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 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 4000 | 93300 | 0.9568 | 4,561 | 1542 | 0.0456 | |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania | 4500 | 93100 | 0.9521 | 9,989 | 1535 | 0.0492 | |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 7000 | 41500 | 0.8323 | 38,572 | 1455 | 0.3659 | |
| 4 | University of Notre Dame | 7600 | 89100 | 0.9146 | 8,950 | 1497 | 0.0938 | |
| 5 | Brigham Young University | 8100 | 22300 | 0.6382 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 6 | Emory University | 8400 | 96200 | 0.9125 | 7,320 | 1499 | 0.103 | |
| 7 | Rice University | 9900 | 92500 | 0.8932 | 4,807 | 1528 | 0.0801 | |
| 8 | Indiana State University | 10000 | 32400 | 0.6916 | 6,352 | 1015 | 0.9157 | |
| 9 | University of California-Davis | 10200 | 38600 | 0.7366 | 31,695 | 1290 | 0.4435 | |
| 10 | University of California-Merced | 10300 | 40600 | 0.7466 | 8,234 | 1070 | 0.9704 | |
| 11 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 10400 | 41400 | 0.7494 | 3,224 | 1085 | 0.7643 | |
| 12 | University of Rochester | 10600 | 96300 | 0.8901 | 6,096 | 1448 | 0.4191 | |
| 13 | University of St Francis | 10700 | 83800 | 0.8724 | 1,416 | 1030 | 0.6528 | |
| 14 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 11100 | 28100 | 0.6048 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 15 | Georgetown University | 11500 | 92700 | 0.8759 | 7,908 | 1470 | 0.1349 | |
| 16 | University of California-San Diego | 11600 | 41600 | 0.7216 | 35,442 | 1375 | 0.2856 | |
| 17 | Eastern Illinois University | 11800 | 24300 | 0.5138 | 6,731 | 1020 | 0.7073 | |
| 17 | Eastern Washington University | 11800 | 28600 | 0.5879 | 7,640 | 1045 | 0.8526 | |
| 19 | University of Illinois Chicago | 12200 | 30200 | 0.5964 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 20 | Northern Illinois University | 13300 | 32200 | 0.5857 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 20 | University of Houston | 13300 | 21800 | 0.3898 | 40,366 | 1224 | 0.7577 | |
| 22 | Lewis University | 13400 | 57700 | 0.7675 | 4,914 | 1127 | 0.6916 | |
| 23 | Trinity University | 13500 | 67000 | 0.7982 | 2,423 | 1408 | 0.2488 | |
| 24 | Utah State University | 14000 | 21000 | 0.3327 | 26,629 | 1168 | 0.9212 | |
| 25 | Salem State University | 14200 | 38300 | 0.6288 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 26 | Arkansas Tech University | 14500 | 31400 | 0.5374 | 8,279 | 1055 | 0.9747 | |
| 27 | University of North Alabama | 14600 | 37300 | 0.6087 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 28 | Troy University | 14800 | 26700 | 0.4456 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 29 | Mid-America Christian University | 15100 | 36800 | 0.5902 | 1,806 | 970 | 0.9176 | |
| 29 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 15100 | 44000 | 0.6571 | 308 | 1144 | 0.9053 | |
| 31 | Bucknell University | 15200 | 95700 | 0.8416 | 3,928 | 1275 | 0.322 | |
| 32 | University of Kansas | 15700 | 34900 | 0.5504 | 22,544 | 1176 | 0.9258 | |
| 33 | Grand Valley State University | 15800 | 28300 | 0.441 | 19,154 | 1074 | 0.9271 | |
| 34 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 15900 | 90700 | 0.8247 | 8,727 | 1055 | 0.9703 | |
| 35 | William Carey University | 16100 | 34700 | 0.5366 | 3,052 | 1120 | 0.6029 | |
