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-Flint | 6100 | 43600 | 0.8603 | 5,534 | 1109 | 0.6734 | |
| 2 | Northwestern University | 6500 | 90200 | 0.9278 | 9,060 | 1527 | 0.0769 | |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 7000 | 41500 | 0.8323 | 38,572 | 1406 | 0.3659 | |
| 4 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8700 | 98000 | 0.9113 | 9,164 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 5 | Lamar University | 9100 | 22900 | 0.6019 | 8,387 | 1050 | 0.8353 | |
| 6 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9400 | 41400 | 0.7736 | 3,224 | 1085 | 0.7643 | |
| 7 | Portland State University | 9600 | 43300 | 0.7788 | 14,932 | 1094 | 0.8586 | |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 10200 | 41300 | 0.7533 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 9 | Saint Xavier University | 10300 | 57000 | 0.819 | 3,100 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 10 | Savannah State University | 10700 | 50900 | 0.7901 | 2,966 | 925 | 1 | |
| 11 | Concord University | 10800 | 49200 | 0.78 | 1,638 | 990 | 0.9728 | |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 11400 | 36800 | 0.69 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 13 | Texas A&M University-Commerce | 12700 | 30000 | 0.5767 | 9,666 | 1045 | 0.7498 | |
| 14 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13000 | 40500 | 0.6789 | 29,727 | 980 | 0.9229 | |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 13200 | 27400 | 0.519 | 18,667 | 1090 | 0.9711 | |
| 16 | Northern Illinois University | 13300 | 32200 | 0.5857 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 16 | Wayne State University | 13300 | 46800 | 0.7163 | 16,390 | 1174 | 0.8359 | |
| 18 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 13400 | 40800 | 0.6718 | 6,761 | 1105 | 0.8475 | |
| 19 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 13500 | 13500 | 0 | 1,973 | 1189 | 0.8142 | |
| 20 | University of North Florida | 13700 | 28100 | 0.5126 | 14,837 | 1150 | 0.6815 | |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 61700 | 0.7781 | 39,193 | 1418 | 0.4081 | |
| 22 | Coastal Carolina University | 14100 | 45300 | 0.6891 | 11,471 | 1145 | 0.7003 | |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 14100 | 22800 | 0.3816 | 10,995 | 1075 | 0.7476 | |
| 24 | Valdosta State University | 14200 | 29700 | 0.5215 | 7,199 | 1015 | 0.7769 | |
| 25 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14400 | 38200 | 0.6223 | 7,501 | 1075 | 0.9467 | |
| 26 | Mercy University | 14700 | 46400 | 0.6836 | 6,692 | 1135 | 0.8724 | |
| 26 | University of California-Riverside | 14700 | 66100 | 0.7779 | 24,034 | 1199 | 0.8609 | |
| 28 | Wayne State College | 15000 | 30500 | 0.509 | 3,886 | 0 | 1 | |
| 29 | Coppin State University | 15200 | 25300 | 0.3987 | 1,908 | 950 | 0.4583 | |
| 30 | Jacksonville State University | 15700 | 27000 | 0.4192 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 31 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 15800 | 44000 | 0.6412 | 308 | 1180 | 0.9053 | |
| 32 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 16000 | 39600 | 0.5966 | 475 | 1195 | 0.9418 | |
| 33 | Frostburg State University | 16200 | 26600 | 0.3907 | 3,436 | 1095 | 0.907 | |
| 34 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 16300 | 23400 | 0.3038 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 35 | Grove City College | 16500 | 39700 | 0.5851 | 2,247 | 1266 | 0.667 | |
| 35 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 16500 | 64800 | 0.7456 | 22,007 | 1427 | 0.1672 | |
| 37 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 16700 | 44200 | 0.6229 | 1,829 | 1109 | 0.945 | |
| 38 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 16800 | 28100 | 0.4019 | 32,545 | 1129 | 0.799 | |
| 39 | Southern University at New Orleans | 17000 | 42000 | 0.5948 | 2,179 | 950 | 0.789 | |
| 40 | College of Charleston | 17200 | 33900 | 0.4931 | 10,596 | 1255 | 0.73 | |
| 40 | Emporia State University | 17200 | 31200 | 0.4489 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 40 | Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | 17200 | 28900 | 0.4054 | 8,673 | 1090 | 0.9156 | |
