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 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 9000 | 30000 | 0.6998 | 40,754 | 1391 | 0.3915 | |
| 7 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9500 | 36900 | 0.7427 | 3,207 | 1060 | 0.8034 | |
| 8 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 10400 | 25000 | 0.5832 | 31,127 | 1115 | 0.8679 | |
| 9 | University of Notre Dame | 10600 | 86200 | 0.8775 | 8,880 | 1471 | 0.1127 | |
| 10 | University of California-Merced | 11200 | 39600 | 0.7163 | 8,372 | 1070 | 0.9152 | |
| 11 | University of Southern Maine | 11300 | 23000 | 0.5081 | 5,525 | 1129 | 0.8699 | |
| 12 | Utah State University | 11500 | 28500 | 0.5964 | 25,920 | 1176 | 0.9247 | |
| 13 | Felician University | 11600 | 58700 | 0.8025 | 1,870 | 1005 | 0.9511 | |
| 14 | Eastern Washington University | 11800 | 28600 | 0.5879 | 6,951 | 1055 | 0.9437 | |
| 14 | Georgetown University | 11800 | 92700 | 0.8727 | 7,833 | 1457 | 0.1291 | |
| 16 | University of Houston | 12000 | 28400 | 0.5781 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 17 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 12100 | 41900 | 0.7107 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 18 | Indiana State University | 12200 | 25900 | 0.5298 | 6,224 | 1140 | 0.8077 | |
| 19 | Wake Forest University | 12400 | 91900 | 0.8647 | 5,490 | 1469 | 0.2167 | |
| 20 | Eastern Illinois University | 13000 | 24300 | 0.4648 | 6,785 | 990 | 0.6535 | |
| 21 | Northern Illinois University | 13200 | 29000 | 0.5437 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 21 | University of North Alabama | 13200 | 30800 | 0.5707 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 23 | The University of Texas at Dallas | 13300 | 18700 | 0.2891 | 21,858 | 1283 | 0.6513 | |
| 24 | Arkansas Tech University | 14100 | 35900 | 0.6065 | 8,145 | 1035 | 0.9589 | |
| 24 | University of Illinois Chicago | 14100 | 30400 | 0.5355 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 24 | Washburn University | 14100 | 24000 | 0.412 | 5,331 | 1095 | 1 | |
| 27 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 14400 | 28000 | 0.4854 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 28 | Trinity University | 14500 | 65800 | 0.7793 | 2,518 | 1402 | 0.2592 | |
| 29 | Bucknell University | 14700 | 94800 | 0.8448 | 3,920 | 1284 | 0.2893 | |
| 30 | Florida International University | 15100 | 23700 | 0.3621 | 44,904 | 1175 | 0.5466 | |
| 31 | Troy University | 15200 | 26700 | 0.4306 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 32 | Bridgewater State University | 15300 | 25800 | 0.4072 | 8,172 | 1135 | 0.8919 | |
| 33 | Ball State University | 15500 | 22400 | 0.3085 | 15,189 | 1170 | 0.855 | |
| 34 | University of St Francis | 15600 | 71700 | 0.782 | 1,338 | 1030 | 0.653 | |
| 35 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 16300 | 23200 | 0.2974 | 19,888 | 1209 | 0.8517 | |
| 36 | Lewis University | 16500 | 57700 | 0.7138 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7128 | |
| 37 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 16600 | 22300 | 0.2554 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 38 | Arkansas State University | 17000 | 28100 | 0.3952 | 9,985 | 1075 | 0.7959 | |
| 39 | Weber State University | 17300 | 41300 | 0.5806 | 31,672 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 40 | Mid-America Christian University | 17400 | 36800 | 0.5276 | 1,636 | 0 | 0 | |
| 41 | Boston College | 17800 | 96200 | 0.8146 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 41 | Holy Family University | 17800 | 56400 | 0.6848 | 2,650 | 1030 | 0.7104 | |
| 43 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 17900 | 36400 | 0.5076 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 44 | Quincy University | 18000 | 68100 | 0.7351 | 1,072 | 1115 | 0.5093 | |
