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 | Washington University in St Louis | 9400 | 96200 | 0.9026 | 8,220 | 1513 | 0.1206 | |
| 2 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 11300 | 34400 | 0.6706 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 3 | Eastern Washington University | 11500 | 30900 | 0.6273 | 6,951 | 1055 | 0.9437 | |
| 4 | Dalton State College | 12300 | 18900 | 0.3499 | 4,902 | 1020 | 0.4343 | |
| 5 | Northern Illinois University | 12400 | 29000 | 0.5718 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 6 | Brigham Young University | 12500 | 29000 | 0.5686 | 32,221 | 1374 | 0.6919 | |
| 7 | The University of Texas at Austin | 13200 | 30700 | 0.5697 | 43,165 | 1335 | 0.2664 | |
| 8 | Florida Gulf Coast University | 13300 | 20300 | 0.344 | 14,243 | 1125 | 0.7675 | |
| 9 | Northeastern State University | 13400 | 20800 | 0.3552 | 5,085 | 1035 | 0.9935 | |
| 10 | Louisiana Tech University | 13800 | 24900 | 0.4451 | 11,071 | 1164 | 0.9073 | |
| 10 | University of South Florida | 13800 | 17100 | 0.1928 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 12 | Texas Tech University | 14000 | 27000 | 0.4813 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 13 | Kansas State University | 14200 | 26100 | 0.4563 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8199 | |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville | 14200 | 27800 | 0.4903 | 6,270 | 1140 | 0.8726 | |
| 15 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 16 | Clayton State University | 15000 | 21700 | 0.3083 | 5,301 | 980 | 0.7056 | |
| 16 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 15000 | 25700 | 0.4158 | 46,815 | 1339 | 0.6057 | |
| 18 | Florida International University | 15100 | 23700 | 0.3621 | 44,904 | 1175 | 0.5466 | |
| 18 | Murray State University | 15100 | 27000 | 0.4415 | 8,281 | 1124 | 0.8568 | |
| 20 | Central Michigan University | 15200 | 40600 | 0.6257 | 10,219 | 1095 | 0.8982 | |
| 21 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15300 | 28100 | 0.4555 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 21 | University of Michigan-Flint | 15300 | 36600 | 0.5819 | 5,011 | 1103 | 0.7047 | |
| 23 | Appalachian State University | 16200 | 19500 | 0.169 | 19,560 | 1159 | 0.9014 | |
| 23 | Lehigh University | 16200 | 85700 | 0.8114 | 5,911 | 1436 | 0.2593 | |
| 23 | Oakland University | 16200 | 28000 | 0.422 | 12,587 | 1050 | 0.8784 | |
| 26 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 16400 | 26800 | 0.3882 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 27 | Georgia Military College | 16900 | 31800 | 0.468 | 6,575 | 0 | 0 | |
| 28 | Albany State University | 17200 | 29200 | 0.4112 | 6,018 | 865 | 0.9714 | |
| 28 | Central Washington University | 17200 | 22700 | 0.242 | 10,033 | 1060 | 0.9061 | |
| 30 | Sam Houston State University | 17300 | 23000 | 0.2478 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 31 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 17600 | 26300 | 0.3312 | 19,701 | 1214 | 0.8749 | |
| 32 | University of South Alabama | 17900 | 22400 | 0.2013 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 33 | Morgan State University | 18000 | 19700 | 0.0864 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 33 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | 18000 | 32100 | 0.4399 | 3,856 | 1169 | 0.7518 | |
| 33 | University of Rhode Island | 18000 | 34400 | 0.4765 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 36 | North Carolina Wesleyan University | 18300 | 56400 | 0.6761 | 1,215 | 980 | 0.7795 | |
| 37 | Eastern Michigan University | 18700 | 36100 | 0.4817 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 38 | Missouri Southern State University | 18800 | 24800 | 0.2415 | 3,881 | 1074 | 0.9706 | |
| 39 | East Tennessee State University | 18900 | 26300 | 0.2816 | 10,633 | 1124 | 0.8706 | |
| 39 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 18900 | 18900 | 0 | 14,449 | 1195 | 0.7816 | |
| 41 | Youngstown State University | 19300 | 29300 | 0.3409 | 8,436 | 1065 | 0.8066 | |
| 42 | Wayne State University | 19800 | 32300 | 0.3875 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 43 | University of Northern Iowa | 19900 | 24000 | 0.1697 | 7,716 | 1115 | 0.8713 | |
| 44 | Piedmont University | 20200 | 47200 | 0.572 | 1,159 | 1130 | 0.9328 | |
| 45 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20300 | 36200 | 0.4386 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 46 | Western Michigan University | 20500 | 31200 | 0.3426 | 13,860 | 1104 | 0.846 | |
