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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 | Northern Kentucky University | 7500 | 26600 | 0.7193 | 10,136 | 1110 | 0.9666 | |
| 2 | Brigham Young University | 8100 | 22100 | 0.6333 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 3 | Rice University | 9700 | 92600 | 0.895 | 4,807 | 1528 | 0.0801 | |
| 4 | Eastern Washington University | 11400 | 31200 | 0.6347 | 7,640 | 1045 | 0.8526 | |
| 5 | Felician University | 11600 | 60400 | 0.8074 | 2,131 | 1015 | 0.9722 | |
| 6 | Fitchburg State University | 12400 | 34800 | 0.6428 | 3,000 | 1090 | 0.8885 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 8 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 25700 | 0.4862 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 38400 | 0.6464 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 10 | Eastern Michigan University | 14200 | 33900 | 0.5804 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 11 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28100 | 0.4927 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 12 | Midwestern State University | 14400 | 21600 | 0.3329 | 4,303 | 1055 | 0.9347 | |
| 13 | Troy University | 14700 | 39100 | 0.6237 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 14 | Skidmore College | 16000 | 89200 | 0.8206 | 2,715 | 1418 | 0.2377 | |
| 14 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 16000 | 22300 | 0.2822 | 26,213 | 1209 | 0.7778 | |
| 16 | West Virginia University | 16500 | 40900 | 0.5963 | 18,206 | 1120 | 0.8514 | |
| 17 | University of Florida | 17100 | 22500 | 0.2399 | 37,283 | 1406 | 0.2033 | |
| 18 | Northern State University | 17400 | 26700 | 0.3477 | 3,177 | 1085 | 0.96 | |
| 18 | University of Miami | 17400 | 96300 | 0.8194 | 13,241 | 1408 | 0.1761 | |
| 20 | Winston-Salem State University | 17600 | 22800 | 0.2282 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 21 | University of South Alabama | 17700 | 40600 | 0.5635 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 22 | University of Arkansas | 17800 | 36800 | 0.5156 | 29,252 | 1179 | 0.7388 | |
| 23 | Kennesaw State University | 18000 | 61500 | 0.7069 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 24 | University of Nevada-Reno | 19200 | 28200 | 0.3189 | 20,204 | 1109 | 0.8313 | |
| 25 | Illinois College | 19700 | 55200 | 0.6439 | 1,008 | 1059 | 0.7494 | |
| 26 | The College of Idaho | 20000 | 59900 | 0.6661 | 1,042 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 27 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 20200 | 38500 | 0.4738 | 25,141 | 1256 | 0.7613 | |
| 28 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 20300 | 43700 | 0.5355 | 8,513 | 1160 | 0.9261 | |
| 29 | Hiram College | 20600 | 48700 | 0.5767 | 991 | 1075 | 0.9748 | |
| 30 | Washington State University | 21100 | 36200 | 0.417 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 31 | Bethany Lutheran College | 21800 | 46400 | 0.5309 | 889 | 1120 | 0.6406 | |
| 31 | Marian University | 21800 | 59800 | 0.635 | 2,378 | 1085 | 0.9546 | |
| 33 | Averett University | 22300 | 57400 | 0.612 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 34 | Florida State University | 22400 | 32200 | 0.3047 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 35 | Murray State University | 22800 | 27600 | 0.1738 | 8,217 | 1124 | 0.8413 | |
| 36 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 23000 | 48800 | 0.5288 | 1,650 | 1055 | 0.7039 | |
| 37 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 23100 | 60400 | 0.6179 | 1,810 | 1110 | 0.9298 | |
| 38 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 23300 | 26900 | 0.1338 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 39 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 24100 | 38400 | 0.3726 | 24,019 | 1404 | 0.5989 | |
| 40 | Augustana College | 24700 | 72800 | 0.6602 | 2,536 | 1157 | 0.6628 | |
| 41 | Ave Maria University | 25000 | 74000 | 0.6619 | 1,320 | 1164 | 0.4139 | |
| 42 | Shenandoah University | 25500 | 56100 | 0.5454 | 2,723 | 1154 | 0.7785 | |
| 43 | Central College | 25600 | 38700 | 0.3388 | 1,050 | 1159 | 0.8698 | |
| 44 | Seattle Pacific University | 25700 | 70000 | 0.6328 | 1,657 | 1174 | 0.9301 | |
| 45 | Briar Cliff University | 26000 | 74700 | 0.6515 | 766 | 1075 | 0.5834 | |
| 46 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 26600 | 33000 | 0.1937 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 47 | Cleveland State University | 27100 | 38500 | 0.2959 | 9,418 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 47 | Wichita State University | 27100 | 30300 | 0.1054 | 14,906 | 1065 | 0.7224 | |
| 49 | Chestnut Hill College | 27500 | 60100 | 0.5423 | 868 | 995 | 0.7446 | |
| 50 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.6 | 1,356 | 1199 | 0.919 | |
| 51 | Creighton University | 27700 | 67900 | 0.5916 | 4,833 | 1328 | 0.9216 | |
| 52 | Florida Southern College | 27800 | 63200 | 0.56 | 2,682 | 1264 | 0.6442 | |
| 53 | Vermont State University | 28100 | 38700 | 0.2737 | 4,087 | 960 | 0.8323 | |