| 36 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 16600 | 27600 | 0.3991 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 37 | University of Miami | 16700 | 96300 | 0.8267 | 13,241 | 1408 | 0.1761 | |
| 38 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 17000 | 36400 | 0.5323 | 2,710 | 1218 | 0.9374 | |
| 38 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 17000 | 26300 | 0.3538 | 19,787 | 1197 | 0.8807 | |
| 40 | The University of Texas at Dallas | 17100 | 19400 | 0.1185 | 23,007 | 1281 | 0.6909 | |
| 40 | Weber State University | 17100 | 20300 | 0.1579 | 31,672 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 42 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 17600 | 35600 | 0.5063 | 8,513 | 1160 | 0.9261 | |
| 43 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 17800 | 44000 | 0.5951 | 586 | 1140 | 0.9577 | |
| 43 | University of Arkansas | 17800 | 28400 | 0.3726 | 29,252 | 1179 | 0.7388 | |
| 45 | York College of Pennsylvania | 17900 | 45800 | 0.6097 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 46 | Alma College | 18000 | 64700 | 0.7217 | 1,198 | 1040 | 0.6569 | |
| 47 | Quincy University | 18100 | 80600 | 0.7749 | 1,096 | 1115 | 0.551 | |
| 48 | Holy Family University | 18400 | 56900 | 0.6768 | 2,808 | 975 | 0.7456 | |
| 49 | La Roche University | 18500 | 87300 | 0.7883 | 1,972 | 990 | 0.6638 | |
| 50 | Wake Forest University | 18800 | 93800 | 0.7992 | 5,595 | 1463 | 0.2076 | |
| 51 | Wheaton College | 19000 | 68000 | 0.7209 | 2,181 | 1357 | 0.8491 | |
| 52 | Norwich University | 19100 | 100600 | 0.8104 | 2,626 | 1186 | 0.7444 | |
| 53 | Western Washington University | 19200 | 31600 | 0.393 | 13,609 | 1199 | 0.9371 | |
| 54 | Ouachita Baptist University | 19300 | 65400 | 0.7047 | 1,715 | 1193 | 0.7072 | |
| 55 | Illinois College | 19600 | 55200 | 0.6449 | 1,008 | 1059 | 0.7494 | |
| 56 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 20000 | 45100 | 0.5568 | 31,536 | 1366 | 0.5457 | |
| 57 | Bradley University | 20400 | 59500 | 0.6564 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 57 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 20400 | 45300 | 0.5494 | 653 | 1145 | 0.7972 | |
| 57 | Washburn University | 20400 | 34400 | 0.4075 | 5,427 | 1048 | 1 | |
| 60 | Saint Leo University | 20600 | 50000 | 0.5878 | 7,519 | 1110 | 0.7877 | |
| 61 | Farmingdale State College | 20700 | 37800 | 0.4519 | 10,062 | 1125 | 0.6166 | |
| 62 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27100 | 0.2287 | 31,875 | 1456 | 0.4503 | |
| 62 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 20900 | 80400 | 0.7399 | 17,848 | 1470 | 0.1565 | |
| 64 | University of Montevallo | 21000 | 61300 | 0.6569 | 2,643 | 1124 | 0.5385 | |
| 65 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 21100 | 24100 | 0.1243 | 35,248 | 1289 | 0.6939 | |
| 66 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 21200 | 51900 | 0.5921 | 5,939 | 1065 | 0.5878 | |
| 67 | Iowa State University | 21300 | 25700 | 0.1728 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 68 | New Jersey City University | 21400 | 40400 | 0.4701 | 3,871 | 1015 | 0.9838 | |
| 68 | University of Northern Iowa | 21400 | 24800 | 0.1371 | 7,800 | 1115 | 0.9313 | |
| 70 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 21600 | 49600 | 0.5641 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 71 | Boston College | 21700 | 97700 | 0.7782 | 9,677 | 1484 | 0.1422 | |
