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 | Johns Hopkins University | 2700 | 92000 | 0.9704 | 6,356 | 1543 | 0.0644 | |
| 2 | Eastern Kentucky University | 11800 | 22900 | 0.4856 | 13,448 | 1110 | 0.7761 | |
| 3 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 4 | Boston University | 12900 | 92800 | 0.8612 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 5 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 6 | University of Houston | 13700 | 22000 | 0.3766 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 7 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 8 | Northwestern University | 14600 | 88300 | 0.8348 | 9,399 | 1527 | 0.0769 | |
| 9 | Appalachian State University | 15800 | 19500 | 0.1899 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 9 | Sam Houston State University | 15800 | 30300 | 0.4782 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 9 | University of North Texas | 15800 | 26100 | 0.3953 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 12 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.7055 | 780 | 995 | 0.8407 | |
| 12 | Wayne State University | 16500 | 32900 | 0.4982 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 14 | The University of Texas at Austin | 16600 | 28000 | 0.4076 | 43,165 | 1356 | 0.2664 | |
| 15 | Ferris State University | 17000 | 31000 | 0.4523 | 8,991 | 1015 | 0.9139 | |
| 16 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 17800 | 22200 | 0.1986 | 11,994 | 1090 | 0.865 | |
| 17 | Youngstown State University | 18400 | 34000 | 0.4589 | 9,400 | 1115 | 0.8445 | |
| 18 | Campbellsville University | 19100 | 43200 | 0.5573 | 6,848 | 1075 | 0.7974 | |
| 19 | California State University-Los Angeles | 19700 | 38000 | 0.4816 | 19,586 | 965 | 0.9125 | |
| 20 | Lasell University | 20200 | 48500 | 0.5831 | 1,293 | 1095 | 0.8122 | |
| 21 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20400 | 39900 | 0.489 | 5,255 | 1109 | 0.7295 | |
| 22 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20600 | 23200 | 0.1121 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 22 | University of Montevallo | 20600 | 30300 | 0.3202 | 2,642 | 1124 | 0.5385 | |
| 24 | California State University-Chico | 22300 | 31000 | 0.2803 | 13,792 | 1075 | 0.9272 | |
| 25 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 26 | Murray State University | 23000 | 27600 | 0.1671 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 26 | San Jose State University | 23000 | 41100 | 0.4405 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 28 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 23100 | 25800 | 0.1012 | 7,735 | 1015 | 0.6218 | |
| 29 | University of Kentucky | 23900 | 36400 | 0.3438 | 25,534 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 30 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 31 | Saint Ambrose University | 24200 | 55400 | 0.5628 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 32 | Columbia College Chicago | 24300 | 63200 | 0.6158 | 5,422 | 0 | 0.8946 | |
| 32 | Southwestern Adventist University | 24300 | 43200 | 0.4376 | 758 | 1064 | 0.7836 | |
| 34 | University of Central Missouri | 24500 | 35800 | 0.3173 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 35 | Lewis University | 24700 | 57700 | 0.5718 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7129 | |
| 36 | University of Southern Indiana | 25100 | 40000 | 0.3733 | 7,600 | 1145 | 0.9581 | |
| 37 | Point Park University | 25300 | 57000 | 0.5564 | 2,337 | 1140 | 0.9691 | |
| 38 | Northern Arizona University | 25600 | 43200 | 0.4075 | 22,990 | 1090 | 0.8961 | |
| 39 | Western Kentucky University | 26000 | 41800 | 0.3779 | 14,151 | 970 | 0.9387 | |
| 40 | Westminster College | 26100 | 57600 | 0.5469 | 1,137 | 1149 | 0.9256 | |
| 41 | University of La Verne | 26800 | 67300 | 0.6015 | 3,050 | 1109 | 0.7117 | |
| 42 | Troy University | 26900 | 34700 | 0.2248 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 43 | California State University-Northridge | 27000 | 36500 | 0.2602 | 32,756 | 1005 | 0.9345 | |