| 54 | Augustana University | 28200 | 61200 | 0.5391 | 2,140 | 1189 | 0.7289 | |
| 55 | Drury University | 28800 | 68900 | 0.5824 | 1,453 | 1209 | 0.6575 | |
| 56 | Gardner-Webb University | 29000 | 53700 | 0.4602 | 1,861 | 1110 | 0.7721 | |
| 57 | Northwest University | 29200 | 52000 | 0.4384 | 659 | 1189 | 0.8865 | |
| 58 | University of Toledo | 29300 | 32600 | 0.1009 | 10,726 | 1134 | 0.8889 | |
| 59 | Southern Methodist University | 29700 | 88100 | 0.6632 | 7,545 | 1427 | 0.4764 | |
| 60 | Ithaca College | 30400 | 72600 | 0.581 | 4,205 | 1328 | 0.7015 | |
| 61 | Life University | 30800 | 45800 | 0.3278 | 832 | 980 | 0.5918 | |
| 62 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.474 | 2,769 | 1229 | 0.9881 | |
| 63 | North Carolina Central University | 31200 | 40000 | 0.2199 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 64 | Gordon College | 31400 | 62600 | 0.4983 | 1,221 | 1226 | 0.9001 | |
| 65 | University of Lynchburg | 31600 | 58600 | 0.4604 | 1,424 | 1099 | 0.6108 | |
| 66 | Gettysburg College | 32200 | 86500 | 0.6278 | 2,104 | 1369 | 0.389 | |
| 67 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 32600 | 53600 | 0.3917 | 9,040 | 1119 | 0.9666 | |
| 68 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 33100 | 34200 | 0.0321 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 69 | Ursinus College | 33200 | 83700 | 0.6038 | 1,378 | 1303 | 0.9285 | |
| 70 | Queens University of Charlotte | 33500 | 71300 | 0.5301 | 1,210 | 1244 | 0.805 | |
| 71 | George Washington University | 34300 | 81800 | 0.5808 | 11,495 | 1436 | 0.4713 | |
| 72 | Southern Connecticut State University | 34400 | 52900 | 0.3499 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 73 | California Baptist University | 34500 | 69100 | 0.5009 | 8,707 | 1024 | 0.8139 | |
| 73 | SUNY at Fredonia | 34500 | 41000 | 0.1586 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 75 | University of Idaho | 34800 | 48700 | 0.2854 | 9,656 | 1104 | 0.7476 | |
| 76 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,056 | 1183 | 0.8994 | |
| 77 | Barry University | 35200 | 58800 | 0.4014 | 4,654 | 1005 | 0.9663 | |
| 78 | New York Institute of Technology | 35400 | 83600 | 0.577 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 79 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 34,021 | 1195 | 0.6906 | |
| 80 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 36000 | 48500 | 0.2575 | 2,075 | 1090 | 0.8894 | |
| 80 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 36000 | 57000 | 0.3681 | 4,789 | 1040 | 0.6671 | |
| 82 | East Carolina University | 36900 | 42700 | 0.1356 | 21,693 | 1065 | 0.9003 | |
| 83 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 66100 | 0.4102 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 84 | The University of Montana | 39200 | 75200 | 0.4785 | 8,014 | 1184 | 0.9586 | |
| 85 | Fresno Pacific University | 39900 | 52200 | 0.2354 | 1,615 | 1075 | 0.6396 | |
| 85 | Saint Francis University | 39900 | 81500 | 0.5104 | 2,567 | 1150 | 0.7682 | |
| 87 | Kansas State University | 40600 | 41600 | 0.024 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 88 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41200 | 57400 | 0.2823 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 89 | University at Buffalo | 41500 | 46400 | 0.1057 | 21,192 | 1309 | 0.8059 | |
| 90 | Ashland University | 41700 | 57100 | 0.2697 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 91 | Montreat College | 41800 | 58100 | 0.2804 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 92 | Seattle University | 42500 | 85100 | 0.5004 | 4,370 | 1299 | 0.7313 | |
| 93 | Boise State University | 42900 | 50100 | 0.1436 | 25,308 | 1025 | 0.8389 | |
| 94 | The University of Tampa | 45600 | 58500 | 0.2204 | 10,710 | 1250 | 0.4363 | |
| 95 | Appalachian State University | 46100 | 46100 | 0 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 95 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 46100 | 46600 | 0.0107 | 6,029 | 1075 | 0.9173 | |
| 97 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48500 | 51200 | 0.0544 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 98 | Marquette University | 48800 | 75900 | 0.3572 | 8,206 | 1304 | 0.7802 | |
| 99 | Sacred Heart University | 49700 | 67500 | 0.2637 | 7,291 | 1265 | 0.6363 | |
| 100 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0426 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 101 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 53200 | 61000 | 0.1293 | 42,565 | 1339 | 0.7887 | |
| 102 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 61200 | 61700 | 0.0081 | 344 | 1125 | 0.8984 | |
| 103 | Mercyhurst University | 66000 | 76400 | 0.136 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 | |
| 104 | College of Charleston | 69300 | 69300 | 0 | 10,596 | 1234 | 0.73 | |
| 105 | Gonzaga University | 70800 | 76400 | 0.0733 | 4,976 | 1328 | 0.7962 | |
| 106 | University of California-Irvine | 72000 | 85400 | 0.1569 | 30,260 | 1333 | 0.2895 | |
| 107 | Auburn University | 75300 | 85500 | 0.1193 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.