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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 | United States Naval Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4,465 | 1314 | 0.0936 | |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins University | 2700 | 92000 | 0.9704 | 6,356 | 1543 | 0.0644 | |
| 3 | University of Chicago | 4000 | 95000 | 0.9582 | 7,519 | 1535 | 0.0448 | |
| 4 | Trinity College | 4500 | 92800 | 0.9518 | 2,237 | 1393 | 0.3352 | |
| 5 | Williams College | 4600 | 89700 | 0.949 | 2,101 | 1527 | 0.0825 | |
| 6 | Colby College | 5100 | 90200 | 0.9432 | 2,412 | 1497 | 0.0709 | |
| 7 | Princeton University | 5300 | 82400 | 0.9353 | 5,813 | 1535 | 0.0462 | |
| 8 | Yale University | 5500 | 92200 | 0.94 | 6,814 | 1507 | 0.0387 | |
| 9 | Pomona College | 5600 | 90000 | 0.9375 | 1,766 | 1520 | 0.0709 | |
| 10 | Smith College | 5700 | 96700 | 0.9415 | 2,549 | 1477 | 0.21 | |
| 11 | Amherst College | 5800 | 96100 | 0.9401 | 1,914 | 1514 | 0.0901 | |
| 11 | Wesleyan University | 5800 | 93700 | 0.9385 | 3,805 | 1405 | 0.1649 | |
| 13 | Harvard University | 5900 | 90900 | 0.9353 | 7,038 | 1535 | 0.0365 | |
| 14 | Davidson College | 6000 | 89900 | 0.933 | 1,869 | 1454 | 0.1337 | |
| 15 | Colgate University | 6900 | 95700 | 0.9274 | 3,193 | 1488 | 0.1388 | |
| 16 | Bowdoin College | 7000 | 89900 | 0.9224 | 1,881 | 1505 | 0.0713 | |
| 17 | Brandeis University | 7600 | 94700 | 0.9196 | 3,632 | 1454 | 0.4051 | |
| 18 | Vanderbilt University | 7800 | 96500 | 0.9194 | 7,221 | 1527 | 0.0586 | |
| 19 | University of Pennsylvania | 8100 | 92900 | 0.913 | 10,013 | 1528 | 0.054 | |
| 20 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 8200 | 90000 | 0.9093 | 4,576 | 1535 | 0.0485 | |
| 21 | Emory University | 8300 | 92500 | 0.9103 | 7,407 | 1499 | 0.1029 | |
| 22 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8400 | 98000 | 0.9146 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 23 | Rice University | 8600 | 89100 | 0.9038 | 4,789 | 1535 | 0.08 | |
| 24 | Carnegie Mellon University | 9000 | 90900 | 0.9007 | 7,824 | 1528 | 0.1166 | |
| 25 | Washington University in St Louis | 9200 | 96200 | 0.904 | 8,220 | 1513 | 0.1206 | |
| 26 | Grinnell College | 9300 | 91400 | 0.8984 | 1,788 | 1462 | 0.1451 | |
| 27 | University of California-Irvine | 9600 | 42100 | 0.7714 | 30,204 | 1333 | 0.2878 | |
| 28 | Lake Forest College | 9900 | 75400 | 0.8693 | 1,814 | 1323 | 0.5681 | |
| 29 | University of Richmond | 10000 | 97100 | 0.8971 | 3,055 | 1484 | 0.222 | |
| 30 | Haverford College | 10100 | 97600 | 0.8966 | 1,431 | 1499 | 0.1237 | |
| 30 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 10100 | 29300 | 0.6564 | 31,112 | 1130 | 0.8129 | |
| 32 | Wellesley College | 10400 | 91300 | 0.8862 | 2,407 | 1500 | 0.1405 | |
| 33 | Reed College | 10500 | 83700 | 0.8744 | 1,346 | 1399 | 0.2461 | |
| 34 | University of Notre Dame | 10600 | 86200 | 0.8775 | 8,880 | 1499 | 0.1127 | |
| 34 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 10600 | 36400 | 0.7094 | 40,754 | 1391 | 0.3915 | |
| 36 | Bates College | 10800 | 91900 | 0.8823 | 1,760 | 1438 | 0.1332 | |
| 36 | Hamilton College | 10800 | 89000 | 0.8783 | 2,037 | 1499 | 0.1362 | |
| 38 | Dickinson College | 11000 | 94300 | 0.8838 | 2,311 | 1399 | 0.4209 | |
| 39 | Middlebury College | 11300 | 89900 | 0.8746 | 2,760 | 1499 | 0.1075 | |
| 39 | University of California-San Diego | 11300 | 42500 | 0.7339 | 34,955 | 1375 | 0.2677 | |
| 41 | Duke University | 11400 | 93600 | 0.8784 | 6,523 | 1539 | 0.0571 | |