| 43 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 17300 | 44000 | 0.6064 | 586 | 1132 | 0.9577 | |
| 44 | James Madison University | 17500 | 28900 | 0.3943 | 21,358 | 1260 | 0.6879 | |
| 44 | University of Kentucky | 17500 | 37300 | 0.5317 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 46 | State University of New York at Oswego | 17600 | 27700 | 0.3645 | 5,293 | 1180 | 0.7989 | |
| 47 | University of South Alabama | 17700 | 40200 | 0.5603 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 48 | Morgan State University | 17800 | 42200 | 0.5786 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 49 | Texas A&M University-Victoria | 17900 | 46500 | 0.6146 | 2,627 | 1095 | 0.5253 | |
| 50 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | 18000 | 95700 | 0.8116 | 711 | 1030 | 0.8214 | |
| 51 | Kennesaw State University | 18100 | 27400 | 0.3391 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 52 | Angelo State University | 18200 | 23100 | 0.2117 | 10,103 | 1055 | 0.7981 | |
| 53 | San Jose State University | 18300 | 41100 | 0.5542 | 29,890 | 1124 | 0.8039 | |
| 54 | SUNY Brockport | 18400 | 26200 | 0.2972 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 55 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 18900 | 54000 | 0.6497 | 3,991 | 1030 | 0.9654 | |
| 56 | Norwich University | 19100 | 100600 | 0.8104 | 2,626 | 1186 | 0.7444 | |
| 56 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 19100 | 32900 | 0.42 | 653 | 1125 | 0.7972 | |
| 58 | Fairmont State University | 19600 | 30900 | 0.3656 | 3,090 | 970 | 0.9862 | |
| 59 | Pennsylvania Western University | 19700 | 30900 | 0.3627 | 7,586 | 1045 | 0.9433 | |
| 60 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 20100 | 38100 | 0.4724 | 2,710 | 1175 | 0.9374 | |
| 60 | SUNY at Fredonia | 20100 | 53600 | 0.6248 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 62 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20300 | 39800 | 0.4894 | 37,985 | 1390 | 0.5815 | |
| 63 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20500 | 57800 | 0.6451 | 1,109 | 1193 | 0.9088 | |
| 63 | Syracuse University | 20500 | 83600 | 0.7548 | 16,149 | 1363 | 0.4879 | |
| 65 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20600 | 57800 | 0.6433 | 5,196 | 1109 | 0.8422 | |
| 66 | Stockton University | 20700 | 46100 | 0.5511 | 7,583 | 1135 | 0.901 | |
| 66 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 20700 | 40100 | 0.4839 | 6,029 | 1070 | 0.9173 | |
| 68 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27100 | 0.2287 | 31,875 | 1463 | 0.4503 | |
| 69 | Thiel College | 21100 | 69100 | 0.6945 | 830 | 1065 | 0.7189 | |
| 70 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 21200 | 51900 | 0.5921 | 5,939 | 1065 | 0.5878 | |
| 71 | Grambling State University | 21400 | 40500 | 0.4718 | 4,313 | 950 | 0.4486 | |
| 71 | Luther College | 21400 | 75400 | 0.7164 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8398 | |
| 71 | Salisbury University | 21400 | 29300 | 0.2697 | 6,477 | 1250 | 0.8826 | |
| 71 | Texas Southern University | 21400 | 38900 | 0.4499 | 6,844 | 915 | 0.9691 | |
| 75 | Alabama State University | 21500 | 43200 | 0.5029 | 3,521 | 945 | 0.9755 | |
| 76 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 21600 | 49600 | 0.5641 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 77 | Boston College | 21700 | 97700 | 0.7782 | 9,677 | 1490 | 0.1422 | |
| 78 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 21800 | 47900 | 0.5444 | 2,280 | 1189 | 0.9675 | |
| 79 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 21900 | 39100 | 0.4402 | 2,907 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 79 | Grand Valley State University | 21900 | 36600 | 0.4014 | 19,154 | 1084 | 0.9271 | |
| 81 | Lincoln University | 22100 | 24900 | 0.1124 | 1,926 | 0 | 0 | |
| 82 | Christopher Newport University | 22400 | 50800 | 0.5586 | 4,369 | 1189 | 0.8604 | |
| 83 | Bradley University | 22600 | 59500 | 0.6194 | 3,258 | 1223 | 0.7459 | |
| 83 | Houghton University | 22600 | 60900 | 0.6285 | 958 | 1277 | 0.89 | |
