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 | 32,952 | 1374 | 0.6778 | |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania | 8100 | 92900 | 0.913 | 10,013 | 1528 | 0.054 | |
| 3 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 8200 | 90000 | 0.9093 | 4,580 | 1542 | 0.0455 | |
| 4 | Emory University | 8300 | 92500 | 0.9103 | 7,407 | 1499 | 0.1029 | |
| 5 | Rice University | 8600 | 89100 | 0.9038 | 4,789 | 1535 | 0.08 | |
| 6 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9500 | 36900 | 0.7427 | 3,207 | 1060 | 0.8034 | |
| 7 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 10400 | 25000 | 0.5832 | 31,127 | 1115 | 0.8679 | |
| 8 | University of Notre Dame | 10600 | 86200 | 0.8775 | 8,880 | 1471 | 0.1127 | |
| 9 | University of California-Merced | 11100 | 39600 | 0.7189 | 8,372 | 1070 | 0.9152 | |
| 10 | University of California-San Diego | 11300 | 39700 | 0.7152 | 34,955 | 1375 | 0.2677 | |
| 11 | Utah State University | 11500 | 28500 | 0.5964 | 25,920 | 1176 | 0.9247 | |
| 12 | Eastern Washington University | 11600 | 31200 | 0.6283 | 6,951 | 1055 | 0.9437 | |
| 12 | Felician University | 11600 | 58700 | 0.8025 | 1,870 | 1005 | 0.9511 | |
| 14 | University of Houston | 12000 | 28400 | 0.5781 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 15 | Georgetown University | 12100 | 92700 | 0.8694 | 7,833 | 1457 | 0.1291 | |
| 16 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 12200 | 41900 | 0.7083 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 17 | Wake Forest University | 12400 | 91900 | 0.8647 | 5,490 | 1469 | 0.2167 | |
| 18 | Indiana State University | 12500 | 31200 | 0.6 | 6,224 | 1140 | 0.8077 | |
| 19 | Northern Illinois University | 13200 | 29000 | 0.5435 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 19 | University of North Alabama | 13200 | 30800 | 0.5707 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 21 | The University of Texas at Dallas | 13300 | 18700 | 0.2891 | 21,858 | 1283 | 0.6513 | |
| 22 | Arkansas Tech University | 14000 | 35900 | 0.6093 | 8,145 | 1035 | 0.9589 | |
| 22 | University of Illinois Chicago | 14000 | 30400 | 0.5387 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 24 | Washburn University | 14100 | 24000 | 0.412 | 5,331 | 1095 | 1 | |
| 25 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 14400 | 28000 | 0.4854 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 26 | Trinity University | 14500 | 65800 | 0.7793 | 2,518 | 1402 | 0.2592 | |
| 27 | Bucknell University | 14700 | 94800 | 0.8448 | 3,920 | 1284 | 0.2893 | |
| 28 | Troy University | 15100 | 32600 | 0.5365 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 29 | Ball State University | 15500 | 22400 | 0.3085 | 15,189 | 1170 | 0.855 | |
| 30 | University of St Francis | 15600 | 71700 | 0.7818 | 1,338 | 1030 | 0.653 | |
| 31 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 16100 | 23200 | 0.306 | 19,888 | 1209 | 0.8517 | |
| 32 | University of Florida | 16200 | 22500 | 0.2799 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 33 | Eastern Illinois University | 16400 | 27500 | 0.4024 | 6,785 | 990 | 0.6535 | |
| 33 | Lewis University | 16400 | 57700 | 0.7155 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7128 | |
| 35 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 16600 | 22300 | 0.2554 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 36 | Weber State University | 17300 | 41300 | 0.5806 | 31,672 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 37 | Mid-America Christian University | 17400 | 36800 | 0.5276 | 1,636 | 0 | 0 | |
| 37 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 17400 | 26300 | 0.3363 | 19,701 | 1214 | 0.8749 | |
| 39 | Bridgewater State University | 17500 | 34800 | 0.497 | 8,172 | 1135 | 0.8919 | |
| 40 | Boston College | 17800 | 96200 | 0.8146 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 40 | Holy Family University | 17800 | 56400 | 0.6848 | 2,650 | 1030 | 0.7104 | |
| 40 | University of Arkansas | 17800 | 27700 | 0.3585 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.7431 | |
