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 | Brigham Young University | 8000 | 22000 | 0.6362 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 8200 | 90000 | 0.9093 | 4,561 | 1542 | 0.0456 | |
| 3 | Emory University | 8400 | 92500 | 0.9091 | 7,320 | 1499 | 0.103 | |
| 4 | Utah State University | 9700 | 26700 | 0.6361 | 26,629 | 1168 | 0.9212 | |
| 5 | Rice University | 9800 | 89100 | 0.8903 | 4,807 | 1528 | 0.0801 | |
| 5 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9800 | 20400 | 0.5201 | 3,224 | 1085 | 0.7643 | |
| 7 | University of Notre Dame | 10800 | 86200 | 0.8752 | 8,950 | 1497 | 0.0938 | |
| 8 | Georgetown University | 11100 | 92700 | 0.8803 | 7,908 | 1470 | 0.1349 | |
| 9 | Bucknell University | 11200 | 95700 | 0.8834 | 3,928 | 1275 | 0.322 | |
| 10 | Eastern Washington University | 11500 | 31200 | 0.6315 | 7,640 | 1045 | 0.8526 | |
| 11 | Wake Forest University | 11900 | 91900 | 0.8701 | 5,595 | 1463 | 0.2076 | |
| 12 | University of Houston | 12000 | 28400 | 0.5781 | 40,366 | 1224 | 0.7577 | |
| 12 | University of Pennsylvania | 12000 | 92900 | 0.8708 | 9,989 | 1535 | 0.0492 | |
| 14 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 15 | Eastern Illinois University | 12700 | 24300 | 0.4766 | 6,731 | 1020 | 0.7073 | |
| 16 | The University of Texas at Dallas | 13600 | 19400 | 0.2988 | 23,007 | 1281 | 0.6909 | |
| 16 | Trinity University | 13600 | 69600 | 0.805 | 2,423 | 1408 | 0.2488 | |
| 18 | University of California-Merced | 14000 | 41900 | 0.666 | 8,234 | 1070 | 0.9704 | |
| 19 | Arkansas Tech University | 14300 | 34400 | 0.5844 | 8,279 | 1055 | 0.9747 | |
| 19 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 21 | Troy University | 15400 | 26700 | 0.4231 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 22 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 15800 | 38500 | 0.5888 | 38,572 | 1455 | 0.3659 | |
| 23 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 16000 | 44500 | 0.64 | 308 | 1144 | 0.9053 | |
| 23 | Weber State University | 16000 | 23600 | 0.3216 | 31,672 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 25 | University of Florida | 16300 | 22500 | 0.2755 | 37,283 | 1406 | 0.2033 | |
| 26 | Arkansas State University | 16500 | 28100 | 0.413 | 11,189 | 1080 | 0.7818 | |
| 27 | William Carey University | 17100 | 33500 | 0.4902 | 3,052 | 1120 | 0.6029 | |
| 28 | Mid-America Christian University | 17200 | 36800 | 0.533 | 1,806 | 970 | 0.9176 | |
| 29 | University of St Francis | 17300 | 57200 | 0.6975 | 1,416 | 1030 | 0.6528 | |
| 30 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 17700 | 43500 | 0.5926 | 586 | 1140 | 0.9577 | |
| 30 | University of Miami | 17700 | 95700 | 0.8149 | 13,241 | 1408 | 0.1761 | |
| 32 | Boston College | 17800 | 97600 | 0.8174 | 9,677 | 1484 | 0.1422 | |
| 33 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 18000 | 39000 | 0.5381 | 37,985 | 1390 | 0.5815 | |
| 34 | Holy Family University | 18400 | 56200 | 0.6732 | 2,808 | 975 | 0.7456 | |
| 35 | Grand Canyon University | 18900 | 33700 | 0.4392 | 75,936 | 1075 | 0.7891 | |
| 35 | Quincy University | 18900 | 57900 | 0.6733 | 1,096 | 1115 | 0.551 | |
| 37 | Alma College | 19000 | 64800 | 0.707 | 1,198 | 1040 | 0.6569 | |
| 38 | Stetson University | 19400 | 79100 | 0.7551 | 2,414 | 1089 | 0.7167 | |
