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 | 6700 | 88600 | 0.9243 | 6,356 | 1543 | 0.0644 | |
| 2 | Eastern Kentucky University | 10600 | 22900 | 0.5381 | 12,726 | 1055 | 0.9695 | |
| 3 | Northern Illinois University | 12400 | 29000 | 0.5718 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 4 | Northwestern University | 12600 | 87700 | 0.8563 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 5 | University of Central Florida | 12900 | 23600 | 0.4534 | 59,649 | 1280 | 0.4471 | |
| 6 | The University of Texas at Austin | 13200 | 30700 | 0.5697 | 43,165 | 1335 | 0.2664 | |
| 7 | Boston University | 13600 | 88800 | 0.8472 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 8 | Texas Tech University | 14000 | 27000 | 0.4813 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 10 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 14600 | 31600 | 0.5372 | 7,290 | 1035 | 0.6409 | |
| 11 | Goshen College | 14900 | 55800 | 0.734 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 12 | Murray State University | 15100 | 27000 | 0.4415 | 8,281 | 1124 | 0.8568 | |
| 13 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15300 | 28100 | 0.4555 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 14 | California State University-Chico | 16000 | 23500 | 0.3188 | 13,392 | 1117 | 0.9158 | |
| 15 | Ferris State University | 16800 | 31000 | 0.4588 | 8,989 | 1015 | 0.9151 | |
| 15 | Sam Houston State University | 16800 | 23000 | 0.2696 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 17 | Husson University | 17800 | 48100 | 0.6293 | 2,762 | 1115 | 0.8095 | |
| 18 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | 17900 | 32100 | 0.443 | 3,856 | 1169 | 0.7518 | |
| 19 | Campbellsville University | 18600 | 41800 | 0.555 | 6,411 | 1055 | 0.7235 | |
| 19 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18600 | 27500 | 0.3235 | 5,517 | 1174 | 0.8057 | |
| 21 | Texas State University | 18900 | 28900 | 0.3455 | 36,268 | 1100 | 0.8908 | |
| 22 | Texas Southern University | 19000 | 42400 | 0.5514 | 6,619 | 920 | 0.9335 | |
| 23 | Youngstown State University | 19300 | 29300 | 0.3409 | 8,436 | 1065 | 0.8066 | |
| 24 | Western Kentucky University | 19500 | 26800 | 0.2708 | 14,151 | 960 | 0.9387 | |
| 25 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 19800 | 24500 | 0.1915 | 19,888 | 1209 | 0.8517 | |
| 26 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 20400 | 49400 | 0.5865 | 2,079 | 1135 | 0.8221 | |
| 26 | University of Montevallo | 20400 | 31500 | 0.3529 | 2,545 | 1124 | 0.5579 | |
| 28 | Northern Arizona University | 21300 | 32000 | 0.3345 | 22,991 | 1145 | 0.8961 | |
| 29 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 22100 | 22200 | 0.0045 | 11,874 | 1082 | 0.8377 | |
| 30 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 31 | Lewis University | 22700 | 57000 | 0.6019 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7128 | |
| 32 | Saint Ambrose University | 23200 | 54500 | 0.5744 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 33 | University of Central Missouri | 23300 | 34300 | 0.3206 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 34 | Southwestern Adventist University | 23400 | 40800 | 0.4262 | 813 | 1060 | 0.5552 | |
| 35 | Syracuse University | 23600 | 83100 | 0.716 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 36 | North Central College | 24300 | 62500 | 0.6112 | 2,454 | 1203 | 0.7733 | |
| 37 | California State University-Fullerton | 25400 | 41400 | 0.3858 | 38,597 | 0 | 0.9052 | |
| 38 | Walla Walla University | 25700 | 51700 | 0.5024 | 1,238 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 39 | California State University-Northridge | 25900 | 36600 | 0.2916 | 32,499 | 1005 | 0.9219 | |
| 40 | Evangel University | 26300 | 39900 | 0.341 | 1,843 | 1183 | 0.7161 | |
| 40 | Point Park University | 26300 | 56800 | 0.5374 | 2,337 | 1144 | 0.9691 | |
| 40 | University of the Incarnate Word | 26300 | 59900 | 0.5613 | 4,638 | 1035 | 0.9813 | |
| 43 | La Sierra University | 26400 | 55100 | 0.5213 | 1,244 | 1015 | 0.933 | |
| 44 | Capital University | 27200 | 68600 | 0.6036 | 1,609 | 1084 | 0.7022 | |
| 45 | Troy University | 27400 | 32600 | 0.1594 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 46 | Rowan University | 27500 | 40500 | 0.3209 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 47 | University of North Texas | 27600 | 37400 | 0.2622 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 48 | Alabama A & M University | 28100 | 42800 | 0.3433 | 5,845 | 940 | 0.6622 | |
