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 | University of Central Florida | 12400 | 23600 | 0.4746 | 59,649 | 1280 | 0.4471 | |
| 5 | Northwestern University | 12600 | 87700 | 0.8563 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 6 | California State University-Northridge | 13000 | 23200 | 0.4406 | 32,499 | 1005 | 0.9219 | |
| 7 | The University of Texas at Austin | 13100 | 30700 | 0.573 | 43,165 | 1335 | 0.2664 | |
| 8 | Texas State University | 13200 | 23200 | 0.4313 | 36,268 | 1100 | 0.8908 | |
| 9 | Texas Tech University | 14000 | 27000 | 0.4813 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 10 | University of Houston | 14200 | 23600 | 0.3988 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14500 | 41100 | 0.6478 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 12 | Goshen College | 14800 | 55800 | 0.7345 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 13 | University of Central Missouri | 14900 | 25400 | 0.4125 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 13 | University of North Texas | 14900 | 25400 | 0.4141 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 15 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15400 | 28100 | 0.452 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 16 | Appalachian State University | 16100 | 19500 | 0.1742 | 19,560 | 1159 | 0.9014 | |
| 17 | SUNY at Fredonia | 16500 | 27800 | 0.407 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 18 | Ferris State University | 16800 | 31000 | 0.4588 | 8,989 | 1015 | 0.9151 | |
| 18 | Sam Houston State University | 16800 | 23000 | 0.2696 | 17,787 | 1030 | 0.9026 | |
| 20 | California State University-Fullerton | 17100 | 20600 | 0.1703 | 38,597 | 0 | 0.9052 | |
| 21 | San Francisco State University | 17600 | 33300 | 0.4714 | 20,756 | 1035 | 0.9615 | |
| 22 | Husson University | 17800 | 48100 | 0.6293 | 2,762 | 1115 | 0.8095 | |
| 23 | Campbellsville University | 18600 | 41800 | 0.555 | 6,411 | 1055 | 0.7235 | |
| 24 | Texas Southern University | 19000 | 42400 | 0.5514 | 6,619 | 920 | 0.9335 | |
| 25 | Youngstown State University | 19300 | 29300 | 0.3409 | 8,436 | 1065 | 0.8066 | |
| 26 | California State University-Los Angeles | 19500 | 39400 | 0.5056 | 19,354 | 965 | 0.9125 | |
| 27 | Wayne State University | 19700 | 32300 | 0.3906 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 28 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 20400 | 49400 | 0.5866 | 2,079 | 1135 | 0.8221 | |
| 29 | Northern Arizona University | 21300 | 32000 | 0.3343 | 22,991 | 1145 | 0.8961 | |
| 30 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 22100 | 22200 | 0.0045 | 11,874 | 1082 | 0.8377 | |
| 31 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 32 | Lewis University | 22600 | 57000 | 0.6037 | 4,326 | 1099 | 0.7128 | |
| 33 | Murray State University | 22900 | 27600 | 0.1707 | 8,281 | 1124 | 0.8568 | |
| 34 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 23000 | 25800 | 0.105 | 7,290 | 1035 | 0.6409 | |
| 35 | Saint Ambrose University | 23200 | 54500 | 0.5744 | 1,939 | 1085 | 0.7733 | |
| 36 | Southwestern Adventist University | 23400 | 40800 | 0.4262 | 813 | 1060 | 0.5552 | |
| 37 | Eastern Kentucky University | 23500 | 38000 | 0.3811 | 12,726 | 1055 | 0.9695 | |
| 37 | Syracuse University | 23500 | 83100 | 0.7172 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 39 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 23800 | 24500 | 0.0285 | 19,888 | 1209 | 0.8517 | |
| 40 | North Central College | 24300 | 62500 | 0.6112 | 2,454 | 1203 | 0.7733 | |
| 41 | Temple University | 24900 | 36300 | 0.3143 | 21,428 | 1245 | 0.8045 | |
| 42 | University of Akron Main Campus | 25000 | 25000 | 0 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 43 | Walla Walla University | 25700 | 51700 | 0.5038 | 1,238 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 44 | Point Park University | 26200 | 56800 | 0.5391 | 2,337 | 1144 | 0.9691 | |
| 45 | Evangel University | 26300 | 39900 | 0.341 | 1,843 | 1183 | 0.7161 | |
