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 | Washington and Lee University | 9400 | 96200 | 0.9025 | 1,886 | 1488 | 0.1397 | |
| 3 | Mississippi Valley State University | 9600 | 26300 | 0.6345 | 2,013 | 845 | 0.9238 | |
| 4 | Eastern Kentucky University | 11800 | 22900 | 0.4856 | 13,448 | 1110 | 0.7761 | |
| 5 | University of Houston | 12000 | 28400 | 0.5781 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 6 | Boston University | 12300 | 92800 | 0.8676 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 7 | Eastern Illinois University | 12500 | 24300 | 0.4844 | 6,785 | 985 | 0.6535 | |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 9 | University of Idaho | 14100 | 25800 | 0.4543 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 10 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 11 | Central Michigan University | 14400 | 37800 | 0.6183 | 10,193 | 1095 | 0.8982 | |
| 12 | Murray State University | 14900 | 27000 | 0.4491 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 13 | University of Central Missouri | 15700 | 26600 | 0.4094 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 14 | Eastern Michigan University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5456 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 15 | Wayne State University | 16500 | 32900 | 0.4982 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 16 | Georgia Southern University | 16700 | 20100 | 0.1687 | 23,541 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 17 | Ferris State University | 17000 | 31000 | 0.4523 | 8,991 | 1015 | 0.9139 | |
| 18 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 17200 | 25700 | 0.3307 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 19 | Keene State College | 17500 | 41400 | 0.5769 | 2,725 | 1085 | 0.9033 | |
| 20 | Morgan State University | 17600 | 28500 | 0.3823 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 21 | University of Miami | 17700 | 95700 | 0.8149 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 22 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3428 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 23 | Central Washington University | 18400 | 22700 | 0.1892 | 10,317 | 1045 | 0.9062 | |
| 24 | Lee University | 19600 | 37400 | 0.4762 | 3,271 | 1154 | 0.7052 | |
| 24 | Olivet Nazarene University | 19600 | 61600 | 0.6819 | 2,711 | 1104 | 0.5586 | |
| 26 | Lasell University | 19700 | 48500 | 0.5934 | 1,293 | 1095 | 0.8122 | |
| 27 | University of Southern California | 20000 | 75900 | 0.7369 | 20,630 | 1492 | 0.0981 | |
| 28 | University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne | 20200 | 57300 | 0.6479 | 1,567 | 980 | 0.9597 | |
| 29 | Montana State University Billings | 20300 | 25500 | 0.204 | 3,881 | 1090 | 0.9947 | |
| 30 | University of Northern Iowa | 20700 | 24000 | 0.1366 | 7,711 | 1129 | 0.9274 | |
| 31 | University of Memphis | 20900 | 29600 | 0.2942 | 15,770 | 1075 | 0.7203 | |
| 32 | Northern Michigan University | 21300 | 33100 | 0.3565 | 6,684 | 1100 | 0.8402 | |
| 33 | Loras College | 21700 | 58400 | 0.6289 | 1,123 | 1110 | 0.9986 | |
| 34 | South Dakota State University | 21900 | 25200 | 0.1301 | 10,719 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 35 | Southwest Baptist University | 22300 | 41200 | 0.4583 | 1,710 | 1082 | 0.6839 | |
| 36 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 37 | San Jose State University | 23000 | 41100 | 0.4405 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 38 | Monmouth College | 23100 | 61400 | 0.6234 | 713 | 1120 | 0.9093 | |
| 39 | York College of Pennsylvania | 23400 | 45800 | 0.4895 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 40 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5721 | 2,690 | 1005 | 0.9032 | |
| 41 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 42 | Saint Ambrose University | 24200 | 55400 | 0.5628 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 43 | Columbia College Chicago | 24300 | 63200 | 0.6158 | 5,422 | 0 | 0.8946 | |
| 44 | Lewis University | 24700 | 57700 | 0.5718 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7129 | |
| 45 | American University | 24800 | 81600 | 0.6963 | 7,476 | 1375 | 0.6196 | |
| 46 | Illinois State University | 25100 | 36400 | 0.3115 | 19,107 | 1120 | 0.8815 | |
| 47 | Point Park University | 25300 | 57000 | 0.5564 | 2,337 | 1140 | 0.9691 | |
| 48 | Walla Walla University | 25600 | 51700 | 0.5046 | 1,313 | 1113 | 0.5077 | |
| 49 | Western Kentucky University | 25900 | 41800 | 0.3803 | 14,151 | 970 | 0.9387 | |
| 49 | Westminster College | 25900 | 57600 | 0.5504 | 1,137 | 1149 | 0.9256 | |
| 51 | Iowa State University | 26000 | 42800 | 0.3912 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 51 | Salem State University | 26000 | 43200 | 0.3984 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 53 | Dordt University | 26200 | 52500 | 0.5007 | 1,716 | 1205 | 0.6847 | |
| 54 | Heidelberg University | 26300 | 48600 | 0.4589 | 969 | 1100 | 0.8579 | |
| 55 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 26400 | 36800 | 0.2828 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 56 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 26600 | 31100 | 0.1448 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 57 | Hood College | 27000 | 71400 | 0.6214 | 1,198 | 1055 | 0.7777 | |
| 58 | Capital University | 27200 | 62400 | 0.564 | 1,609 | 1084 | 0.7022 | |