| 43 | Quincy University | 18000 | 68100 | 0.7351 | 1,072 | 1115 | 0.5093 | |
| 44 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 18100 | 36500 | 0.5044 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 45 | Lee University | 18500 | 37400 | 0.5057 | 3,271 | 1154 | 0.7052 | |
| 46 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 18600 | 42800 | 0.5648 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 47 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 18700 | 43800 | 0.5725 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 48 | Salem State University | 19300 | 35100 | 0.4499 | 4,853 | 1100 | 0.9557 | |
| 49 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 19600 | 78700 | 0.751 | 17,901 | 1470 | 0.1681 | |
| 50 | La Roche University | 19700 | 66200 | 0.7028 | 755 | 1069 | 0.7016 | |
| 50 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 19700 | 38100 | 0.483 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 50 | Piedmont University | 19700 | 47200 | 0.5826 | 1,159 | 1130 | 0.9328 | |
| 53 | Illinois College | 19800 | 55200 | 0.642 | 940 | 1054 | 0.7819 | |
| 54 | University of Southern California | 20000 | 75800 | 0.7365 | 20,630 | 1492 | 0.0981 | |
| 55 | Bradley University | 20100 | 48500 | 0.5849 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 55 | Texas Wesleyan University | 20100 | 71100 | 0.7173 | 1,910 | 1050 | 0.6239 | |
| 57 | Stetson University | 20300 | 79100 | 0.7437 | 2,349 | 1114 | 0.716 | |
| 57 | University of Rochester | 20300 | 93100 | 0.7822 | 6,580 | 1469 | 0.4008 | |
| 59 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 20600 | 45200 | 0.5447 | 624 | 1115 | 0.9664 | |
| 59 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20600 | 38200 | 0.4606 | 11,365 | 1216 | 0.8816 | |
| 61 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27100 | 0.2285 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 61 | University of Northern Iowa | 20900 | 24000 | 0.1305 | 7,716 | 1115 | 0.8713 | |
| 63 | Hamline University | 21400 | 56500 | 0.6207 | 1,716 | 1186 | 0.8983 | |
| 64 | University of Montevallo | 21500 | 53500 | 0.5979 | 2,545 | 1124 | 0.539 | |
| 65 | Sterling College | 22200 | 73100 | 0.6958 | 670 | 1090 | 0.8916 | |
| 66 | Newman University | 22300 | 54000 | 0.5868 | 2,398 | 1090 | 0.4761 | |
| 67 | Farmingdale State College | 22400 | 37800 | 0.4069 | 10,007 | 1145 | 0.6329 | |
| 68 | Saint Norbert College | 22500 | 63800 | 0.6471 | 1,970 | 1193 | 0.8574 | |
| 69 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22800 | 58100 | 0.608 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 70 | Ouachita Baptist University | 22900 | 65200 | 0.6485 | 1,729 | 1209 | 0.6752 | |
| 70 | University of South Dakota | 22900 | 26000 | 0.1205 | 7,619 | 1120 | 0.9878 | |
| 72 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 23200 | 45200 | 0.4871 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 72 | Saint Ambrose University | 23200 | 55400 | 0.5809 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 74 | New York University | 23600 | 91800 | 0.7427 | 29,060 | 1520 | 0.0923 | |
| 75 | Wittenberg University | 23900 | 65400 | 0.6345 | 1,288 | 1145 | 0.9104 | |
| 76 | The University of Findlay | 24600 | 50600 | 0.5134 | 3,954 | 1124 | 0.8615 | |
| 77 | Augustana College | 24800 | 72800 | 0.6587 | 2,522 | 1163 | 0.6277 | |
| 78 | Illinois State University | 25000 | 35200 | 0.2894 | 19,107 | 1115 | 0.8815 | |
| 79 | Northwood University | 25200 | 54500 | 0.5381 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 80 | University of Kansas | 25300 | 39900 | 0.3647 | 22,085 | 1176 | 0.9348 | |
| 81 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 25500 | 47400 | 0.4623 | 2,371 | 1189 | 0.9808 | |
| 82 | Walla Walla University | 25700 | 51700 | 0.5031 | 1,238 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 83 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 25900 | 59900 | 0.5675 | 34,242 | 1273 | 0.7333 | |
| 83 | Otterbein University | 25900 | 66800 | 0.6121 | 2,211 | 1114 | 0.8452 | |