| 39 | Ouachita Baptist University | 19500 | 58200 | 0.6651 | 1,715 | 1193 | 0.7072 | |
| 39 | Rutgers University-Newark | 19500 | 38000 | 0.4866 | 7,989 | 1159 | 0.7136 | |
| 41 | Lee University | 19600 | 37400 | 0.4762 | 3,425 | 1154 | 0.7138 | |
| 41 | Norwich University | 19600 | 73800 | 0.7342 | 2,626 | 1186 | 0.7444 | |
| 43 | Illinois College | 19700 | 55200 | 0.6439 | 1,008 | 1059 | 0.7494 | |
| 43 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 19700 | 78600 | 0.7492 | 17,848 | 1470 | 0.1565 | |
| 45 | University of Southern California | 20000 | 75900 | 0.7369 | 20,768 | 1499 | 0.1119 | |
| 46 | University of Rochester | 20100 | 93100 | 0.7843 | 6,096 | 1448 | 0.4191 | |
| 46 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 20100 | 45200 | 0.5559 | 31,536 | 1366 | 0.5457 | |
| 48 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20400 | 23200 | 0.1207 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 49 | University of Northern Iowa | 20500 | 24800 | 0.1733 | 7,800 | 1115 | 0.9313 | |
| 50 | University of Montevallo | 20600 | 30300 | 0.3202 | 2,643 | 1124 | 0.5385 | |
| 51 | Piedmont University | 20700 | 47200 | 0.5614 | 1,154 | 1080 | 0.9054 | |
| 51 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.326 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 53 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 20900 | 27600 | 0.2431 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 54 | Bradley University | 21700 | 49900 | 0.5642 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 54 | La Roche University | 21700 | 72600 | 0.7014 | 1,972 | 990 | 0.6638 | |
| 56 | Grand Valley State University | 22100 | 35900 | 0.3849 | 19,154 | 1074 | 0.9271 | |
| 57 | Sterling College | 22200 | 77400 | 0.7129 | 649 | 1103 | 0.8759 | |
| 58 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22400 | 53000 | 0.5768 | 1,495 | 1075 | 0.8761 | |
| 58 | New York University | 22400 | 91800 | 0.7556 | 29,471 | 1520 | 0.0906 | |
| 60 | University of South Dakota | 22700 | 26000 | 0.1265 | 7,515 | 1120 | 0.9884 | |
| 61 | Newman University | 22800 | 55800 | 0.5917 | 2,529 | 1069 | 0.7398 | |
| 62 | Faulkner University | 23100 | 40600 | 0.4315 | 1,758 | 1025 | 0.7307 | |
| 63 | York College of Pennsylvania | 23400 | 45800 | 0.4895 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 64 | Hamline University | 23500 | 56500 | 0.5836 | 1,852 | 1175 | 0.9013 | |
| 64 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 23500 | 38200 | 0.3846 | 2,280 | 1224 | 0.9675 | |
| 66 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 23600 | 90700 | 0.7398 | 8,727 | 1055 | 0.9703 | |
| 66 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 23600 | 24900 | 0.0522 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 68 | Florida International University | 23700 | 23700 | 0 | 46,249 | 1180 | 0.6085 | |
| 69 | Saint Norbert College | 23900 | 63800 | 0.6252 | 1,970 | 1193 | 0.8574 | |
| 70 | Texas Wesleyan University | 24000 | 64500 | 0.6278 | 1,796 | 1060 | 0.6916 | |
| 71 | Saint Ambrose University | 24100 | 55400 | 0.5646 | 1,884 | 1065 | 0.8006 | |
| 72 | Indiana State University | 24200 | 32400 | 0.2532 | 6,352 | 1015 | 0.9157 | |
| 72 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | 24200 | 41300 | 0.4141 | 3,211 | 1243 | 0.9594 | |