| 45 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 18100 | 26700 | 0.3221 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 46 | Lee University | 18500 | 37400 | 0.5057 | 3,271 | 1154 | 0.7052 | |
| 47 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 18600 | 42800 | 0.5648 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 48 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 18700 | 43800 | 0.5725 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 49 | Salem State University | 19300 | 35100 | 0.4499 | 4,853 | 1100 | 0.9557 | |
| 50 | La Roche University | 19700 | 66200 | 0.7028 | 755 | 1069 | 0.7016 | |
| 50 | Piedmont University | 19700 | 47200 | 0.5826 | 1,159 | 1130 | 0.9328 | |
| 50 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 19700 | 78700 | 0.7498 | 17,901 | 1470 | 0.1681 | |
| 53 | Illinois College | 19800 | 55200 | 0.6405 | 940 | 1054 | 0.7819 | |
| 54 | University of Northern Iowa | 20000 | 24000 | 0.1686 | 7,716 | 1115 | 0.8713 | |
| 54 | University of Southern California | 20000 | 75800 | 0.7365 | 20,630 | 1492 | 0.0981 | |
| 56 | Bradley University | 20100 | 48500 | 0.5849 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 56 | Texas Wesleyan University | 20100 | 71100 | 0.7173 | 1,910 | 1050 | 0.6239 | |
| 58 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | 20300 | 41300 | 0.5085 | 3,244 | 1224 | 0.9683 | |
| 58 | Stetson University | 20300 | 79100 | 0.7437 | 2,349 | 1114 | 0.716 | |
| 58 | University of Rochester | 20300 | 93100 | 0.7822 | 6,580 | 1469 | 0.4008 | |
| 58 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 20300 | 45200 | 0.5514 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5499 | |
| 62 | University of Montevallo | 20400 | 31500 | 0.3529 | 2,545 | 1124 | 0.539 | |
| 63 | Farmingdale State College | 20500 | 22500 | 0.0891 | 10,007 | 1145 | 0.6329 | |
| 64 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 20600 | 45200 | 0.5447 | 624 | 1115 | 0.9664 | |
| 64 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 20600 | 31100 | 0.3364 | 19,701 | 1214 | 0.8749 | |
| 64 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20600 | 38200 | 0.4606 | 11,365 | 1216 | 0.8816 | |
| 67 | Hamline University | 21400 | 56500 | 0.6207 | 1,716 | 1186 | 0.8983 | |
| 68 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 22100 | 59900 | 0.6309 | 34,242 | 1273 | 0.7333 | |
| 69 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 22200 | 45300 | 0.5095 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 69 | Sterling College | 22200 | 73100 | 0.696 | 670 | 1090 | 0.8916 | |
| 71 | Newman University | 22400 | 54000 | 0.5853 | 2,398 | 1090 | 0.4761 | |
| 72 | Saint Norbert College | 22500 | 63800 | 0.6471 | 1,970 | 1193 | 0.8574 | |
| 73 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22800 | 58100 | 0.608 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 74 | Ouachita Baptist University | 22900 | 65200 | 0.6485 | 1,729 | 1209 | 0.6752 | |
| 75 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 23200 | 45200 | 0.4871 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 75 | Saint Ambrose University | 23200 | 55400 | 0.5809 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 77 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 23400 | 35000 | 0.3315 | 65,450 | 1203 | 0.8989 | |
| 77 | The University of Alabama | 23400 | 31000 | 0.245 | 34,389 | 1233 | 0.7665 | |
| 79 | New York University | 23800 | 91800 | 0.7405 | 29,060 | 1520 | 0.0923 | |
| 80 | University of South Dakota | 24000 | 26000 | 0.0788 | 7,619 | 1120 | 0.9878 | |
| 80 | Wittenberg University | 24000 | 65400 | 0.6336 | 1,288 | 1145 | 0.9104 | |
| 82 | University of Central Arkansas | 24500 | 29500 | 0.1711 | 8,268 | 1124 | 0.8949 | |
| 83 | The University of Findlay | 24600 | 50600 | 0.5134 | 3,954 | 1124 | 0.8615 | |
| 84 | Augustana College | 24900 | 72800 | 0.6578 | 2,522 | 1163 | 0.6277 | |