| 72 | Grand Canyon University | 21800 | 34200 | 0.363 | 75,936 | 1075 | 0.7891 | |
| 72 | Stetson University | 21800 | 81100 | 0.7315 | 2,414 | 1089 | 0.7167 | |
| 74 | Sterling College | 22100 | 77400 | 0.7143 | 649 | 1103 | 0.8759 | |
| 75 | Faulkner University | 22500 | 60900 | 0.631 | 1,758 | 1025 | 0.7307 | |
| 75 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 22500 | 22500 | 0 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 77 | Newman University | 22700 | 55800 | 0.5935 | 2,529 | 1069 | 0.7398 | |
| 78 | Bridgewater State University | 23300 | 37300 | 0.3748 | 8,849 | 1143 | 0.8798 | |
| 79 | Piedmont University | 23500 | 47400 | 0.5045 | 1,154 | 1080 | 0.9054 | |
| 79 | University of South Dakota | 23500 | 26900 | 0.1263 | 7,515 | 1120 | 0.9884 | |
| 81 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 24000 | 47900 | 0.4985 | 2,280 | 1224 | 0.9675 | |
| 82 | University of Dayton | 24100 | 64400 | 0.6255 | 7,252 | 1319 | 0.6659 | |
| 83 | Creighton University | 24600 | 67900 | 0.6375 | 4,833 | 1328 | 0.9216 | |
| 84 | Augustana College | 24700 | 72800 | 0.6612 | 2,536 | 1157 | 0.6628 | |
| 85 | The University of Findlay | 24800 | 50600 | 0.5095 | 4,132 | 1090 | 0.6748 | |
| 86 | Illinois State University | 25000 | 36400 | 0.3147 | 19,513 | 1115 | 0.8555 | |
| 87 | Texas Wesleyan University | 25100 | 85300 | 0.7061 | 1,796 | 1060 | 0.6916 | |
| 88 | Ball State University | 25400 | 26200 | 0.0305 | 15,950 | 1185 | 0.8625 | |
| 89 | Walla Walla University | 25600 | 51700 | 0.5059 | 1,314 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 90 | Northwood University | 25800 | 54500 | 0.5271 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 90 | Otterbein University | 25800 | 79200 | 0.6746 | 2,292 | 1126 | 0.8388 | |
| 92 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26400 | 40600 | 0.3495 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 93 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 2,082 | 1124 | 0.9576 | |
| 94 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 26700 | 36500 | 0.2687 | 7,747 | 1073 | 0.9617 | |
| 95 | St. Francis College | 26900 | 39400 | 0.3177 | 1,719 | 1035 | 1 | |
| 96 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 27100 | 63100 | 0.5701 | 1,495 | 1075 | 0.8761 | |
| 96 | William Peace University | 27100 | 50200 | 0.4607 | 778 | 1150 | 0.8633 | |
| 98 | Saginaw Valley State University | 27200 | 39800 | 0.3167 | 6,280 | 1050 | 0.7843 | |
| 99 | Cornell College | 27300 | 74800 | 0.6345 | 1,094 | 1243 | 0.799 | |
| 100 | Saint Norbert College | 27600 | 63000 | 0.5615 | 1,970 | 1193 | 0.8574 | |
| 101 | Roosevelt University | 28500 | 47600 | 0.4028 | 2,868 | 1049 | 0.9716 | |
| 102 | New York University | 28900 | 92100 | 0.6862 | 29,471 | 1520 | 0.0906 | |
| 103 | Jacksonville University | 29000 | 102400 | 0.7167 | 2,916 | 1210 | 0.5748 | |
| 104 | Belmont Abbey College | 29100 | 39000 | 0.2535 | 1,300 | 1094 | 0.7465 | |
| 105 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 29300 | 112100 | 0.7385 | 4,999 | 1258 | 0.9296 | |
| 106 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29400 | 34200 | 0.1402 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 107 | California Lutheran University | 29600 | 71700 | 0.5874 | 2,160 | 1218 | 0.7631 | |
| 107 | Southern Methodist University | 29600 | 97000 | 0.6948 | 7,545 | 1427 | 0.4764 | |
