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 | Northern Arizona University | 11600 | 27900 | 0.5837 | 22,990 | 1090 | 0.8961 | |
| 3 | California State University-Northridge | 12000 | 22000 | 0.4528 | 32,756 | 1005 | 0.9345 | |
| 3 | University of Houston | 12000 | 28400 | 0.5781 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 5 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 6 | Boston University | 12700 | 92800 | 0.8633 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 8 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5047 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 9 | Northwestern University | 14600 | 88300 | 0.8348 | 9,399 | 1527 | 0.0769 | |
| 10 | California State University-Chico | 15200 | 23500 | 0.3528 | 13,792 | 1075 | 0.9272 | |
| 10 | Texas State University | 15200 | 25500 | 0.4042 | 36,236 | 1100 | 0.8932 | |
| 12 | Appalachian State University | 15800 | 19500 | 0.1899 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 12 | Sam Houston State University | 15800 | 30300 | 0.4782 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 14 | University of Florida | 16400 | 22500 | 0.271 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 15 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.7045 | 780 | 995 | 0.8407 | |
| 16 | Ferris State University | 17000 | 31000 | 0.4523 | 8,991 | 1015 | 0.9139 | |
| 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 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 17800 | 22200 | 0.1986 | 11,994 | 1090 | 0.865 | |
| 20 | Texas Tech University | 18300 | 27100 | 0.3253 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 21 | Campbellsville University | 19100 | 43200 | 0.5573 | 6,848 | 1075 | 0.7974 | |
| 22 | California State University-Los Angeles | 19700 | 38000 | 0.4816 | 19,586 | 965 | 0.9125 | |
| 23 | Youngstown State University | 20000 | 34000 | 0.4118 | 9,400 | 1115 | 0.8445 | |
| 24 | San Diego State University | 20100 | 28900 | 0.3046 | 35,782 | 1208 | 0.3619 | |
| 25 | Lasell University | 20200 | 48500 | 0.5831 | 1,293 | 1095 | 0.8122 | |
| 26 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20400 | 39900 | 0.489 | 5,255 | 1109 | 0.7295 | |
| 27 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20500 | 23200 | 0.1164 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 28 | Texas Southern University | 22100 | 25500 | 0.1335 | 6,844 | 915 | 0.9691 | |
| 29 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 22400 | 43200 | 0.4816 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 30 | Murray State University | 22900 | 27600 | 0.1687 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 31 | San Jose State University | 23000 | 41100 | 0.4405 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 32 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 23100 | 25800 | 0.1029 | 7,735 | 1015 | 0.6218 | |
| 33 | University of Southern Indiana | 23500 | 27200 | 0.1342 | 7,600 | 1145 | 0.9581 | |
| 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 | |
| 38 | University of Central Missouri | 24400 | 35800 | 0.3185 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 39 | Lewis University | 24700 | 57700 | 0.5718 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7129 | |
| 40 | Point Park University | 25200 | 57000 | 0.5582 | 2,337 | 1140 | 0.9691 | |
| 41 | Eastern Kentucky University | 25500 | 38400 | 0.3363 | 13,448 | 1110 | 0.7761 | |
| 42 | Western Kentucky University | 25900 | 41800 | 0.3803 | 14,151 | 970 | 0.9387 | |
| 43 | Westminster College | 26000 | 57600 | 0.5486 | 1,137 | 1149 | 0.9256 | |
| 44 | University of La Verne | 26800 | 67300 | 0.6015 | 3,050 | 1109 | 0.7117 | |
| 45 | Troy University | 26900 | 34700 | 0.2248 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 46 | Capital University | 27200 | 62400 | 0.564 | 1,609 | 1084 | 0.7022 | |
| 47 | Chicago State University | 27600 | 37800 | 0.2702 | 1,501 | 885 | 0.4326 | |
| 48 | Syracuse University | 27700 | 83100 | 0.6665 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 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 | University of North Texas | 28900 | 37400 | 0.2271 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 52 | Cornerstone University | 29100 | 40800 | 0.2857 | 1,354 | 1110 | 0.7777 | |
| 53 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 29400 | 34000 | 0.1352 | 6,907 | 1060 | 0.974 | |
| 53 | Huntington University | 29400 | 44300 | 0.3362 | 1,588 | 1055 | 0.7564 | |
| 55 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30600 | 54600 | 0.4387 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 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 | Bowie State University | 31600 | 37300 | 0.153 | 5,136 | 946 | 0.7241 | |
| 59 | Missouri Baptist University | 31700 | 53800 | 0.4116 | 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 | 33600 | 70200 | 0.5207 | 1,673 | 1045 | 0.7253 | |
| 65 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 33900 | 36100 | 0.0609 | 33,033 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 66 | Southeastern University | 34400 | 60500 | 0.4312 | 10,172 | 1110 | 0.5298 | |
| 67 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 34700 | 50900 | 0.3175 | 1,903 | 1085 | 0.6944 | |
| 68 | University of Montevallo | 35400 | 44900 | 0.2118 | 2,642 | 1124 | 0.5385 | |
| 69 | Temple University | 35600 | 56400 | 0.3689 | 21,457 | 1135 | 0.8041 | |
| 70 | Hofstra University | 38200 | 76900 | 0.5032 | 6,581 | 1328 | 0.6808 | |
| 71 | Long Island University | 38800 | 60000 | 0.3535 | 12,072 | 1229 | 0.8616 | |
| 72 | California State University-Fullerton | 39300 | 41500 | 0.0518 | 38,760 | 1090 | 0.9052 | |
| 73 | University of Central Florida | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 59,552 | 1280 | 0.4011 | |
| 74 | Wayne State University | 40400 | 46200 | 0.1256 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 75 | Montclair State University | 42000 | 46600 | 0.0987 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 75 | Susquehanna University | 42000 | 76800 | 0.4533 | 2,246 | 1204 | 0.8143 | |
| 77 | Campbell University | 44100 | 68700 | 0.3586 | 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 | University of Kentucky | 49100 | 58000 | 0.1535 | 25,534 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 81 | The University of Texas at Austin | 49800 | 59400 | 0.1617 | 43,165 | 1356 | 0.2664 | |
| 82 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 83 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 54600 | 66400 | 0.1777 | 15,552 | 1174 | 0.8298 | |
| 84 | Elon University | 56400 | 68900 | 0.1815 | 6,452 | 1215 | 0.6635 | |
| 85 | Howard University | 60000 | 66500 | 0.0978 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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