| 44 | Capital University | 27200 | 62400 | 0.564 | 1,609 | 1084 | 0.7022 | |
| 45 | Rowan University | 27500 | 41300 | 0.3345 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 46 | Chicago State University | 27600 | 37800 | 0.269 | 1,501 | 885 | 0.4326 | |
| 47 | Syracuse University | 27700 | 83100 | 0.6665 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 48 | Texas State University | 28000 | 28000 | 0 | 36,236 | 1100 | 0.8932 | |
| 49 | Alabama A & M University | 28200 | 37700 | 0.2518 | 6,370 | 915 | 0.5795 | |
| 50 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 32300 | 0.1145 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 51 | Cornerstone University | 29200 | 40800 | 0.2846 | 1,354 | 1110 | 0.7777 | |
| 52 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 29400 | 34000 | 0.1352 | 6,907 | 1060 | 0.974 | |
| 53 | Huntington University | 29500 | 44300 | 0.3339 | 1,588 | 1055 | 0.7564 | |
| 54 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30700 | 54600 | 0.4379 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 55 | San Francisco State University | 30800 | 47700 | 0.3544 | 19,444 | 1035 | 0.9644 | |
| 56 | Rider University | 31400 | 60600 | 0.4816 | 3,145 | 1233 | 0.7864 | |
| 56 | San Diego State University | 31400 | 36100 | 0.1301 | 35,782 | 1208 | 0.3619 | |
| 58 | Bowie State University | 31600 | 37300 | 0.153 | 5,136 | 946 | 0.7241 | |
| 59 | Missouri Baptist University | 31700 | 53800 | 0.4107 | 4,958 | 843 | 0.686 | |
| 60 | Ithaca College | 32100 | 72500 | 0.5571 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 61 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 32600 | 48400 | 0.3266 | 1,009 | 1115 | 0.8854 | |
| 62 | Suffolk University | 32900 | 70300 | 0.5319 | 4,326 | 1209 | 0.8233 | |
| 63 | State University of New York at Oswego | 33000 | 40200 | 0.1792 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 64 | Adrian College | 33700 | 70200 | 0.5201 | 1,673 | 1045 | 0.7253 | |
| 65 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 33900 | 36100 | 0.0609 | 33,033 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 66 | SUNY at Fredonia | 34100 | 39600 | 0.1391 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 67 | Southeastern University | 34400 | 60500 | 0.4312 | 10,172 | 1110 | 0.5298 | |
| 68 | Texas Southern University | 34500 | 42500 | 0.1883 | 6,844 | 915 | 0.9691 | |
| 69 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 34800 | 50900 | 0.3166 | 1,903 | 1085 | 0.6944 | |
| 70 | Temple University | 35600 | 56400 | 0.3689 | 21,457 | 1135 | 0.8041 | |
| 70 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 72 | Vermont State University | 37400 | 38700 | 0.0336 | 4,108 | 960 | 0.8167 | |
| 73 | Hofstra University | 38200 | 76900 | 0.5032 | 6,581 | 1328 | 0.6808 | |
| 74 | Long Island University | 38800 | 60000 | 0.3535 | 12,072 | 1229 | 0.8616 | |
| 75 | California State University-Fullerton | 39400 | 41500 | 0.0507 | 38,760 | 1090 | 0.9052 | |
| 76 | University of Central Florida | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 59,552 | 1280 | 0.4011 | |
| 77 | Susquehanna University | 42000 | 76800 | 0.4533 | 2,246 | 1204 | 0.8143 | |
| 78 | Montclair State University | 42100 | 46600 | 0.0966 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 79 | University of Florida | 43300 | 45700 | 0.0526 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 80 | Campbell University | 44100 | 68700 | 0.3579 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.8718 | |
| 81 | New England Institute of Technology | 44600 | 68200 | 0.3458 | 1,796 | 1030 | 0.6673 | |
| 82 | Ashland University | 44900 | 56400 | 0.204 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 83 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 54800 | 66400 | 0.1747 | 15,552 | 1174 | 0.8298 | |
| 84 | Howard University | 55000 | 66500 | 0.173 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 85 | Elon University | 56400 | 68900 | 0.1815 | 6,452 | 1215 | 0.6635 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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