| 49 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 31500 | 0.0921 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 50 | Cornerstone University | 29200 | 40800 | 0.2838 | 1,444 | 1124 | 0.7316 | |
| 51 | Westminster College | 29500 | 57500 | 0.4866 | 1,136 | 1190 | 0.9256 | |
| 52 | Huntington University | 29800 | 44300 | 0.3276 | 1,286 | 1095 | 0.7115 | |
| 53 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 29900 | 34000 | 0.1205 | 6,910 | 1053 | 0.9734 | |
| 54 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 30000 | 46100 | 0.3485 | 1,903 | 1085 | 0.6944 | |
| 55 | San Jose State University | 30300 | 41000 | 0.2608 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 56 | SUNY at Fredonia | 30400 | 39600 | 0.2326 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 57 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 30500 | 39500 | 0.2277 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 58 | Columbia College Chicago | 30600 | 60600 | 0.4954 | 5,422 | 0 | 0.7549 | |
| 58 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 30600 | 43700 | 0.2995 | 1,002 | 1115 | 0.8898 | |
| 60 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30700 | 54600 | 0.4374 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 61 | Chicago State University | 30900 | 37600 | 0.1787 | 1,495 | 885 | 0.4052 | |
| 61 | University of Houston | 30900 | 35200 | 0.1223 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 63 | San Francisco State University | 31200 | 45200 | 0.3099 | 20,756 | 1035 | 0.9615 | |
| 64 | Adrian College | 31700 | 67500 | 0.53 | 1,678 | 1060 | 0.6843 | |
| 64 | Missouri Baptist University | 31700 | 53800 | 0.4102 | 4,958 | 843 | 0.686 | |
| 66 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 31800 | 31800 | 0 | 11,562 | 1110 | 0.5836 | |
| 67 | University of Southern Indiana | 32500 | 44900 | 0.2763 | 5,347 | 1145 | 0.9581 | |
| 68 | Southeastern University | 32700 | 60500 | 0.4592 | 10,351 | 1130 | 0.6165 | |
| 69 | Bowie State University | 33300 | 44300 | 0.2486 | 5,136 | 946 | 0.75 | |
| 69 | California State University-Los Angeles | 33300 | 39400 | 0.155 | 19,354 | 965 | 0.9125 | |
| 71 | Appalachian State University | 33500 | 35800 | 0.0642 | 19,560 | 1159 | 0.9014 | |
| 72 | Ithaca College | 33600 | 72500 | 0.5365 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 72 | Lasell University | 33600 | 47000 | 0.2849 | 1,293 | 1139 | 0.927 | |
| 74 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 34500 | 35100 | 0.0171 | 33,572 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 75 | Ashland University | 36400 | 52700 | 0.3091 | 5,180 | 1145 | 0.8053 | |
| 76 | Long Island University | 37200 | 59600 | 0.376 | 11,753 | 1222 | 0.8977 | |
| 77 | Suffolk University | 38600 | 73600 | 0.4758 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 78 | Wayne State University | 39300 | 45500 | 0.1362 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 79 | San Diego State University | 40100 | 40500 | 0.0099 | 34,637 | 1208 | 0.3598 | |
| 80 | Temple University | 40600 | 56100 | 0.2762 | 21,428 | 1245 | 0.8045 | |
| 81 | Campbell University | 41700 | 65100 | 0.3591 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 81 | Hofstra University | 41700 | 74600 | 0.4409 | 6,581 | 1323 | 0.6808 | |
| 83 | New England Institute of Technology | 41900 | 61100 | 0.3145 | 1,718 | 995 | 0.6673 | |
| 84 | Susquehanna University | 42400 | 76800 | 0.4481 | 2,185 | 1204 | 0.7871 | |
| 85 | University of Florida | 43500 | 45600 | 0.046 | 36,567 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 86 | Montclair State University | 46300 | 46600 | 0.0064 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 87 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 48700 | 64400 | 0.2439 | 14,657 | 1180 | 0.8368 | |
| 88 | University of Kentucky | 51000 | 56000 | 0.0893 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 89 | Emerson College | 55800 | 82600 | 0.3245 | 4,171 | 1339 | 0.4749 | |
| 90 | University of La Verne | 62100 | 66500 | 0.0662 | 2,414 | 1123 | 0.4847 | |
| 91 | Pepperdine University | 63800 | 92800 | 0.3124 | 3,553 | 1341 | 0.6286 | |
| 92 | Elon University | 66000 | 67300 | 0.0193 | 6,452 | 1244 | 0.6635 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.