| 47 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 20700 | 31000 | 0.3319 | 60,710 | 1278 | 0.5732 | |
| 47 | West Virginia University | 20700 | 28800 | 0.2815 | 18,614 | 1125 | 0.778 | |
| 49 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27100 | 0.2289 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 49 | Wayland Baptist University | 20900 | 37300 | 0.4401 | 2,087 | 925 | 0.5596 | |
| 49 | Western Illinois University | 20900 | 31000 | 0.3266 | 5,025 | 990 | 0.7496 | |
| 52 | University of St Francis | 21200 | 56000 | 0.6224 | 1,338 | 1030 | 0.653 | |
| 53 | Northern Arizona University | 21300 | 32000 | 0.3345 | 22,991 | 1145 | 0.8961 | |
| 54 | Rutgers University-Newark | 21500 | 38900 | 0.4474 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 55 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 56 | Colorado Christian University | 22700 | 63300 | 0.6412 | 6,730 | 1110 | 0.8328 | |
| 56 | Lewis University | 22700 | 57000 | 0.6019 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7128 | |
| 56 | University of Memphis | 22700 | 30000 | 0.2437 | 15,770 | 1075 | 0.7203 | |
| 59 | Grove City College | 23100 | 37200 | 0.3791 | 2,341 | 1256 | 0.7232 | |
| 60 | Fort Valley State University | 23500 | 38900 | 0.3956 | 2,558 | 940 | 0.628 | |
| 61 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 23600 | 25700 | 0.0817 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 61 | Syracuse University | 23600 | 83100 | 0.716 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 63 | University of Alaska Anchorage | 24000 | 26400 | 0.0902 | 9,965 | 1095 | 0.5958 | |
| 64 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 24100 | 39200 | 0.3853 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 65 | Calvin University | 24600 | 53000 | 0.536 | 3,356 | 1214 | 0.7091 | |
| 65 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 24600 | 26600 | 0.0779 | 3,413 | 1085 | 0.5295 | |
| 67 | Elmhurst University | 24800 | 67000 | 0.6301 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 67 | Tiffin University | 24800 | 48000 | 0.4838 | 2,666 | 990 | 0.7977 | |
| 69 | New Jersey City University | 25100 | 39800 | 0.3697 | 4,209 | 1015 | 0.8918 | |
| 69 | Tuskegee University | 25100 | 42100 | 0.4042 | 2,400 | 1030 | 0.3143 | |
| 71 | Bellevue University | 25200 | 25700 | 0.0194 | 11,096 | 0 | 0.995 | |
| 72 | University of Kansas | 25600 | 37600 | 0.3207 | 22,085 | 1176 | 0.9348 | |
| 73 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 25800 | 36500 | 0.2928 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 73 | Michigan State University | 25800 | 28900 | 0.1089 | 41,234 | 1223 | 0.848 | |
| 75 | Missouri Western State University | 25900 | 39300 | 0.3417 | 3,494 | 1015 | 0.9996 | |
| 76 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | 26100 | 32800 | 0.204 | 4,421 | 1099 | 0.8555 | |
| 76 | University of Evansville | 26100 | 64700 | 0.5965 | 1,742 | 1207 | 0.7813 | |
| 78 | Iowa State University | 26200 | 42800 | 0.3864 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 79 | Georgia Southern University | 26500 | 26700 | 0.0075 | 23,618 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 79 | Marietta College | 26500 | 62300 | 0.5741 | 1,023 | 1075 | 0.7929 | |
| 81 | University of Arkansas | 26700 | 30800 | 0.1324 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.7431 | |
| 81 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 26700 | 28800 | 0.072 | 6,124 | 1159 | 0.8747 | |
| 83 | Kennesaw State University | 27000 | 27000 | 0 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 84 | Rowan University | 27500 | 40500 | 0.3209 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 85 | Park University | 27600 | 30800 | 0.104 | 6,238 | 1035 | 0.6904 | |
| 85 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 27600 | 27600 | 0 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 85 | University of North Texas | 27600 | 37400 | 0.2622 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 88 | John Carroll University | 27700 | 72100 | 0.6159 | 2,339 | 1292 | 0.809 | |
| 88 | Weber State University | 27700 | 33300 | 0.1682 | 31,672 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 90 | Alabama A & M University | 28100 | 42800 | 0.3433 | 5,845 | 940 | 0.6622 | |
| 91 | Grand Valley State University | 28200 | 35700 | 0.2101 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 92 | Mississippi State University | 28300 | 32300 | 0.126 | 18,567 | 1214 | 0.7764 | |
