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 | 12700 | 92800 | 0.8633 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 7 | Western Kentucky University | 13000 | 27000 | 0.5169 | 14,151 | 970 | 0.9387 | |
| 8 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 13400 | 25700 | 0.4786 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 10 | University of Georgia | 13700 | 26600 | 0.485 | 32,399 | 1382 | 0.377 | |
| 11 | University of Idaho | 14100 | 25800 | 0.4543 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 12 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 13 | Central Michigan University | 14400 | 37800 | 0.6183 | 10,193 | 1095 | 0.8982 | |
| 14 | Northern Kentucky University | 14600 | 25900 | 0.4369 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 15 | Murray State University | 15000 | 27000 | 0.4443 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 16 | Texas State University | 15200 | 25500 | 0.4042 | 36,236 | 1100 | 0.8932 | |
| 17 | University of Central Missouri | 15700 | 26600 | 0.4094 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 18 | Appalachian State University | 15800 | 19500 | 0.1899 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 19 | Eastern Michigan University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5448 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 19 | University of Florida | 16400 | 22500 | 0.271 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 21 | Georgia Southern University | 16700 | 20100 | 0.1687 | 23,541 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 22 | Ferris State University | 17000 | 31000 | 0.4523 | 8,991 | 1015 | 0.9139 | |
| 23 | Keene State College | 17500 | 41400 | 0.5769 | 2,725 | 1085 | 0.9033 | |
| 23 | Salem State University | 17500 | 28500 | 0.3859 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 25 | Morgan State University | 17600 | 28500 | 0.3823 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 26 | University of Miami | 17700 | 95700 | 0.8149 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 27 | Texas Tech University | 18300 | 27100 | 0.3253 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 28 | Central Washington University | 18400 | 22700 | 0.1892 | 10,317 | 1045 | 0.9062 | |
| 29 | Lee University | 19600 | 37400 | 0.4762 | 3,271 | 1154 | 0.7052 | |
| 29 | Olivet Nazarene University | 19600 | 61600 | 0.6814 | 2,711 | 1104 | 0.5586 | |
| 31 | University of Northern Iowa | 19900 | 24000 | 0.1728 | 7,711 | 1129 | 0.9274 | |
| 32 | University of Southern California | 20000 | 75900 | 0.7369 | 20,630 | 1492 | 0.0981 | |
| 33 | Lasell University | 20200 | 48500 | 0.5831 | 1,293 | 1095 | 0.8122 | |
| 33 | University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne | 20200 | 57300 | 0.6479 | 1,567 | 980 | 0.9597 | |
| 35 | Montana State University Billings | 20300 | 25500 | 0.204 | 3,881 | 1090 | 0.9947 | |
| 36 | Eastern Illinois University | 20500 | 28100 | 0.272 | 6,785 | 985 | 0.6535 | |
| 37 | South Dakota State University | 20600 | 25200 | 0.1844 | 10,719 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 38 | University of Memphis | 20900 | 29600 | 0.2942 | 15,770 | 1075 | 0.7203 | |
| 39 | Northern Michigan University | 21300 | 33100 | 0.3565 | 6,684 | 1100 | 0.8402 | |
| 40 | Loras College | 21800 | 58400 | 0.6273 | 1,123 | 1110 | 0.9986 | |
| 41 | Southwest Baptist University | 22300 | 41200 | 0.4576 | 1,710 | 1082 | 0.6839 | |
| 42 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 43 | San Jose State University | 23000 | 41100 | 0.4405 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 44 | Monmouth College | 23200 | 61400 | 0.622 | 713 | 1120 | 0.9093 | |
| 45 | York College of Pennsylvania | 23500 | 45800 | 0.4873 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 46 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5716 | 2,690 | 1005 | 0.9032 | |
| 47 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 48 | Saint Ambrose University | 24200 | 55400 | 0.5628 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 49 | Columbia College Chicago | 24300 | 63200 | 0.6158 | 5,422 | 0 | 0.8946 | |
| 50 | Lewis University | 24700 | 57700 | 0.5718 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7129 | |
| 51 | American University | 24800 | 81600 | 0.6963 | 7,476 | 1375 | 0.6196 | |
| 52 | Point Park University | 25300 | 57000 | 0.5564 | 2,337 | 1140 | 0.9691 | |
| 53 | Walla Walla University | 25700 | 51700 | 0.5032 | 1,313 | 1113 | 0.5077 | |
| 54 | Westminster College | 26000 | 57600 | 0.5486 | 1,137 | 1149 | 0.9256 | |
| 55 | Dordt University | 26200 | 52500 | 0.5007 | 1,716 | 1205 | 0.6847 | |
| 55 | Iowa State University | 26200 | 42800 | 0.3881 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 57 | Heidelberg University | 26300 | 48600 | 0.4589 | 969 | 1100 | 0.8579 | |
| 58 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 26400 | 36800 | 0.2828 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 59 | Hood College | 27100 | 71400 | 0.6202 | 1,198 | 1055 | 0.7777 | |