| 109 | University of Southern California | 29700 | 98300 | 0.698 | 20,768 | 1499 | 0.1119 | |
| 110 | Saint Ambrose University | 30500 | 57700 | 0.4717 | 1,884 | 1065 | 0.8006 | |
| 111 | University of Toledo | 30600 | 42000 | 0.2715 | 10,726 | 1134 | 0.8889 | |
| 112 | George Mason University | 30800 | 35700 | 0.1371 | 28,862 | 1271 | 0.8647 | |
| 112 | Southern Adventist University | 30800 | 49000 | 0.3712 | 2,946 | 1142 | 0.7163 | |
| 114 | Ohio Northern University | 31400 | 63500 | 0.5066 | 2,706 | 1203 | 0.7384 | |
| 115 | Chaminade University of Honolulu | 31900 | 78800 | 0.5952 | 1,732 | 1108 | 0.9117 | |
| 116 | Elon University | 32000 | 69900 | 0.5426 | 6,191 | 1283 | 0.6326 | |
| 117 | University of Scranton | 32300 | 78700 | 0.5893 | 3,689 | 1245 | 0.8006 | |
| 118 | McKendree University | 32400 | 52900 | 0.3868 | 1,757 | 1098 | 0.7172 | |
| 119 | Belmont University | 33200 | 72300 | 0.5399 | 7,174 | 1273 | 0.9367 | |
| 120 | Ferrum College | 33600 | 49500 | 0.3212 | 726 | 990 | 0.8898 | |
| 120 | Hamline University | 33600 | 70100 | 0.5205 | 1,852 | 1175 | 0.9013 | |
| 122 | Pace University | 33800 | 75700 | 0.5538 | 5,520 | 1273 | 0.7827 | |
| 123 | Drake University | 34000 | 68500 | 0.5032 | 2,504 | 1226 | 0.6494 | |
| 124 | DePaul University | 34200 | 69400 | 0.5069 | 14,338 | 1258 | 0.878 | |
| 124 | Lee University | 34200 | 39100 | 0.1253 | 3,425 | 1154 | 0.7138 | |
| 126 | George Washington University | 34400 | 81800 | 0.5796 | 11,495 | 1436 | 0.4713 | |
| 127 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,056 | 1183 | 0.8994 | |
| 128 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 35200 | 46500 | 0.2431 | 31,127 | 1115 | 0.8679 | |
| 129 | Auburn University | 35300 | 35300 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 129 | New York Institute of Technology | 35300 | 83600 | 0.5781 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 131 | Curry College | 35600 | 105900 | 0.6636 | 1,808 | 1140 | 0.8765 | |
| 131 | Rider University | 35600 | 60200 | 0.4088 | 3,052 | 1214 | 0.7741 | |
| 133 | Florida International University | 36500 | 36800 | 0.0081 | 46,249 | 1180 | 0.6085 | |
| 134 | University of Connecticut | 37000 | 66200 | 0.4414 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 135 | Hardin-Simmons University | 37200 | 49700 | 0.2514 | 1,291 | 1110 | 0.862 | |
| 136 | University of Southern Maine | 37500 | 37500 | 0 | 5,549 | 1139 | 0.8241 | |
| 137 | Xavier University | 37600 | 68100 | 0.4481 | 3,744 | 1286 | 0.848 | |
| 138 | University of Central Arkansas | 37900 | 40200 | 0.0595 | 8,238 | 1110 | 0.9157 | |
| 139 | University of St Thomas | 38000 | 74800 | 0.492 | 6,270 | 1299 | 0.8548 | |
| 140 | Cumberland University | 39100 | 47500 | 0.1769 | 2,745 | 1055 | 0.6733 | |
| 141 | Saint Vincent College | 39200 | 64600 | 0.3932 | 1,157 | 1140 | 0.7863 | |
| 141 | University of Charleston | 39200 | 51200 | 0.2342 | 2,348 | 1075 | 0.5975 | |
| 143 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 39300 | 40300 | 0.0248 | 26,213 | 1209 | 0.7778 | |
| 144 | Drexel University | 39600 | 86400 | 0.5417 | 12,318 | 1354 | 0.699 | |
| 144 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 39600 | 43200 | 0.0833 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 146 | Saint Anselm College | 39700 | 77000 | 0.4845 | 2,094 | 1195 | 0.7805 | |