| 72 | University of Kansas | 24200 | 37600 | 0.3583 | 22,544 | 1176 | 0.9258 | |
| 75 | Augustana College | 24700 | 72800 | 0.6602 | 2,536 | 1157 | 0.6628 | |
| 76 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 25000 | 45900 | 0.4557 | 504 | 1200 | 0.9095 | |
| 77 | Illinois State University | 25100 | 36400 | 0.3118 | 19,513 | 1115 | 0.8555 | |
| 77 | Lewis University | 25100 | 57700 | 0.5649 | 4,914 | 1127 | 0.6916 | |
| 79 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 25200 | 31100 | 0.1896 | 19,787 | 1197 | 0.8807 | |
| 80 | Saint Leo University | 25300 | 50000 | 0.4938 | 7,519 | 1110 | 0.7877 | |
| 80 | University of Dayton | 25300 | 64200 | 0.606 | 7,252 | 1319 | 0.6659 | |
| 82 | The University of Findlay | 25400 | 50600 | 0.4976 | 4,132 | 1090 | 0.6748 | |
| 83 | Ball State University | 25500 | 25500 | 0 | 15,950 | 1185 | 0.8625 | |
| 84 | Walla Walla University | 25600 | 51700 | 0.5047 | 1,314 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 85 | Otterbein University | 25800 | 57300 | 0.5497 | 2,292 | 1126 | 0.8388 | |
| 86 | Iowa State University | 26000 | 42800 | 0.3914 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 86 | Salem State University | 26000 | 43200 | 0.3984 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 88 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 2,082 | 1124 | 0.9576 | |
| 89 | University of Arkansas | 26600 | 28900 | 0.0793 | 29,252 | 1179 | 0.7388 | |
| 90 | Northwood University | 26800 | 54500 | 0.5087 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 91 | St. Francis College | 26900 | 39400 | 0.3177 | 1,719 | 1035 | 1 | |
| 91 | University of Central Arkansas | 26900 | 31200 | 0.1373 | 8,238 | 1110 | 0.9157 | |
| 93 | Saginaw Valley State University | 27300 | 39800 | 0.314 | 6,280 | 1050 | 0.7843 | |
| 93 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 27300 | 36500 | 0.2522 | 7,747 | 1073 | 0.9617 | |
| 95 | Cornell College | 27400 | 74800 | 0.6336 | 1,094 | 1243 | 0.799 | |
| 95 | University of North Alabama | 27400 | 37300 | 0.2655 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 97 | Creighton University | 27600 | 68000 | 0.5944 | 4,833 | 1328 | 0.9216 | |
| 98 | Bridgewater State University | 28000 | 35500 | 0.2113 | 8,849 | 1143 | 0.8798 | |
| 99 | Roosevelt University | 28500 | 47600 | 0.4017 | 2,868 | 1049 | 0.9716 | |
| 100 | University of Utah | 28700 | 32000 | 0.1028 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 101 | Oregon State University | 28800 | 36700 | 0.2153 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 102 | Southern Adventist University | 29700 | 46900 | 0.3666 | 2,946 | 1142 | 0.7163 | |
| 102 | Southern Methodist University | 29700 | 90100 | 0.6703 | 7,545 | 1427 | 0.4764 | |
| 102 | William Peace University | 29700 | 50200 | 0.409 | 778 | 1150 | 0.8633 | |
| 105 | University of Toledo | 30700 | 42000 | 0.269 | 10,726 | 1134 | 0.8889 | |
| 106 | Jacksonville University | 30800 | 74200 | 0.5847 | 2,916 | 1210 | 0.5748 | |
| 106 | Wheaton College | 30800 | 84800 | 0.6366 | 2,181 | 1357 | 0.8491 | |
| 108 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 31000 | 77600 | 0.6003 | 4,999 | 1258 | 0.9296 | |
| 109 | Rider University | 31400 | 60600 | 0.4816 | 3,052 | 1214 | 0.7741 | |