| 42 | Brown University | 11600 | 94000 | 0.8763 | 7,910 | 1535 | 0.0539 | |
| 43 | Cornell University | 11700 | 93100 | 0.8745 | 16,128 | 1521 | 0.0841 | |
| 44 | Lafayette College | 11800 | 85800 | 0.8629 | 2,775 | 1427 | 0.3145 | |
| 45 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 12200 | 41900 | 0.7083 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 46 | Carleton College | 12300 | 74000 | 0.8334 | 2,128 | 1492 | 0.2041 | |
| 46 | Georgetown University | 12300 | 92700 | 0.8673 | 7,833 | 1457 | 0.1291 | |
| 46 | St Olaf College | 12300 | 75900 | 0.838 | 3,124 | 1378 | 0.4832 | |
| 49 | Wake Forest University | 12400 | 91900 | 0.8647 | 5,471 | 1457 | 0.2156 | |
| 50 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 12700 | 34600 | 0.6336 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 51 | University of California-Riverside | 13000 | 36500 | 0.6434 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 52 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 13100 | 38800 | 0.6616 | 17,901 | 1470 | 0.1681 | |
| 53 | Northern Illinois University | 13200 | 29000 | 0.5434 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 54 | Colorado College | 13300 | 94600 | 0.8591 | 2,031 | 1357 | 0.1847 | |
| 55 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 13400 | 25700 | 0.4786 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 55 | Mount Holyoke College | 13400 | 89900 | 0.8512 | 2,178 | 1449 | 0.3603 | |
| 57 | Denison University | 13500 | 69300 | 0.8057 | 2,406 | 1383 | 0.1693 | |
| 57 | Portland State University | 13500 | 26100 | 0.4837 | 15,960 | 1176 | 0.9091 | |
| 59 | University of Delaware | 13600 | 34500 | 0.6068 | 19,119 | 1303 | 0.6356 | |
| 60 | Union College | 14100 | 92400 | 0.8473 | 2,065 | 1393 | 0.4392 | |
| 61 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 14400 | 28000 | 0.4854 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 62 | Pittsburg State University | 14600 | 33300 | 0.5619 | 4,491 | 1055 | 0.8727 | |
| 63 | Bucknell University | 14700 | 94800 | 0.8448 | 3,920 | 1284 | 0.2893 | |
| 63 | Stanford University | 14700 | 71200 | 0.7934 | 7,904 | 1535 | 0.0361 | |
| 65 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 15000 | 22200 | 0.325 | 11,874 | 1082 | 0.8377 | |
| 66 | Northeastern University | 15100 | 89900 | 0.832 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 67 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 15200 | 35700 | 0.5744 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 67 | Macalester College | 15200 | 90000 | 0.8308 | 2,144 | 1417 | 0.2852 | |
| 69 | Wayne State University | 15400 | 32900 | 0.5316 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 70 | Albion College | 15500 | 93700 | 0.8346 | 1,308 | 1065 | 0.807 | |
| 70 | Ball State University | 15500 | 22400 | 0.3085 | 15,189 | 1170 | 0.855 | |
| 70 | Oberlin College | 15500 | 88700 | 0.8256 | 2,950 | 1430 | 0.3298 | |
| 70 | University of Central Oklahoma | 15500 | 28700 | 0.46 | 10,454 | 1095 | 0.8176 | |
| 74 | The University of Texas at Austin | 15800 | 30500 | 0.4817 | 43,165 | 1335 | 0.2664 | |
| 75 | University of California-Los Angeles | 16300 | 36700 | 0.5555 | 33,471 | 1399 | 0.0897 | |
| 76 | Eastern Michigan University | 16700 | 31800 | 0.4753 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 76 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 16700 | 64800 | 0.7426 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 78 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 17200 | 27200 | 0.3671 | 44,170 | 1327 | 0.4979 | |