| 85 | Saginaw Valley State University | 26000 | 38900 | 0.3329 | 6,152 | 1050 | 0.7207 | |
| 86 | Grand Valley State University | 26200 | 36300 | 0.2786 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 86 | Iowa State University | 26200 | 42800 | 0.3878 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 88 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 26300 | 43000 | 0.388 | 5,789 | 1060 | 0.5774 | |
| 89 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 90 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 27300 | 47900 | 0.4298 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 91 | Cornell College | 27500 | 74800 | 0.6322 | 1,085 | 1243 | 0.8066 | |
| 92 | Creighton University | 28000 | 65300 | 0.5709 | 4,647 | 1328 | 0.7975 | |
| 92 | Faulkner University | 28000 | 51500 | 0.4563 | 1,793 | 1035 | 0.6613 | |
| 94 | California Lutheran University | 28100 | 70000 | 0.5988 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 95 | Roosevelt University | 28600 | 47600 | 0.4003 | 2,605 | 995 | 0.9427 | |
| 96 | Jacksonville University | 28900 | 88700 | 0.674 | 2,946 | 1195 | 0.5696 | |
| 97 | University of Iowa | 29000 | 31100 | 0.0686 | 22,738 | 1208 | 0.8362 | |
| 98 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 33900 | 0.1358 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 99 | Ferrum College | 29400 | 49500 | 0.4069 | 747 | 990 | 1 | |
| 100 | William Peace University | 29700 | 50200 | 0.4087 | 722 | 1170 | 0.9425 | |
| 101 | Southern Methodist University | 29800 | 83200 | 0.6422 | 7,285 | 1423 | 0.6335 | |
| 101 | York College of Pennsylvania | 29800 | 45800 | 0.3496 | 3,308 | 1140 | 0.942 | |
| 103 | Southern Adventist University | 29900 | 46900 | 0.3634 | 2,827 | 1112 | 0.6661 | |
| 104 | New Jersey City University | 31600 | 39800 | 0.2062 | 4,209 | 1015 | 0.8918 | |
| 104 | Ohio Northern University | 31600 | 63500 | 0.5025 | 2,706 | 1203 | 0.7887 | |
| 106 | Chaminade University of Honolulu | 31700 | 66800 | 0.5257 | 1,817 | 1055 | 0.5187 | |
| 107 | DePaul University | 32000 | 67100 | 0.5231 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 107 | McKendree University | 32000 | 52200 | 0.3869 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 107 | Rider University | 32000 | 60600 | 0.472 | 3,196 | 1214 | 0.794 | |
| 110 | Manhattan University | 32200 | 72500 | 0.5559 | 2,928 | 1248 | 0.785 | |
| 111 | Belmont University | 32500 | 69900 | 0.5359 | 7,167 | 1273 | 0.9528 | |
| 111 | University of Scranton | 32500 | 78700 | 0.5872 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.8029 | |
| 113 | Suffolk University | 32600 | 69700 | 0.5326 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 114 | Southern New Hampshire University | 33000 | 52800 | 0.3751 | 2,615 | 965 | 0.8443 | |
| 115 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 116 | Drake University | 33800 | 68500 | 0.5068 | 2,585 | 1226 | 0.6385 | |
| 117 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54800 | 0.378 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 117 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 34100 | 58500 | 0.4177 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 117 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 34100 | 36100 | 0.0554 | 33,572 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 120 | Pace University | 34600 | 74800 | 0.5373 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 121 | Hofstra University | 34700 | 77000 | 0.5492 | 6,581 | 1323 | 0.6808 | |
| 122 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,123 | 1208 | 0.8934 | |
| 123 | Hardin-Simmons University | 35900 | 49700 | 0.2776 | 1,291 | 1110 | 0.862 | |
| 124 | University of Central Arkansas | 36200 | 38400 | 0.0556 | 8,268 | 1124 | 0.8949 | |
| 125 | Florida International University | 36500 | 36800 | 0.0081 | 44,904 | 1175 | 0.5466 | |
| 125 | Seattle University | 36500 | 74600 | 0.5105 | 4,103 | 1243 | 0.7703 | |
| 127 | Lasell University | 37100 | 48500 | 0.2349 | 1,293 | 1212 | 0.927 | |