| 85 | Northwood University | 25200 | 54500 | 0.5381 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 86 | University of Kansas | 25300 | 39900 | 0.3651 | 22,085 | 1176 | 0.9348 | |
| 87 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 25500 | 47400 | 0.4623 | 2,371 | 1189 | 0.9808 | |
| 88 | Walla Walla University | 25800 | 51700 | 0.5021 | 1,238 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 89 | Otterbein University | 25900 | 66800 | 0.6121 | 2,211 | 1114 | 0.8452 | |
| 90 | Saginaw Valley State University | 26100 | 38900 | 0.3307 | 6,152 | 1050 | 0.7207 | |
| 91 | Grand Valley State University | 26200 | 36300 | 0.2786 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 92 | Iowa State University | 26300 | 42800 | 0.3858 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 92 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 26300 | 43000 | 0.388 | 5,789 | 1060 | 0.5774 | |
| 94 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 95 | Ferrum College | 26600 | 44700 | 0.4039 | 747 | 990 | 1 | |
| 96 | University of Arkansas | 26700 | 29600 | 0.0996 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.7431 | |
| 97 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 27100 | 41500 | 0.3468 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 98 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 27300 | 47900 | 0.4298 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 99 | Cornell College | 27600 | 74800 | 0.6314 | 1,085 | 1243 | 0.8066 | |
| 100 | York College of Pennsylvania | 27700 | 45800 | 0.3955 | 3,308 | 1140 | 0.942 | |
| 101 | Creighton University | 28000 | 65300 | 0.5709 | 4,647 | 1328 | 0.7975 | |
| 101 | Faulkner University | 28000 | 51500 | 0.4563 | 1,793 | 1035 | 0.6613 | |
| 103 | California Lutheran University | 28100 | 70000 | 0.5988 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 104 | Roosevelt University | 28600 | 47600 | 0.3995 | 2,605 | 995 | 0.9427 | |
| 105 | Jacksonville University | 28800 | 88700 | 0.6752 | 2,946 | 1195 | 0.5696 | |
| 106 | Oregon State University | 28900 | 36700 | 0.2136 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 107 | University of Utah | 29000 | 32000 | 0.0953 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 108 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 33900 | 0.1358 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 109 | William Peace University | 29700 | 50200 | 0.4088 | 722 | 1170 | 0.9425 | |
| 110 | Southern Adventist University | 29900 | 46900 | 0.3615 | 2,827 | 1112 | 0.6661 | |
| 110 | Southern Methodist University | 29900 | 83200 | 0.641 | 7,285 | 1423 | 0.6335 | |
| 112 | Belmont University | 30300 | 67800 | 0.5527 | 7,167 | 1273 | 0.9528 | |
| 113 | Chaminade University of Honolulu | 31700 | 66800 | 0.5257 | 1,817 | 1055 | 0.5187 | |
| 113 | New Jersey City University | 31700 | 39800 | 0.2037 | 4,209 | 1015 | 0.8918 | |
| 113 | Ohio Northern University | 31700 | 63500 | 0.5012 | 2,706 | 1203 | 0.7887 | |
| 116 | DePaul University | 32000 | 67100 | 0.5231 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 116 | Rider University | 32000 | 60600 | 0.472 | 3,196 | 1214 | 0.794 | |
| 118 | McKendree University | 32100 | 52200 | 0.3852 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 119 | Manhattan University | 32200 | 72500 | 0.5559 | 2,928 | 1248 | 0.785 | |
| 120 | Suffolk University | 32600 | 69700 | 0.5326 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 120 | University of Scranton | 32600 | 78700 | 0.5862 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.8029 | |
| 122 | Southern New Hampshire University | 32900 | 52800 | 0.377 | 2,615 | 965 | 0.8443 | |
| 123 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 124 | Drake University | 33900 | 68500 | 0.5056 | 2,585 | 1226 | 0.6385 | |