| 79 | University of Rhode Island | 17300 | 33900 | 0.4898 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 80 | Weber State University | 17400 | 41300 | 0.5782 | 31,672 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 81 | Barnard College | 17600 | 99700 | 0.8232 | 3,269 | 1490 | 0.0796 | |
| 82 | University of Miami | 17700 | 96300 | 0.8159 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 83 | Boston College | 17800 | 96200 | 0.8146 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 84 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | 17900 | 30400 | 0.4118 | 20,592 | 1435 | 0.1407 | |
| 85 | Occidental College | 18400 | 89200 | 0.7941 | 1,881 | 1447 | 0.4417 | |
| 85 | University of West Alabama | 18400 | 43800 | 0.58 | 2,673 | 970 | 0.8711 | |
| 87 | Emporia State University | 18500 | 29800 | 0.3797 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 88 | University at Albany | 19200 | 30800 | 0.3761 | 12,666 | 1245 | 0.6909 | |
| 89 | Connecticut College | 19300 | 115500 | 0.8326 | 1,990 | 1287 | 0.3704 | |
| 90 | Wheaton College | 19400 | 84800 | 0.7712 | 2,119 | 1351 | 0.8998 | |
| 91 | Western Michigan University | 19500 | 31200 | 0.3747 | 13,860 | 1104 | 0.846 | |
| 92 | San Jose State University | 19800 | 33600 | 0.4104 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 93 | University of Wyoming | 19900 | 26700 | 0.2545 | 8,130 | 1159 | 0.9688 | |
| 94 | University of Southern California | 20000 | 75800 | 0.7365 | 21,023 | 1485 | 0.1002 | |
| 95 | Claremont McKenna College | 20200 | 98000 | 0.7941 | 1,390 | 1507 | 0.0959 | |
| 95 | University of Rochester | 20200 | 93100 | 0.7833 | 6,580 | 1469 | 0.4008 | |
| 97 | Boise State University | 20600 | 59700 | 0.655 | 24,030 | 1025 | 0.8721 | |
| 98 | Beloit College | 20700 | 97600 | 0.7878 | 1,004 | 1298 | 0.6304 | |
| 98 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 20700 | 31100 | 0.3348 | 19,701 | 1214 | 0.8749 | |
| 100 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | 21000 | 50000 | 0.5797 | 3,856 | 1169 | 0.7518 | |
| 101 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 21300 | 42500 | 0.4994 | 14,019 | 1159 | 0.7781 | |
| 102 | New York University | 21900 | 91800 | 0.7612 | 29,060 | 1520 | 0.0923 | |
| 102 | Tufts University | 21900 | 98900 | 0.7783 | 7,126 | 1507 | 0.1153 | |
| 104 | Bentley University | 22000 | 85500 | 0.7426 | 4,526 | 1359 | 0.4505 | |
| 104 | Lycoming College | 22000 | 65800 | 0.666 | 807 | 1189 | 0.7407 | |
| 106 | Northwestern University | 22200 | 88100 | 0.7483 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 107 | CUNY Queens College | 22500 | 29300 | 0.2318 | 13,464 | 1146 | 0.6434 | |
| 107 | Florida State University | 22500 | 32500 | 0.3077 | 32,711 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 107 | St Lawrence University | 22500 | 87800 | 0.7435 | 1,949 | 1359 | 0.5434 | |
| 110 | Murray State University | 22900 | 27600 | 0.1707 | 8,281 | 1124 | 0.8568 | |
| 111 | Lawrence University | 23500 | 73300 | 0.6794 | 1,417 | 1293 | 0.6394 | |
| 112 | Ave Maria University | 24000 | 45400 | 0.4712 | 1,250 | 1193 | 0.4481 | |
| 112 | Calvin University | 24000 | 53000 | 0.5468 | 3,356 | 1214 | 0.7091 | |
| 114 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 24400 | 26600 | 0.0828 | 3,413 | 1085 | 0.5295 | |
| 114 | University of Southern Mississippi | 24400 | 26500 | 0.0792 | 10,193 | 1181 | 0.9912 | |