| 45 | University of the Incarnate Word | 26300 | 59900 | 0.5613 | 4,638 | 1035 | 0.9813 | |
| 47 | La Sierra University | 26400 | 55100 | 0.5213 | 1,244 | 1015 | 0.933 | |
| 48 | Columbia College Chicago | 26800 | 60600 | 0.5582 | 5,422 | 0 | 0.7549 | |
| 49 | Capital University | 27200 | 68600 | 0.6036 | 1,609 | 1084 | 0.7022 | |
| 50 | Rowan University | 27400 | 40500 | 0.3234 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 50 | Troy University | 27400 | 32600 | 0.1594 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 52 | Alabama A & M University | 28100 | 42800 | 0.3433 | 5,845 | 940 | 0.6622 | |
| 53 | Cornerstone University | 29200 | 40800 | 0.2846 | 1,444 | 1124 | 0.7316 | |
| 54 | Westminster College | 29400 | 57500 | 0.4884 | 1,136 | 1190 | 0.9256 | |
| 55 | Montclair State University | 29500 | 36300 | 0.1874 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 56 | Huntington University | 29700 | 44300 | 0.3299 | 1,286 | 1095 | 0.7115 | |
| 57 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 29900 | 34000 | 0.1205 | 6,910 | 1053 | 0.9734 | |
| 57 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 29900 | 46100 | 0.3514 | 1,903 | 1085 | 0.6944 | |
| 59 | California State University-Chico | 30100 | 41000 | 0.2661 | 13,392 | 1117 | 0.9158 | |
| 60 | San Jose State University | 30300 | 41000 | 0.2608 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 61 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 30500 | 39500 | 0.2277 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 62 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30600 | 54600 | 0.4397 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 62 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 30600 | 43700 | 0.2995 | 1,002 | 1115 | 0.8898 | |
| 64 | Chicago State University | 30900 | 37600 | 0.1781 | 1,495 | 885 | 0.4052 | |
| 65 | State University of New York at Oswego | 31400 | 38300 | 0.1799 | 5,517 | 1174 | 0.8057 | |
| 66 | Missouri Baptist University | 31600 | 53800 | 0.4126 | 4,958 | 843 | 0.686 | |
| 67 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 31800 | 31800 | 0 | 11,562 | 1110 | 0.5836 | |
| 68 | Bowie State University | 31900 | 44300 | 0.2802 | 5,136 | 875 | 0.75 | |
| 69 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | 32100 | 44800 | 0.2835 | 3,856 | 1169 | 0.7518 | |
| 70 | University of Southern Indiana | 32500 | 44900 | 0.2764 | 5,347 | 1145 | 0.9581 | |
| 71 | Southeastern University | 32700 | 60500 | 0.4592 | 10,351 | 1130 | 0.6165 | |
| 72 | Lasell University | 33500 | 47000 | 0.287 | 1,293 | 1139 | 0.927 | |
| 73 | Adrian College | 33600 | 70200 | 0.5215 | 1,678 | 1060 | 0.6843 | |
| 73 | Ithaca College | 33600 | 72500 | 0.5365 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 75 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 34100 | 35100 | 0.0285 | 33,572 | 1264 | 0.8529 | |
| 76 | University of Montevallo | 35800 | 46700 | 0.2333 | 2,545 | 1124 | 0.5579 | |
| 77 | Western Kentucky University | 36100 | 41900 | 0.1385 | 14,151 | 1090 | 0.9387 | |
| 78 | Ashland University | 36400 | 52700 | 0.3091 | 5,180 | 1145 | 0.8053 | |
| 79 | Long Island University | 37200 | 59600 | 0.376 | 11,753 | 1222 | 0.8977 | |
| 80 | Suffolk University | 38500 | 73600 | 0.4771 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 81 | Hofstra University | 38800 | 74600 | 0.4797 | 6,581 | 1323 | 0.6808 | |
| 82 | San Diego State University | 40100 | 40500 | 0.0099 | 34,637 | 1208 | 0.3598 | |
| 83 | Campbell University | 41600 | 65100 | 0.3611 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 84 | New England Institute of Technology | 41900 | 61100 | 0.3145 | 1,718 | 995 | 0.6673 | |
| 85 | Susquehanna University | 42400 | 76800 | 0.4481 | 2,185 | 1204 | 0.7871 | |
| 86 | University of Florida | 43500 | 45600 | 0.046 | 36,567 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 87 | Savannah College of Art and Design | 48600 | 64400 | 0.2454 | 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 | 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.
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