| 85 | Robert Morris University | 23000 | 58000 | 0.6031 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 86 | Dakota State University | 23100 | 25600 | 0.0977 | 3,085 | 1192 | 0.9241 | |
| 87 | Florida Memorial University | 23200 | 51000 | 0.5446 | 1,206 | 0 | 0.8526 | |
| 88 | Columbia College | 23600 | 38700 | 0.3898 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 89 | Dominican University | 23800 | 56000 | 0.5742 | 2,642 | 1005 | 0.8879 | |
| 90 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 23900 | 40900 | 0.4161 | 1,709 | 1185 | 0.9653 | |
| 91 | University of North Texas | 24200 | 37400 | 0.3527 | 34,414 | 1114 | 0.7089 | |
| 92 | Elmhurst University | 24300 | 67000 | 0.6376 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7501 | |
| 93 | Western Oregon University | 24600 | 24600 | 0 | 3,034 | 1040 | 0.8345 | |
| 94 | Fort Hays State University | 24700 | 28500 | 0.1331 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 95 | University of South Florida | 24800 | 36500 | 0.3202 | 39,093 | 1239 | 0.4071 | |
| 96 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 25100 | 36900 | 0.3201 | 15,273 | 1124 | 0.8089 | |
| 97 | Central College | 25600 | 38700 | 0.3385 | 1,050 | 1145 | 0.8698 | |
| 98 | Northwood University | 25800 | 54500 | 0.5271 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 99 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 25900 | 28300 | 0.0847 | 3,375 | 1090 | 0.5885 | |
| 99 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | 25900 | 53800 | 0.5189 | 971 | 1030 | 0.9334 | |
| 101 | University of Akron Main Campus | 26100 | 28000 | 0.0677 | 11,691 | 1069 | 0.7722 | |
| 102 | Bemidji State University | 26400 | 26400 | 0 | 3,751 | 1075 | 0.5598 | |
| 102 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26400 | 40600 | 0.3495 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 104 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 2,082 | 1161 | 0.9576 | |
| 105 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 26700 | 30100 | 0.1128 | 3,893 | 1124 | 0.9839 | |
| 105 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 26700 | 36500 | 0.2687 | 7,747 | 1073 | 0.9617 | |
| 107 | Cleveland State University | 27100 | 38600 | 0.2981 | 9,418 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 107 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 27100 | 63100 | 0.5701 | 1,495 | 1075 | 0.8761 | |
| 109 | Central Connecticut State University | 27900 | 30400 | 0.0823 | 9,463 | 1075 | 0.793 | |
| 110 | Bethune-Cookman University | 28700 | 32300 | 0.1113 | 2,739 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 111 | Clemson University | 28900 | 37100 | 0.2207 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 112 | University of Toledo | 29200 | 32600 | 0.1041 | 10,726 | 1229 | 0.8889 | |
| 113 | California Lutheran University | 29500 | 71700 | 0.5888 | 2,160 | 1254 | 0.7631 | |
| 114 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 29700 | 33000 | 0.0999 | 7,088 | 1090 | 0.7448 | |
| 114 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29700 | 34200 | 0.1314 | 31,845 | 1292 | 0.5651 | |
| 116 | Thomas Jefferson University | 29800 | 70000 | 0.574 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 117 | Towson University | 29900 | 30200 | 0.0099 | 16,361 | 1098 | 0.8057 | |
| 118 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30400 | 54600 | 0.4432 | 3,120 | 1165 | 0.3992 | |
| 119 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 30700 | 36900 | 0.1691 | 5,687 | 1305 | 0.7863 | |
| 120 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 30800 | 33200 | 0.0722 | 14,834 | 1149 | 0.7803 | |
| 121 | Loyola University Maryland | 30900 | 78800 | 0.608 | 4,013 | 1303 | 0.6986 | |
| 122 | Suffolk University | 31000 | 83500 | 0.6288 | 4,247 | 1209 | 0.8228 | |
| 123 | Hampton University | 31500 | 54800 | 0.4252 | 4,046 | 947 | 0.6358 | |
| 123 | Westfield State University | 31500 | 37600 | 0.1623 | 3,868 | 1085 | 0.8671 | |
| 125 | Northern Kentucky University | 31800 | 32100 | 0.0093 | 10,136 | 1090 | 0.9666 | |
| 126 | Immaculata University | 31900 | 48600 | 0.3437 | 1,889 | 1245 | 0.8656 | |