| 116 | American University | 24800 | 83600 | 0.7034 | 7,476 | 1372 | 0.6187 | |
| 117 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 25000 | 37100 | 0.3264 | 65,450 | 1203 | 0.8989 | |
| 118 | Syracuse University | 25300 | 83100 | 0.6955 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 119 | Michigan State University | 25800 | 28900 | 0.1089 | 41,234 | 1223 | 0.848 | |
| 120 | Hobart William Smith Colleges | 26000 | 88300 | 0.7056 | 1,794 | 1313 | 0.6399 | |
| 121 | Earlham College | 26400 | 75800 | 0.6521 | 696 | 1233 | 0.7311 | |
| 122 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 27300 | 47900 | 0.4298 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 123 | Drew University | 27700 | 64600 | 0.5716 | 1,611 | 1226 | 0.6783 | |
| 124 | Clarkson University | 27800 | 78000 | 0.6437 | 2,296 | 1302 | 0.7736 | |
| 125 | Villanova University | 27900 | 88800 | 0.6856 | 7,006 | 1457 | 0.2698 | |
| 126 | Goucher College | 28200 | 77000 | 0.6342 | 981 | 1228 | 0.777 | |
| 127 | Dartmouth College | 28400 | 96000 | 0.7042 | 4,570 | 1528 | 0.054 | |
| 128 | University of Hartford | 28500 | 70100 | 0.5926 | 4,223 | 1224 | 0.9579 | |
| 129 | Knox College | 28600 | 68900 | 0.5846 | 1,136 | 1287 | 0.7079 | |
| 129 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 33400 | 0.1437 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 131 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 29500 | 42400 | 0.3041 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 132 | University of Missouri-St Louis | 29700 | 37200 | 0.2006 | 12,151 | 1154 | 0.5716 | |
| 133 | Northern Kentucky University | 29900 | 32100 | 0.0686 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 134 | Kent State University at Kent | 30000 | 37500 | 0.2 | 20,841 | 1105 | 0.8634 | |
| 135 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30700 | 78100 | 0.6069 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 136 | The College of Wooster | 30800 | 82400 | 0.626 | 1,738 | 1344 | 0.5953 | |
| 136 | University of Toledo | 30800 | 42000 | 0.267 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 138 | University of California-Santa Barbara | 31300 | 59600 | 0.4745 | 23,181 | 1354 | 0.3296 | |
| 139 | University of Dayton | 31800 | 64200 | 0.5048 | 7,737 | 1284 | 0.6566 | |
| 139 | University of Missouri-Kansas City | 31800 | 39200 | 0.1878 | 10,206 | 1190 | 0.7218 | |
| 141 | DePaul University | 32000 | 67100 | 0.5231 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 141 | Ithaca College | 32000 | 72500 | 0.5585 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 143 | Manhattan University | 32200 | 72500 | 0.5559 | 2,928 | 1248 | 0.785 | |
| 143 | University of St Thomas | 32200 | 70300 | 0.5423 | 6,044 | 1270 | 0.9125 | |
| 145 | Gettysburg College | 32300 | 86500 | 0.6268 | 2,104 | 1337 | 0.389 | |
| 146 | Ohio Wesleyan University | 33000 | 93400 | 0.6469 | 1,525 | 1241 | 0.556 | |
| 146 | The University of the South | 33000 | 77400 | 0.5733 | 1,644 | 1313 | 0.569 | |
| 148 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 148 | Sonoma State University | 33700 | 41200 | 0.1821 | 5,412 | 1095 | 0.9473 | |
| 150 | Scripps College | 34200 | 94900 | 0.6399 | 1,117 | 1475 | 0.3829 | |
| 151 | Gordon College | 34300 | 51300 | 0.3314 | 1,314 | 1256 | 0.8562 | |
| 152 | Pace University | 34600 | 74800 | 0.5373 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 153 | Hofstra University | 34700 | 77000 | 0.5492 | 6,581 | 1323 | 0.6808 | |