| 110 | Ohio Northern University | 31500 | 63500 | 0.505 | 2,706 | 1203 | 0.7384 | |
| 111 | Farmingdale State College | 31700 | 37800 | 0.1612 | 10,062 | 1125 | 0.6166 | |
| 112 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 32200 | 40900 | 0.2127 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 113 | Belmont University | 32400 | 69900 | 0.5372 | 7,174 | 1273 | 0.9367 | |
| 113 | University of Scranton | 32400 | 78700 | 0.5879 | 3,689 | 1245 | 0.8006 | |
| 115 | McKendree University | 32500 | 52900 | 0.3848 | 1,757 | 1098 | 0.7172 | |
| 116 | Belmont Abbey College | 33200 | 38000 | 0.1264 | 1,300 | 1094 | 0.7465 | |
| 117 | Drake University | 33600 | 68500 | 0.5091 | 2,504 | 1226 | 0.6494 | |
| 118 | Ferrum College | 33700 | 49500 | 0.3191 | 726 | 990 | 0.8898 | |
| 118 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,495 | 1436 | 0.4713 | |
| 120 | University of St Thomas | 34200 | 70300 | 0.5138 | 6,270 | 1299 | 0.8548 | |
| 121 | Washburn University | 34300 | 38400 | 0.1067 | 5,427 | 1048 | 1 | |
| 122 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,056 | 1183 | 0.8994 | |
| 123 | California Lutheran University | 35200 | 70000 | 0.4973 | 2,160 | 1218 | 0.7631 | |
| 124 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 35300 | 61100 | 0.4223 | 653 | 1145 | 0.7972 | |
| 125 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.577 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 126 | New Jersey City University | 35600 | 39800 | 0.1056 | 3,871 | 1015 | 0.9838 | |
| 127 | Curry College | 35700 | 105900 | 0.6626 | 1,808 | 1140 | 0.8765 | |
| 128 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 35900 | 47500 | 0.2444 | 8,513 | 1160 | 0.9261 | |
| 129 | Hofstra University | 36400 | 76900 | 0.5266 | 6,599 | 1369 | 0.7267 | |
| 130 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 36900 | 37100 | 0.0054 | 5,939 | 1065 | 0.5878 | |
| 131 | University of Connecticut | 37100 | 53600 | 0.3081 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 132 | Hardin-Simmons University | 37200 | 49700 | 0.2514 | 1,291 | 1110 | 0.862 | |
| 133 | Chaminade University of Honolulu | 37500 | 57100 | 0.3435 | 1,732 | 1108 | 0.9117 | |
| 133 | University of Southern Maine | 37500 | 37500 | 0 | 5,549 | 1139 | 0.8241 | |
| 135 | DePaul University | 37800 | 66000 | 0.4275 | 14,338 | 1258 | 0.878 | |
| 136 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 38100 | 38100 | 0 | 2,710 | 1218 | 0.9374 | |
| 137 | University of Illinois Chicago | 38200 | 50600 | 0.2451 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 138 | LeTourneau University | 38400 | 54800 | 0.2995 | 2,903 | 1242 | 0.4879 | |
| 138 | Xavier University | 38400 | 68100 | 0.4364 | 3,744 | 1286 | 0.848 | |
| 140 | Manhattan University | 38900 | 74100 | 0.4749 | 2,378 | 1174 | 0.8216 | |
| 140 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 38900 | 50300 | 0.2268 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 142 | Cumberland University | 39200 | 47500 | 0.1747 | 2,745 | 1055 | 0.6733 | |
| 142 | University of Charleston | 39200 | 51200 | 0.2342 | 2,348 | 1075 | 0.5975 | |
| 144 | Saint Vincent College | 39300 | 64600 | 0.3916 | 1,157 | 1140 | 0.7863 | |
| 145 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 39600 | 39800 | 0.005 | 26,213 | 1209 | 0.7778 | |