| 60 | Capital University | 27200 | 62400 | 0.564 | 1,609 | 1084 | 0.7022 | |
| 61 | Freed-Hardeman University | 27700 | 35900 | 0.2284 | 1,873 | 1120 | 0.5968 | |
| 61 | Oral Roberts University | 27700 | 52700 | 0.4736 | 5,017 | 1214 | 0.989 | |
| 63 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6653 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 64 | Colorado Christian University | 28000 | 64000 | 0.5624 | 8,200 | 1110 | 0.9764 | |
| 65 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 32300 | 0.1145 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 66 | Southern Methodist University | 29100 | 90100 | 0.677 | 7,285 | 1423 | 0.6335 | |
| 67 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 34000 | 0.1383 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 68 | Gannon University | 29500 | 52900 | 0.4427 | 2,768 | 1133 | 0.7416 | |
| 68 | University of Toledo | 29500 | 32600 | 0.0966 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 70 | Southern Adventist University | 29800 | 46900 | 0.3637 | 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 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | 30600 | 38500 | 0.2052 | 7,890 | 1110 | 0.2056 | |
| 74 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30600 | 54600 | 0.4387 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 76 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | 30800 | 69000 | 0.5533 | 3,312 | 1094 | 0.8199 | |
| 77 | California State University-Long Beach | 31000 | 38900 | 0.2032 | 36,082 | 1135 | 0.4627 | |
| 78 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4733 | 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 | |
| 82 | Belmont University | 32400 | 69900 | 0.536 | 7,175 | 1273 | 0.9528 | |
| 83 | Lipscomb University | 32500 | 57800 | 0.4371 | 3,336 | 1260 | 0.6773 | |
| 84 | Drake University | 32700 | 68500 | 0.5221 | 2,585 | 1259 | 0.6385 | |
| 85 | University of Rhode Island | 32900 | 46400 | 0.2907 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 86 | State University of New York at Oswego | 33000 | 40200 | 0.1792 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 87 | Cleveland State University | 33500 | 37300 | 0.1019 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 88 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 55300 | 0.3907 | 1,903 | 1214 | 0.7787 | |
| 88 | Harding University | 33700 | 47800 | 0.296 | 3,536 | 1184 | 0.7052 | |
| 90 | Winthrop University | 33800 | 52500 | 0.3559 | 3,969 | 1130 | 0.7925 | |
| 91 | SUNY at Fredonia | 34100 | 39600 | 0.1391 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 92 | Southeastern University | 34400 | 60500 | 0.4312 | 10,172 | 1110 | 0.5298 | |
| 93 | University of Oregon | 34700 | 40200 | 0.1383 | 20,622 | 1250 | 0.883 | |
| 94 | Mount Mercy University | 35500 | 61200 | 0.4206 | 1,139 | 1110 | 0.8252 | |
| 95 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35600 | 66100 | 0.4616 | 2,862 | 1203 | 0.757 | |
| 95 | Temple University | 35600 | 56400 | 0.3689 | 21,457 | 1135 | 0.8041 | |
| 97 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 37300 | 57000 | 0.3454 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 98 | Hofstra University | 38200 | 76900 | 0.5032 | 6,581 | 1328 | 0.6808 | |
| 99 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38600 | 53100 | 0.2729 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 100 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 38900 | 50300 | 0.2268 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 101 | Xavier University | 39300 | 68100 | 0.4232 | 4,239 | 1218 | 0.8641 | |
| 102 | Seton Hall University | 39700 | 67400 | 0.4107 | 6,146 | 1313 | 0.7326 | |
| 103 | Wayne State University | 40400 | 46200 | 0.1256 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 104 | Washington State University | 40700 | 56300 | 0.2777 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 105 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41400 | 57000 | 0.2738 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.782 | |
| 106 | Susquehanna University | 42000 | 76800 | 0.4533 | 2,246 | 1204 | 0.8143 | |
| 107 | Illinois State University | 43900 | 49100 | 0.1049 | 19,107 | 1120 | 0.8815 | |
| 108 | Quinnipiac University | 44800 | 79200 | 0.4343 | 6,557 | 1245 | 0.7215 | |
| 109 | Biola University | 47300 | 71200 | 0.3358 | 3,481 | 1268 | 0.7435 | |
| 110 | The University of Texas at Austin | 49800 | 59400 | 0.1617 | 43,165 | 1356 | 0.2664 | |
| 111 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 53300 | 53300 | 0 | 33,033 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 112 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 113 | The University of Alabama | 55800 | 55800 | 0 | 34,389 | 1284 | 0.7665 | |
| 114 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4592 | |
| 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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