900 | 56600 | 0.1361 | 25,534 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 161 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.0397 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 162 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 53100 | 61200 | 0.1329 | 26,221 | 1204 | 0.8854 | |
| 163 | Dallas Baptist University | 56100 | 71900 | 0.2196 | 2,785 | 1109 | 0.8884 | |
| 164 | Molloy University | 59800 | 62300 | 0.0402 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 165 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60400 | 64100 | 0.0577 | 1,236 | 1193 | 0.9811 | |
| 166 | Thiel College | 60600 | 69100 | 0.123 | 833 | 1065 | 0.7155 | |
| 167 | College of Charleston | 61600 | 61600 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 168 | Fordham University | 70000 | 95000 | 0.263 | 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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