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 | 4400 | 88600 | 0.9502 | 6,356 | 1543 | 0.0644 | |
| 2 | Boston University | 5700 | 88800 | 0.9363 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 3 | Northern Illinois University | 12300 | 29000 | 0.5744 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 4 | Northwestern University | 12600 | 87700 | 0.8563 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 5 | The University of Texas at Austin | 13100 | 30700 | 0.573 | 43,165 | 1335 | 0.2664 | |
| 6 | Texas Tech University | 14000 | 27000 | 0.4813 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14500 | 41100 | 0.6478 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 8 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 14600 | 31600 | 0.5381 | 7,290 | 1035 | 0.6409 | |
| 9 | Goshen College | 14800 | 55800 | 0.7345 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 10 | University of North Texas | 14900 | 25400 | 0.4141 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15400 | 28100 | 0.452 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 12 | Ferris State University | 16800 | 31000 | 0.4588 | 8,989 | 1015 | 0.9151 | |
| 13 | Alabama A & M University | 17600 | 35300 | 0.5007 | 5,845 | 940 | 0.6622 | |
| 14 | Husson University | 17800 | 48100 | 0.6293 | 2,762 | 1115 | 0.8095 | |
| 15 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | 17900 | 32100 | 0.443 | 3,856 | 1169 | 0.7518 | |
| 16 | Campbellsville University | 18600 | 41800 | 0.555 | 6,411 | 1055 | 0.7235 | |
| 17 | Texas State University | 18900 | 28900 | 0.3455 | 36,268 | 1100 | 0.8908 | |
| 18 | Youngstown State University | 19300 | 29300 | 0.3409 | 8,436 | 1065 | 0.8066 | |
| 19 | Texas Southern University | 20300 | 25700 | 0.2104 | 6,619 | 920 | 0.9335 | |
| 20 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 20400 | 49400 | 0.5866 | 2,079 | 1135 | 0.8221 | |
| 21 | San Diego State University | 20700 | 28100 | 0.2635 | 34,637 | 1208 | 0.3598 | |
| 22 | Bowie State University | 21200 | 28800 | 0.2638 | 5,136 | 875 | 0.75 | |
| 23 | Northern Arizona University | 21300 | 32000 | 0.3343 | 22,991 | 1145 | 0.8961 | |
| 24 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 22100 | 22200 | 0.0045 | 11,874 | 1082 | 0.8377 | |
| 25 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 26 | Lewis University | 22600 | 57000 | 0.6037 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7128 | |
| 27 | Murray State University | 22900 | 27600 | 0.1707 | 8,281 | 1124 | 0.8568 | |
| 28 | Saint Ambrose University | 23200 | 54500 | 0.5744 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 28 | University of Central Missouri | 23200 | 34300 | 0.3244 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 30 | Southwestern Adventist University | 23400 | 40800 | 0.4262 | 813 | 1060 | 0.5552 | |
| 31 | Eastern Kentucky University | 23500 | 38000 | 0.3811 | 12,726 | 1055 | 0.9695 | |
| 31 | Syracuse University | 23500 | 83100 | 0.7172 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 33 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 23800 | 24500 | 0.0285 | 19,888 | 1209 | 0.8517 | |
| 34 | North Central College | 24300 | 62500 | 0.6112 | 2,454 | 1203 | 0.7733 | |
| 35 | California State University-Fullerton | 25500 | 41400 | 0.3841 | 38,597 | 0 | 0.9052 | |
| 36 | Walla Walla University | 25700 | 51700 | 0.5038 | 1,238 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 37 | California State University-Northridge | 26000 | 36600 | 0.2897 | 32,499 | 1005 | 0.9219 | |
| 38 | Point Park University | 26200 | 56800 | 0.5391 | 2,337 | 1144 | 0.9691 | |
| 39 | Evangel University | 26300 | 39900 | 0.341 | 1,843 | 1183 | 0.7161 | |
| 39 | University of the Incarnate Word | 26300 | 59900 | 0.5613 | 4,638 | 1035 | 0.9813 | |
| 41 | La Sierra University | 26400 | 55100 | 0.5213 | 1,244 | 1015 | 0.933 | |
| 42 | Columbia College Chicago | 26800 | 60600 | 0.5582 | 5,422 | 0 | 0.7549 | |
| 43 | Capital University | 27200 | 68600 | 0.6036 | 1,609 | 1084 | 0.7022 | |
| 44 | Troy University | 27400 | 32600 | 0.1594 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 45 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 31500 | 0.0921 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 46 | Cornerstone University | 29200 | 40800 | 0.2846 | 1,444 | 1124 | 0.7316 | |