| 128 | University of Connecticut | 37300 | 43900 | 0.1505 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 129 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 66500 | 0.4373 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5499 | |
| 130 | University of Southern Maine | 37500 | 37500 | 0 | 5,525 | 1129 | 0.8699 | |
| 130 | Xavier University | 37500 | 67500 | 0.4445 | 4,239 | 1218 | 0.8669 | |
| 132 | Elon University | 38800 | 58200 | 0.3332 | 6,452 | 1244 | 0.6635 | |
| 133 | University of Charleston | 39200 | 51200 | 0.2342 | 2,087 | 1075 | 0.6458 | |
| 134 | Cumberland University | 39300 | 47500 | 0.1714 | 2,652 | 1125 | 0.67 | |
| 135 | Rutgers University-Newark | 40200 | 60500 | 0.3358 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 135 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 40200 | 92400 | 0.5648 | 5,044 | 1274 | 0.8883 | |
| 135 | University of Wyoming | 40200 | 45300 | 0.1134 | 8,130 | 1159 | 0.9688 | |
| 138 | Arkansas State University | 40300 | 40800 | 0.012 | 9,985 | 1075 | 0.7959 | |
| 139 | Saint Vincent College | 41400 | 64600 | 0.3582 | 1,284 | 0 | 0.6173 | |
| 140 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 41500 | 47200 | 0.1206 | 65,450 | 1203 | 0.8989 | |
| 141 | Old Dominion University | 42300 | 47700 | 0.1132 | 17,746 | 1205 | 0.9036 | |
| 142 | Susquehanna University | 42400 | 76800 | 0.4481 | 2,185 | 1204 | 0.7871 | |
| 142 | Western Washington University | 42400 | 51500 | 0.1769 | 13,752 | 1218 | 0.9325 | |
| 144 | Bryant University | 42500 | 76200 | 0.4424 | 3,200 | 1265 | 0.6546 | |
| 145 | Mercyhurst University | 43800 | 66400 | 0.3405 | 2,274 | 1189 | 0.8102 | |
| 146 | Saint Louis University | 44600 | 80900 | 0.4485 | 10,436 | 1260 | 0.7504 | |
| 147 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2745 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 148 | Duquesne University | 45400 | 70500 | 0.3565 | 5,371 | 1270 | 0.8356 | |
| 149 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48600 | 51200 | 0.0514 | 44,170 | 1327 | 0.4979 | |
| 150 | Drexel University | 48800 | 83800 | 0.4176 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 151 | Stevens Institute of Technology | 49400 | 85800 | 0.4242 | 4,236 | 1445 | 0.4758 | |
| 152 | University of Portland | 50800 | 84800 | 0.401 | 2,986 | 1277 | 0.8917 | |
| 153 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.0398 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 154 | George Mason University | 53600 | 61000 | 0.1213 | 28,331 | 1268 | 0.8748 | |
| 155 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 54100 | 59200 | 0.0867 | 24,457 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 156 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 57000 | 66500 | 0.1429 | 14,657 | 1183 | 0.8368 | |
| 157 | The University of Alabama | 57100 | 57100 | 0 | 34,389 | 1233 | 0.7665 | |
| 158 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 58100 | 66100 | 0.121 | 40,754 | 1391 | 0.3915 | |
| 159 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.0921 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 160 | Auburn University | 58700 | 58700 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 161 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 60600 | 63200 | 0.0411 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 162 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60800 | 64100 | 0.0514 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 163 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | 61200 | 66400 | 0.0784 | 5,472 | 1159 | 0.906 | |
| 164 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | 63900 | 63900 | 0 | 3,244 | 1224 | 0.9683 | |
| 165 | University of California-Davis | 69800 | 69800 | 0 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 166 | Stonehill College | 70600 | 70600 | 0 | 2,515 | 1245 | 0.7256 | |
| 167 | Loyola Marymount University | 74700 | 95600 | 0.2187 | 7,273 | 1353 | 0.4508 | |
| 168 | The Catholic University of America | 76300 | 82500 | 0.0751 | 3,177 | 1155 | 0.8278 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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