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 | Boston University | 12300 | 92800 | 0.8676 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 3 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 4 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 5 | University of Houston | 13700 | 22000 | 0.3766 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 14000 | 19000 | 0.2634 | 11,994 | 1090 | 0.865 | |
| 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 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 14800 | 31600 | 0.5323 | 6,907 | 1060 | 0.974 | |
| 10 | Texas State University | 15200 | 25500 | 0.4042 | 36,236 | 1100 | 0.8932 | |
| 11 | Troy University | 15400 | 26700 | 0.4231 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 12 | University of Southern Indiana | 15500 | 26000 | 0.4032 | 7,600 | 1145 | 0.9581 | |
| 13 | University of North Texas | 15800 | 26100 | 0.3953 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 14 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.705 | 780 | 995 | 0.8407 | |
| 15 | Ferris State University | 17000 | 31000 | 0.4523 | 8,991 | 1015 | 0.9139 | |
| 15 | Sam Houston State University | 17000 | 27000 | 0.3705 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 17 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17100 | 27800 | 0.3854 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 18 | Vermont State University | 17300 | 26900 | 0.3562 | 4,108 | 960 | 0.8167 | |
| 19 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3428 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 20 | Texas Tech University | 18300 | 27100 | 0.3253 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 21 | Youngstown State University | 18400 | 34000 | 0.4589 | 9,400 | 1115 | 0.8445 | |
| 22 | Campbellsville University | 19100 | 43200 | 0.5573 | 6,848 | 1075 | 0.7974 | |
| 23 | California State University-Los Angeles | 19700 | 38000 | 0.4816 | 19,586 | 965 | 0.9125 | |
| 23 | Lasell University | 19700 | 48500 | 0.5934 | 1,293 | 1095 | 0.8122 | |
| 25 | San Diego State University | 20100 | 28900 | 0.3046 | 35,782 | 1208 | 0.3619 | |
| 26 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20400 | 23200 | 0.1207 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 26 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20400 | 39900 | 0.489 | 5,255 | 1109 | 0.7295 | |
| 28 | California State University-Chico | 22300 | 31000 | 0.2803 | 13,792 | 1075 | 0.9272 | |
| 29 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 30 | Murray State University | 22800 | 27600 | 0.1734 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 31 | San Jose State University | 23000 | 41100 | 0.4405 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 31 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 23000 | 25800 | 0.1079 | 7,735 | 1015 | 0.6218 | |
| 33 | University of Kentucky | 23700 | 36400 | 0.3477 | 25,534 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 34 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 35 | Saint Ambrose University | 24200 | 55400 | 0.5628 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 36 | Columbia College Chicago | 24300 | 63200 | 0.6158 | 5,422 | 0 | 0.8946 | |
| 36 | Southwestern Adventist University | 24300 | 43200 | 0.4376 | 758 | 1064 | 0.7836 | |
| 36 | University of Central Missouri | 24300 | 35800 | 0.3222 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 39 | Lewis University | 24700 | 57700 | 0.5718 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7129 | |
| 40 | Temple University | 24800 | 36100 | 0.3132 | 21,457 | 1135 | 0.8041 | |
| 41 | Point Park University | 25300 | 57000 | 0.5564 | 2,337 | 1140 | 0.9691 | |
| 42 | Eastern Kentucky University | 25400 | 38400 | 0.3389 | 13,448 | 1110 | 0.7761 | |
| 43 | Northern Arizona University | 25500 | 43200 | 0.41 | 22,990 | 1090 | 0.8961 | |
| 44 | Western Kentucky University | 25900 | 41800 | 0.3803 | 14,151 | 970 | 0.9387 | |
| 44 | Westminster College | 25900 | 57600 | 0.5504 | 1,137 | 1149 | 0.9256 | |
| 46 | University of La Verne | 26600 | 67300 | 0.6044 | 3,050 | 1109 | 0.7117 | |
| 47 | California State University-Northridge | 27100 | 36500 | 0.2595 | 32,756 | 1005 | 0.9345 | |
| 48 | Capital University | 27200 | 62400 | 0.564 | 1,609 | 1084 | 0.7022 | |
| 49 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6653 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 50 | Alabama A & M University | 28200 | 37700 | 0.2518 | 6,370 | 915 | 0.5795 | |
| 51 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28500 | 32300 | 0.1176 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 52 | Cornerstone University | 29100 | 40800 | 0.2864 | 1,354 | 1110 | 0.7777 | |
| 53 | Huntington University | 29300 | 44300 | 0.3384 | 1,588 | 1055 | 0.7564 | |
| 54 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30500 | 54600 | 0.4411 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 55 | Chicago State University | 30700 | 37600 | 0.1841 | 1,501 | 885 | 0.4326 | |
| 56 | San Francisco State University | 30800 | 47700 | 0.3544 | 19,444 | 1035 | 0.9644 | |
| 57 | Rider University | 31400 | 60600 | 0.4816 | 3,145 | 1233 | 0.7864 | |
| 58 | Missouri Baptist University | 31500 | 53800 | 0.414 | 4,958 | 843 | 0.686 | |
| 59 | Bowie State University | 31600 | 37300 | 0.153 | 5,136 | 946 | 0.7241 | |
| 60 | Ithaca College | 32000 | 72500 | 0.5585 | 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 | Adrian College | 33500 | 70200 | 0.5226 | 1,673 | 1045 | 0.7253 | |
| 64 | Southeastern University | 34400 | 60500 | 0.4312 | 10,172 | 1110 | 0.5298 | |
| 65 | Texas Southern University | 34500 | 42500 | 0.1883 | 6,844 | 915 | 0.9691 | |
| 66 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 34600 | 50900 | 0.32 | 1,903 | 1085 | 0.6944 | |
| 67 | University of Montevallo | 35400 | 44900 | 0.2118 | 2,642 | 1124 | 0.5385 | |
| 68 | Hofstra University | 38200 | 76900 | 0.5032 | 6,581 | 1328 | 0.6808 | |
| 69 | Long Island University | 38800 | 60000 | 0.3535 | 12,072 | 1229 | 0.8616 | |
| 70 | California State University-Fullerton | 39200 | 41500 | 0.055 | 38,760 | 1090 | 0.9052 | |
| 71 | University of Central Florida | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 59,552 | 1280 | 0.4011 | |
| 72 | Wayne State University | 40400 | 46200 | 0.1256 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 73 | Appalachian State University | 40600 | 40600 | 0 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 74 | Montclair State University | 41900 | 46600 | 0.1009 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 75 | Susquehanna University | 42000 | 76800 | 0.4533 | 2,246 | 1204 | 0.8143 | |
| 76 | University of Florida | 43100 | 45700 | 0.057 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 77 | Campbell University | 44000 | 68700 | 0.3604 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.8718 | |
| 78 | New England Institute of Technology | 44600 | 68200 | 0.3458 | 1,796 | 1030 | 0.6673 | |
| 79 | Ashland University | 44900 | 56400 | 0.204 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 80 | The University of Texas at Austin | 49700 | 59400 | 0.1633 | 43,165 | 1356 | 0.2664 | |
| 81 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 53300 | 53300 | 0 | 33,033 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 82 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 83 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 54300 | 66400 | 0.1823 | 15,552 | 1174 | 0.8298 | |
| 84 | Howard University | 55000 | 66500 | 0.173 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 85 | Elon University | 56300 | 68900 | 0.183 | 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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