| 154 | University of South Florida | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 155 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35800 | 66700 | 0.4634 | 2,862 | 1194 | 0.757 | |
| 155 | Rhodes College | 35800 | 68500 | 0.478 | 1,793 | 1359 | 0.4968 | |
| 157 | Tennessee Technological University | 36300 | 38500 | 0.0572 | 8,838 | 1159 | 0.8316 | |
| 158 | University of the Pacific | 36500 | 71500 | 0.4898 | 3,249 | 1298 | 0.7132 | |
| 159 | Western Kentucky University | 36600 | 42300 | 0.1348 | 14,151 | 1090 | 0.9387 | |
| 160 | Skidmore College | 36800 | 89100 | 0.5867 | 2,704 | 1421 | 0.2105 | |
| 161 | DePauw University | 37400 | 70300 | 0.4675 | 1,917 | 1260 | 0.5719 | |
| 162 | Washington State University | 38500 | 53900 | 0.2859 | 14,346 | 1139 | 0.8797 | |
| 163 | Seton Hall University | 39700 | 67400 | 0.4107 | 6,146 | 1313 | 0.7326 | |
| 164 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 39800 | 53700 | 0.259 | 23,920 | 1390 | 0.5973 | |
| 165 | Spelman College | 40900 | 49200 | 0.1687 | 2,712 | 1218 | 0.2487 | |
| 166 | University of San Diego | 41300 | 85900 | 0.5193 | 5,851 | 1298 | 0.5238 | |
| 167 | Saint Vincent College | 41400 | 64600 | 0.3593 | 1,284 | 0 | 0.6173 | |
| 168 | Bryant University | 42500 | 76200 | 0.4424 | 3,200 | 1265 | 0.6546 | |
| 169 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42600 | 54700 | 0.2212 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 170 | University of Maryland-College Park | 42700 | 53400 | 0.2004 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 171 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 43400 | 53700 | 0.1917 | 46,815 | 1339 | 0.6057 | |
| 172 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 43800 | 57100 | 0.2315 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 173 | Duquesne University | 45300 | 70500 | 0.3575 | 5,371 | 1269 | 0.8356 | |
| 174 | High Point University | 45700 | 72900 | 0.373 | 5,006 | 1209 | 0.7683 | |
| 175 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 46100 | 86200 | 0.4651 | 5,743 | 1438 | 0.6343 | |
| 176 | Tulane University of Louisiana | 48500 | 92100 | 0.4736 | 7,283 | 1451 | 0.1398 | |
| 177 | Drexel University | 48700 | 83800 | 0.4188 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 178 | Providence College | 50200 | 85000 | 0.4095 | 4,556 | 1222 | 0.5089 | |
| 179 | University of Utah | 51500 | 53700 | 0.0411 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 180 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 53200 | 61000 | 0.1279 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 181 | University of San Francisco | 53600 | 84800 | 0.3678 | 5,321 | 1292 | 0.6171 | |
| 182 | Miami University-Oxford | 56600 | 56600 | 0 | 16,816 | 1299 | 0.754 | |
| 183 | University of Oregon | 66700 | 68900 | 0.032 | 20,622 | 1250 | 0.883 | |
| 184 | University of California-Santa Cruz | 67700 | 67700 | 0 | 17,940 | 1281 | 0.6557 | |
| 185 | Fordham University | 69800 | 95000 | 0.2651 | 10,307 | 1415 | 0.5628 | |
| 185 | University of California-Davis | 69800 | 69800 | 0 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 187 | University of California-Berkeley | 70600 | 75900 | 0.0698 | 33,469 | 1407 | 0.1104 | |
| 188 | Loyola Marymount University | 74700 | 95600 | 0.2187 | 7,273 | 1353 | 0.4508 | |
| 189 | Gonzaga University | 75400 | 88600 | 0.149 | 5,281 | 1303 | 0.8169 | |
| 190 | The Catholic University of America | 79400 | 82500 | 0.0376 | 3,177 | 1204 | 0.8278 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.