| 59 | Freed-Hardeman University | 27700 | 35900 | 0.2284 | 1,873 | 1120 | 0.5968 | |
| 59 | Oral Roberts University | 27700 | 52700 | 0.4742 | 5,017 | 1214 | 0.989 | |
| 61 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6653 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 62 | Colorado Christian University | 28000 | 64000 | 0.5624 | 8,200 | 1110 | 0.9764 | |
| 62 | Texas State University | 28000 | 28000 | 0 | 36,236 | 1100 | 0.8932 | |
| 64 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28500 | 32300 | 0.1176 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 65 | Southern Methodist University | 29000 | 90100 | 0.6781 | 7,285 | 1423 | 0.6335 | |
| 66 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 34000 | 0.1383 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 66 | University of Toledo | 29300 | 32600 | 0.1006 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 68 | Northern Kentucky University | 29400 | 32100 | 0.0842 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 69 | Gannon University | 29500 | 52900 | 0.4427 | 2,768 | 1133 | 0.7416 | |
| 70 | Southern Adventist University | 29700 | 46900 | 0.3665 | 2,929 | 1134 | 0.655 | |
| 71 | Kent State University at Kent | 30000 | 37500 | 0.2 | 20,841 | 1105 | 0.8634 | |
| 72 | Mercy University | 30100 | 44500 | 0.3237 | 6,774 | 1135 | 0.8584 | |
| 73 | Otterbein University | 30400 | 57300 | 0.4694 | 2,211 | 1209 | 0.8453 | |
| 74 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30500 | 54600 | 0.4411 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 75 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | 30600 | 38500 | 0.2052 | 7,890 | 1110 | 0.2056 | |
| 76 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | 30700 | 69000 | 0.5544 | 3,312 | 1094 | 0.8199 | |
| 77 | California State University-Long Beach | 30900 | 38900 | 0.2058 | 36,082 | 1135 | 0.4627 | |
| 78 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4738 | 2,503 | 1229 | 0.7353 | |
| 79 | Rider University | 31400 | 60600 | 0.4816 | 3,145 | 1233 | 0.7864 | |
| 80 | Rockhurst University | 32000 | 62500 | 0.4872 | 2,303 | 1124 | 0.6959 | |
| 81 | Marquette University | 32300 | 66500 | 0.5142 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 81 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 32300 | 35100 | 0.0799 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 83 | Belmont University | 32400 | 69900 | 0.5371 | 7,175 | 1273 | 0.9528 | |
| 84 | Lipscomb University | 32500 | 57800 | 0.4371 | 3,336 | 1260 | 0.6773 | |
| 85 | Drake University | 32600 | 68500 | 0.524 | 2,585 | 1259 | 0.6385 | |
| 86 | University of Rhode Island | 32900 | 46400 | 0.2907 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 87 | Cleveland State University | 33500 | 37300 | 0.1019 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 87 | Harding University | 33500 | 47800 | 0.2987 | 3,536 | 1184 | 0.7052 | |
| 89 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 55300 | 0.3907 | 1,903 | 1214 | 0.7787 | |
| 89 | Winthrop University | 33700 | 52500 | 0.3583 | 3,969 | 1130 | 0.7925 | |
| 91 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 33900 | 36100 | 0.0609 | 33,033 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 92 | SUNY at Fredonia | 34100 | 39600 | 0.1391 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 93 | Southeastern University | 34400 | 60500 | 0.4312 | 10,172 | 1110 | 0.5298 | |
| 94 | Mount Mercy University | 35400 | 61200 | 0.4216 | 1,139 | 1110 | 0.8252 | |
| 94 | Temple University | 35400 | 56400 | 0.3724 | 21,457 | 1135 | 0.8041 | |
| 96 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35600 | 66100 | 0.4616 | 2,862 | 1203 | 0.757 | |
| 96 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 98 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 37200 | 57000 | 0.3472 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 99 | Hofstra University | 38200 | 76900 | 0.5032 | 6,581 | 1328 | 0.6808 | |
| 100 | Xavier University | 39300 | 68100 | 0.4232 | 4,239 | 1218 | 0.8641 | |
| 101 | Seton Hall University | 39700 | 67400 | 0.4107 | 6,146 | 1313 | 0.7326 | |
| 102 | Appalachian State University | 40600 | 40600 | 0 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 102 | Washington State University | 40600 | 56300 | 0.28 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 104 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 57000 | 0.2773 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.782 | |
| 105 | Susquehanna University | 42000 | 76800 | 0.4533 | 2,246 | 1204 | 0.8143 | |
| 106 | University of Florida | 43100 | 45700 | 0.057 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 107 | Quinnipiac University | 44800 | 79200 | 0.4343 | 6,557 | 1245 | 0.7215 | |
| 108 | University of Georgia | 45900 | 51600 | 0.1108 | 32,399 | 1382 | 0.377 | |
| 109 | Biola University | 47100 | 71200 | 0.3386 | 3,481 | 1268 | 0.7435 | |
| 110 | The University of Texas at Austin | 49700 | 59400 | 0.1633 | 43,165 | 1356 | 0.2664 | |
| 111 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 112 | The University of Alabama | 55800 | 55800 | 0 | 34,389 | 1284 | 0.7665 | |
| 113 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4592 | |
| 114 | University of Oregon | 66700 | 68900 | 0.0331 | 20,622 | 1250 | 0.883 | |
| 115 | Gonzaga University | 70700 | 76600 | 0.077 | 5,281 | 1329 | 0.8169 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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