| 146 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 39700 | 50000 | 0.2062 | 35,248 | 1289 | 0.6939 | |
| 147 | Saint Anselm College | 39800 | 73700 | 0.4599 | 2,094 | 1195 | 0.7805 | |
| 148 | University of Wyoming | 40000 | 45300 | 0.1168 | 8,138 | 1163 | 0.9695 | |
| 149 | Pace University | 40500 | 74800 | 0.4585 | 5,520 | 1273 | 0.7827 | |
| 150 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 40600 | 47500 | 0.1453 | 31,127 | 1115 | 0.8679 | |
| 151 | Western Washington University | 41000 | 51500 | 0.2041 | 13,609 | 1199 | 0.9371 | |
| 152 | Susquehanna University | 42000 | 76800 | 0.4533 | 2,220 | 1199 | 0.7908 | |
| 153 | Old Dominion University | 42300 | 47700 | 0.1132 | 17,504 | 1205 | 0.9135 | |
| 154 | Bryant University | 42500 | 75900 | 0.4398 | 3,511 | 1255 | 0.6484 | |
| 154 | Seattle University | 42500 | 85300 | 0.5016 | 4,370 | 1299 | 0.7313 | |
| 156 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 42600 | 56200 | 0.2421 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 157 | University of Maryland-College Park | 43000 | 53600 | 0.1979 | 31,875 | 1456 | 0.4503 | |
| 158 | Duquesne University | 45200 | 70500 | 0.3587 | 5,382 | 1252 | 0.8639 | |
| 159 | University of California-San Diego | 45900 | 77200 | 0.4055 | 35,442 | 1375 | 0.2856 | |
| 160 | Drexel University | 47700 | 83900 | 0.4315 | 12,318 | 1354 | 0.699 | |
| 161 | Saint Louis University | 48600 | 80900 | 0.399 | 9,331 | 1250 | 0.7499 | |
| 162 | Stevens Institute of Technology | 49500 | 85800 | 0.4229 | 4,206 | 1430 | 0.5068 | |
| 163 | University of Iowa | 52100 | 54400 | 0.0421 | 23,407 | 1203 | 0.799 | |
| 164 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 53300 | 53300 | 0 | 34,447 | 1273 | 0.8804 | |
| 165 | George Mason University | 53400 | 61000 | 0.1246 | 28,862 | 1271 | 0.8647 | |
| 166 | Elon University | 55200 | 68900 | 0.199 | 6,191 | 1283 | 0.6326 | |
| 167 | The University of Alabama | 55700 | 58500 | 0.0478 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 168 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 56000 | 66400 | 0.1567 | 15,552 | 1174 | 0.8298 | |
| 169 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 58100 | 63200 | 0.0806 | 40,996 | 1399 | 0.4175 | |
| 170 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.092 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 171 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 172 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 59300 | 61600 | 0.0372 | 25,141 | 1256 | 0.7613 | |
| 173 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60700 | 64100 | 0.053 | 1,078 | 1217 | 0.9646 | |
| 174 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | 61600 | 66000 | 0.0667 | 5,753 | 1195 | 0.864 | |
| 175 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 63900 | 63900 | 0 | 475 | 1195 | 0.9418 | |
| 176 | Mercyhurst University | 66000 | 68000 | 0.0294 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 | |
| 177 | University of California-Davis | 68400 | 69800 | 0.0201 | 31,695 | 1290 | 0.4435 | |
| 178 | Stonehill College | 68500 | 70600 | 0.0297 | 2,569 | 1150 | 0.6628 | |
| 179 | Loyola Marymount University | 77700 | 95500 | 0.1863 | 7,187 | 1347 | 0.4821 | |
| 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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