| 47 | Westminster College | 29400 | 57500 | 0.4884 | 1,136 | 1190 | 0.9256 | |
| 48 | Huntington University | 29700 | 44300 | 0.3299 | 1,286 | 1095 | 0.7115 | |
| 49 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 29900 | 34000 | 0.1205 | 6,910 | 1053 | 0.9734 | |
| 49 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 29900 | 46100 | 0.3514 | 1,903 | 1085 | 0.6944 | |
| 51 | California State University-Chico | 30100 | 41000 | 0.2661 | 13,392 | 1117 | 0.9158 | |
| 52 | San Jose State University | 30300 | 41000 | 0.2608 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 53 | SUNY at Fredonia | 30400 | 39600 | 0.2326 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 54 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 30500 | 39500 | 0.2277 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 55 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30600 | 54600 | 0.4397 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 55 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 30600 | 43700 | 0.2995 | 1,002 | 1115 | 0.8898 | |
| 57 | Chicago State University | 30900 | 37600 | 0.1781 | 1,495 | 885 | 0.4052 | |
| 57 | University of Houston | 30900 | 35200 | 0.1223 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 59 | San Francisco State University | 31200 | 45200 | 0.3099 | 20,756 | 1035 | 0.9615 | |
| 60 | State University of New York at Oswego | 31400 | 38300 | 0.1799 | 5,517 | 1174 | 0.8057 | |
| 61 | Missouri Baptist University | 31600 | 53800 | 0.4126 | 4,958 | 843 | 0.686 | |
| 62 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 31800 | 31800 | 0 | 11,562 | 1110 | 0.5836 | |
| 63 | Sam Houston State University | 32100 | 39900 | 0.1955 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 64 | University of Southern Indiana | 32500 | 44900 | 0.2764 | 5,347 | 1145 | 0.9581 | |
| 65 | Southeastern University | 32700 | 60500 | 0.4592 | 10,351 | 1130 | 0.6165 | |
| 66 | California State University-Los Angeles | 33300 | 39400 | 0.155 | 19,354 | 965 | 0.9125 | |
| 67 | Appalachian State University | 33500 | 35800 | 0.0642 | 19,560 | 1159 | 0.9014 | |
| 67 | Lasell University | 33500 | 47000 | 0.287 | 1,293 | 1139 | 0.927 | |
| 69 | Adrian College | 33600 | 70200 | 0.5215 | 1,678 | 1060 | 0.6843 | |
| 69 | Ithaca College | 33600 | 72500 | 0.5365 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 71 | University of Montevallo | 35800 | 46700 | 0.2333 | 2,545 | 1124 | 0.5579 | |
| 72 | Western Kentucky University | 36100 | 41900 | 0.1385 | 14,151 | 1090 | 0.9387 | |
| 73 | Ashland University | 36400 | 52700 | 0.3091 | 5,180 | 1145 | 0.8053 | |
| 74 | University of Central Florida | 36700 | 39600 | 0.0733 | 59,649 | 1280 | 0.4471 | |
| 75 | Long Island University | 37200 | 59600 | 0.376 | 11,753 | 1222 | 0.8977 | |
| 76 | Suffolk University | 38500 | 73600 | 0.4771 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 77 | Hofstra University | 38800 | 74600 | 0.4797 | 6,581 | 1323 | 0.6808 | |
| 78 | Wayne State University | 39300 | 45500 | 0.1362 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 79 | Temple University | 40500 | 56100 | 0.278 | 21,428 | 1245 | 0.8045 | |
| 80 | Campbell University | 41600 | 65100 | 0.3611 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 81 | New England Institute of Technology | 41900 | 61100 | 0.3145 | 1,718 | 995 | 0.6673 | |
| 82 | Susquehanna University | 42400 | 76800 | 0.4481 | 2,185 | 1204 | 0.7871 | |
| 83 | University of Florida | 43500 | 45600 | 0.046 | 36,567 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 84 | Montclair State University | 46300 | 46600 | 0.0064 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 85 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 48600 | 64400 | 0.2454 | 14,657 | 1180 | 0.8368 | |
| 86 | University of Kentucky | 51000 | 56000 | 0.0893 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 87 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 51700 | 51700 | 0 | 33,572 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 88 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 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 | 62200 | 92800 | 0.3296 | 3,553 | 1378 | 0.6286 | |
| 92 | Elon University | 65900 | 67300 | 0.0208 | 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.