| 147 | University of Wyoming | 39900 | 45300 | 0.1191 | 8,138 | 1163 | 0.9695 | |
| 148 | Susquehanna University | 41800 | 85600 | 0.5116 | 2,220 | 1199 | 0.7908 | |
| 149 | Old Dominion University | 42300 | 50500 | 0.1624 | 17,504 | 1205 | 0.9135 | |
| 150 | Bryant University | 42400 | 78500 | 0.46 | 3,511 | 1255 | 0.6484 | |
| 150 | Saint Louis University | 42400 | 84300 | 0.4968 | 9,331 | 1250 | 0.7499 | |
| 152 | Seattle University | 42500 | 85300 | 0.5016 | 4,370 | 1299 | 0.7313 | |
| 152 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 42500 | 63300 | 0.3285 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 154 | University of Florida | 43100 | 45700 | 0.0569 | 37,283 | 1406 | 0.2033 | |
| 155 | Arkansas State University | 43200 | 44600 | 0.0314 | 11,189 | 1080 | 0.7818 | |
| 156 | LeTourneau University | 44600 | 57300 | 0.2215 | 2,903 | 1242 | 0.4879 | |
| 157 | Oregon State University | 44800 | 61900 | 0.2758 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 158 | Duquesne University | 45100 | 70500 | 0.3602 | 5,382 | 1252 | 0.8639 | |
| 159 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 47100 | 61500 | 0.234 | 37,985 | 1390 | 0.5815 | |
| 160 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48300 | 51200 | 0.0565 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 161 | Stevens Institute of Technology | 48800 | 86200 | 0.434 | 4,206 | 1430 | 0.5068 | |
| 162 | Rutgers University-Newark | 49500 | 61200 | 0.1911 | 7,989 | 1159 | 0.7136 | |
| 163 | Manhattan University | 51200 | 72000 | 0.289 | 2,378 | 1174 | 0.8216 | |
| 164 | University of Utah | 51300 | 53700 | 0.0446 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 165 | University of Iowa | 52000 | 54400 | 0.044 | 23,407 | 1203 | 0.799 | |
| 166 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 53200 | 53300 | 0.0019 | 34,447 | 1273 | 0.8804 | |
| 167 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 55000 | 67500 | 0.1853 | 15,552 | 1174 | 0.8298 | |
| 168 | The University of Alabama | 57500 | 58500 | 0.0171 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 169 | Hofstra University | 59100 | 83300 | 0.2906 | 6,599 | 1369 | 0.7267 | |
| 170 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 59200 | 61600 | 0.0389 | 25,141 | 1256 | 0.7613 | |
| 171 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 60300 | 60300 | 0 | 504 | 1200 | 0.9095 | |
| 172 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 60600 | 67600 | 0.1035 | 40,996 | 1399 | 0.4175 | |
| 173 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60800 | 63700 | 0.0455 | 1,078 | 1217 | 0.9646 | |
| 174 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | 61500 | 68000 | 0.0956 | 5,753 | 1195 | 0.864 | |
| 175 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 64000 | 64000 | 0 | 475 | 1195 | 0.9418 | |
| 175 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | 64000 | 64000 | 0 | 3,211 | 1243 | 0.9594 | |
| 177 | Mercyhurst University | 66000 | 68000 | 0.0294 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 | |
| 178 | Loyola Marymount University | 67800 | 100200 | 0.3232 | 7,187 | 1347 | 0.4821 | |
| 179 | Stonehill College | 68500 | 76100 | 0.0999 | 2,569 | 1150 | 0.6628 | |
| 180 | The Catholic University of America | 82500 | 82500 | 0 | 3,294 | 1229 | 0.7328 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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