| 127 | University of Scranton | 32300 | 78700 | 0.5893 | 3,689 | 1250 | 0.8006 | |
| 128 | McKendree University | 32400 | 52900 | 0.3868 | 1,757 | 1098 | 0.7172 | |
| 129 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 32900 | 59900 | 0.4511 | 11,087 | 1326 | 0.7397 | |
| 130 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 17,556 | 1090 | 0.5386 | |
| 131 | Harding University | 33400 | 47800 | 0.3012 | 3,536 | 1184 | 0.7052 | |
| 132 | Elizabethtown College | 33600 | 57500 | 0.4154 | 1,935 | 1214 | 0.8892 | |
| 133 | Pace University | 34000 | 75700 | 0.5512 | 5,520 | 1260 | 0.7827 | |
| 134 | Charleston Southern University | 34100 | 48400 | 0.2971 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 135 | DePaul University | 34200 | 69400 | 0.5069 | 14,338 | 1254 | 0.878 | |
| 136 | George Washington University | 34400 | 81800 | 0.5796 | 11,495 | 1430 | 0.4713 | |
| 137 | Averett University | 34700 | 57600 | 0.3977 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 138 | Adelphi University | 34900 | 63300 | 0.4484 | 5,097 | 1237 | 0.7215 | |
| 139 | East Carolina University | 36800 | 42700 | 0.1381 | 21,693 | 1160 | 0.9003 | |
| 140 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 37200 | 39700 | 0.063 | 4,789 | 1115 | 0.6671 | |
| 141 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 37700 | 40100 | 0.0598 | 25,054 | 1239 | 0.7762 | |
| 142 | Saint Michael's College | 38200 | 75800 | 0.496 | 1,051 | 1240 | 0.8976 | |
| 142 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38200 | 54400 | 0.2978 | 32,041 | 1302 | 0.4358 | |
| 144 | University of Illinois Chicago | 38300 | 51400 | 0.2551 | 24,260 | 1252 | 0.7576 | |
| 145 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38800 | 38800 | 0 | 14,865 | 1210 | 0.9113 | |
| 146 | Stony Brook University | 39600 | 53000 | 0.2527 | 18,616 | 1410 | 0.4818 | |
| 147 | Rowan University | 39900 | 53600 | 0.2555 | 17,157 | 1219 | 0.7654 | |
| 148 | Drexel University | 40400 | 86400 | 0.5324 | 12,318 | 1339 | 0.699 | |
| 149 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 41400 | 55300 | 0.2516 | 21,388 | 1375 | 0.5945 | |
| 150 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 42000 | 43400 | 0.0322 | 9,827 | 1325 | 0.6737 | |
| 150 | University of Mount Olive | 42000 | 50400 | 0.1666 | 1,944 | 1075 | 0.7575 | |
| 152 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 42800 | 53400 | 0.1987 | 21,469 | 1148 | 0.9061 | |
| 153 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 43200 | 88100 | 0.5098 | 35,358 | 1435 | 0.1642 | |
| 154 | Furman University | 43400 | 84700 | 0.4879 | 2,304 | 1359 | 0.4869 | |
| 154 | Merrimack College | 43400 | 78800 | 0.4492 | 4,123 | 1115 | 0.6927 | |
| 156 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 43600 | 72500 | 0.3987 | 10,368 | 1064 | 0.999 | |
| 157 | Mercer University | 45000 | 65400 | 0.3123 | 4,719 | 1273 | 0.643 | |
| 158 | Radford University | 45200 | 47600 | 0.0503 | 6,206 | 1070 | 0.8939 | |
| 159 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 71800 | 0.3329 | 4,182 | 1229 | 0.8783 | |
| 160 | Molloy University | 48600 | 62300 | 0.22 | 3,396 | 1199 | 0.6633 | |
| 161 | Rutgers University-Newark | 49500 | 61200 | 0.1911 | 7,989 | 1159 | 0.7136 | |
| 162 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 49700 | 63100 | 0.2124 | 5,492 | 1220 | 0.7026 | |
| 163 | University of North Georgia | 50100 | 57000 | 0.121 | 19,321 | 1100 | 0.9618 | |
| 164 | University of Utah | 51300 | 53700 | 0.0446 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 165 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 52800 | 61200 | 0.1372 | 26,490 | 1204 | 0.8863 | |
| 166 | University of Colorado Boulder | 55400 | 70900 | 0.2186 | 32,244 | 1351 | 0.7809 | |
| 167 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 60300 | 60300 | 0 | 504 | 1189 | 0.9095 | |
| 168 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60400 | 63700 | 0.0518 | 1,078 | 1193 | 0.9646 | |
| 169 | Fordham University | 88500 | 143900 | 0.3851 | 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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