| 125 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54800 | 0.378 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 125 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 34100 | 58500 | 0.4179 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 127 | Pace University | 34600 | 74800 | 0.5373 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 128 | Hofstra University | 34700 | 77000 | 0.5492 | 6,581 | 1323 | 0.6808 | |
| 129 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,123 | 1208 | 0.8934 | |
| 130 | Hardin-Simmons University | 36000 | 49700 | 0.2756 | 1,291 | 1110 | 0.862 | |
| 131 | Auburn University | 36400 | 38000 | 0.0421 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 131 | Seattle University | 36400 | 74600 | 0.5118 | 4,103 | 1243 | 0.7703 | |
| 133 | Lasell University | 37200 | 48500 | 0.2328 | 1,293 | 1212 | 0.927 | |
| 134 | University of Connecticut | 37400 | 43900 | 0.1482 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 135 | Xavier University | 37500 | 67500 | 0.4445 | 4,239 | 1218 | 0.8669 | |
| 136 | Elon University | 38800 | 58200 | 0.3332 | 6,452 | 1244 | 0.6635 | |
| 136 | University of Wyoming | 38800 | 43800 | 0.1152 | 8,130 | 1159 | 0.9688 | |
| 138 | University of Charleston | 39200 | 51200 | 0.2342 | 2,087 | 1075 | 0.6458 | |
| 139 | Cumberland University | 39400 | 47500 | 0.1697 | 2,652 | 1125 | 0.67 | |
| 140 | Rutgers University-Newark | 40200 | 60500 | 0.3358 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 140 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 40200 | 92400 | 0.5648 | 5,044 | 1274 | 0.8883 | |
| 142 | Saint Vincent College | 41500 | 64600 | 0.3569 | 1,284 | 0 | 0.6173 | |
| 143 | Illinois State University | 41800 | 47300 | 0.1173 | 19,107 | 1115 | 0.8815 | |
| 144 | Old Dominion University | 42300 | 47700 | 0.1132 | 17,746 | 1205 | 0.9036 | |
| 145 | Susquehanna University | 42400 | 76800 | 0.4481 | 2,185 | 1204 | 0.7871 | |
| 146 | Western Washington University | 42500 | 51500 | 0.1749 | 13,752 | 1218 | 0.9325 | |
| 147 | Bryant University | 42600 | 76200 | 0.4411 | 3,200 | 1265 | 0.6546 | |
| 148 | University of Maryland-College Park | 42700 | 53400 | 0.2004 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 149 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 43200 | 46200 | 0.066 | 44,170 | 1327 | 0.4979 | |
| 149 | University of Florida | 43200 | 45600 | 0.0526 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 151 | Mercyhurst University | 43800 | 66400 | 0.3405 | 2,274 | 1189 | 0.8102 | |
| 152 | Duquesne University | 45400 | 70500 | 0.3553 | 5,371 | 1270 | 0.8356 | |
| 153 | Saint Louis University | 48500 | 80900 | 0.4003 | 10,436 | 1260 | 0.7504 | |
| 154 | Drexel University | 48900 | 83800 | 0.4164 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 155 | University of California-San Diego | 49300 | 77100 | 0.3603 | 34,955 | 1375 | 0.2677 | |
| 156 | Stevens Institute of Technology | 49400 | 85800 | 0.4242 | 4,236 | 1445 | 0.4758 | |
| 157 | University of Portland | 50800 | 84800 | 0.401 | 2,986 | 1277 | 0.8917 | |
| 158 | University of Iowa | 51100 | 53200 | 0.0385 | 22,738 | 1208 | 0.8362 | |
| 159 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 53400 | 53400 | 0 | 33,572 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 160 | George Mason University | 53700 | 61000 | 0.1197 | 28,331 | 1268 | 0.8748 | |
| 161 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 54100 | 59200 | 0.0853 | 24,457 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 162 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 57300 | 66500 | 0.1384 | 14,657 | 1183 | 0.8368 | |
| 163 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 60600 | 63200 | 0.0411 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 164 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | 61200 | 66400 | 0.0784 | 5,472 | 1159 | 0.906 | |
| 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 | 74900 | 95600 | 0.2166 | 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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