| 93 | Clarkson University | 28900 | 78000 | 0.6296 | 2,296 | 1302 | 0.7736 | |
| 93 | Oregon State University | 28900 | 36700 | 0.2138 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 95 | Gannon University | 30400 | 45300 | 0.329 | 2,768 | 1174 | 0.7416 | |
| 96 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30500 | 78100 | 0.6096 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 96 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 30500 | 41800 | 0.2705 | 31,127 | 1115 | 0.8679 | |
| 98 | University of Houston | 30900 | 35200 | 0.1223 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 98 | University of Toledo | 30900 | 42000 | 0.2639 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 100 | Southeastern Louisiana University | 31100 | 43700 | 0.2884 | 13,206 | 1125 | 0.9387 | |
| 101 | Point University | 31200 | 43800 | 0.2877 | 2,617 | 975 | 0.6751 | |
| 102 | Portland State University | 31300 | 43000 | 0.2715 | 15,960 | 1176 | 0.9091 | |
| 103 | Adrian College | 31700 | 67500 | 0.53 | 1,678 | 1060 | 0.6843 | |
| 104 | University of North Florida | 31800 | 37900 | 0.161 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 105 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | 32400 | 39900 | 0.1879 | 9,967 | 1080 | 0.9475 | |
| 106 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | 32600 | 38500 | 0.1533 | 7,890 | 1105 | 0.2056 | |
| 107 | Belmont Abbey College | 33200 | 37700 | 0.1194 | 1,549 | 1075 | 0.9038 | |
| 108 | University of Indianapolis | 33400 | 59900 | 0.4419 | 3,603 | 1080 | 0.6648 | |
| 108 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 1,956 | 1153 | 0.9146 | |
| 110 | Anderson University | 33600 | 52400 | 0.3588 | 3,405 | 1209 | 0.5471 | |
| 111 | Charleston Southern University | 34400 | 48400 | 0.2905 | 2,914 | 1070 | 0.7609 | |
| 112 | Baylor University | 34600 | 70800 | 0.511 | 14,915 | 1277 | 0.5128 | |
| 113 | University of North Texas at Dallas | 35000 | 37600 | 0.0685 | 3,018 | 920 | 0.9386 | |
| 114 | University of West Florida | 35600 | 44600 | 0.2019 | 9,661 | 1120 | 0.5687 | |
| 115 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 35700 | 42400 | 0.158 | 31,112 | 1130 | 0.8129 | |
| 116 | Boise State University | 35800 | 48800 | 0.2664 | 24,030 | 1025 | 0.8721 | |
| 117 | University of Central Arkansas | 36300 | 38400 | 0.0541 | 8,268 | 1110 | 0.8949 | |
| 118 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 119 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 39000 | 52900 | 0.2626 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 120 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 39600 | 53800 | 0.264 | 23,920 | 1390 | 0.5973 | |
| 121 | Temple University | 40600 | 56100 | 0.2762 | 21,428 | 1245 | 0.8045 | |
| 122 | York College of Pennsylvania | 41400 | 41400 | 0 | 3,308 | 1135 | 0.942 | |
| 123 | Hofstra University | 41700 | 74600 | 0.4409 | 6,581 | 1323 | 0.6808 | |
| 124 | Arkansas State University | 41900 | 45900 | 0.0859 | 9,985 | 1075 | 0.7959 | |
| 125 | Quinnipiac University | 42200 | 79200 | 0.4671 | 6,248 | 1209 | 0.77 | |
| 126 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42500 | 54900 | 0.2261 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 127 | Florida Institute of Technology | 43700 | 68800 | 0.3647 | 3,677 | 1224 | 0.577 | |
| 127 | Texas Christian University | 43700 | 81900 | 0.4664 | 11,049 | 1283 | 0.4449 | |
| 129 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | 45300 | 45300 | 0 | 2,737 | 1195 | 0.9281 | |
| 130 | Duquesne University | 45400 | 70500 | 0.3557 | 5,371 | 1269 | 0.8356 | |
| 131 | Marquette University | 45600 | 75100 | 0.3929 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 132 | Middle Tennessee State University | 45800 | 45800 | 0 | 17,668 | 1124 | 0.68 | |
| 133 | University of San Diego | 46100 | 85500 | 0.4608 | 5,851 | 1298 | 0.5238 | |
| 134 | Bryant University | 46300 | 73800 | 0.3727 | 3,200 | 1265 | 0.6546 | |
| 135 | College of Charleston | 49700 | 59000 | 0.1577 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 136 | Binghamton University | 50000 | 52100 | 0.0398 | 14,669 | 1417 | 0.3861 | |
| 137 | Auburn University | 55400 | 55400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 138 | Howard University | 58400 | 61600 | 0.052 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 139 | Elon University | 66000 | 67300 | 0.0193 | 6,452 | 1244 | 0.6635 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.