Recent Articles
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 | Brigham Young University | 8000 | 22000 | 0.6362 | 32,952 | 1374 | 0.6778 | |
| 2 | Rice University | 9800 | 89100 | 0.8903 | 4,789 | 1535 | 0.08 | |
| 3 | Eastern Washington University | 11800 | 28600 | 0.5879 | 6,952 | 995 | 0.9075 | |
| 3 | Felician University | 11800 | 58700 | 0.7991 | 1,870 | 1020 | 0.9401 | |
| 5 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 7 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5047 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 8 | Midwestern State University | 14400 | 21600 | 0.3329 | 4,303 | 1010 | 0.9352 | |
| 9 | Murray State University | 15000 | 27000 | 0.4443 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 10 | University of California-Irvine | 15200 | 38000 | 0.6003 | 30,204 | 1333 | 0.2857 | |
| 11 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 15800 | 26800 | 0.4108 | 4,487 | 1115 | 0.6726 | |
| 12 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 16000 | 22300 | 0.2822 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 13 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 16100 | 25400 | 0.3667 | 9,302 | 1125 | 0.9735 | |
| 14 | Eastern Michigan University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5448 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 15 | Northern State University | 16800 | 23300 | 0.2784 | 3,169 | 1075 | 0.93 | |
| 16 | West Virginia University | 17000 | 40900 | 0.5841 | 18,206 | 1125 | 0.89 | |
| 17 | East Carolina University | 17600 | 26100 | 0.3256 | 21,445 | 1160 | 0.8921 | |
| 17 | University of Lynchburg | 17600 | 54900 | 0.6791 | 1,595 | 1104 | 0.4301 | |
| 17 | Winston-Salem State University | 17600 | 22800 | 0.2282 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 20 | University of Miami | 17700 | 95700 | 0.8149 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 21 | North Carolina Central University | 18400 | 27600 | 0.3331 | 6,595 | 1060 | 0.8696 | |
| 22 | University of South Alabama | 19300 | 22400 | 0.1387 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 23 | Illinois College | 19700 | 55200 | 0.6423 | 937 | 1059 | 0.7819 | |
| 24 | Alma College | 19900 | 64800 | 0.6931 | 1,159 | 1135 | 0.5703 | |
| 25 | Bethany Lutheran College | 20000 | 46400 | 0.5684 | 856 | 1160 | 0.3897 | |
| 25 | Cleveland State University | 20000 | 30900 | 0.3523 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 25 | The College of Idaho | 20000 | 59900 | 0.6661 | 1,041 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 28 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20500 | 23200 | 0.1164 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 29 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.326 | 44,819 | 1327 | 0.4987 | |
| 30 | Marian University | 21900 | 59800 | 0.6333 | 2,378 | 1085 | 0.9546 | |
| 31 | Florida State University | 22600 | 32400 | 0.3029 | 32,720 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 32 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 23000 | 48800 | 0.5288 | 1,650 | 1055 | 0.7039 | |
| 33 | Concordia University-Chicago | 23200 | 54900 | 0.5769 | 1,368 | 1100 | 0.9279 | |
| 33 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 23200 | 60400 | 0.6162 | 1,810 | 1110 | 0.9296 | |
| 35 | Skidmore College | 24300 | 89100 | 0.7269 | 2,704 | 1418 | 0.2105 | |
| 36 | Augustana College | 24800 | 72800 | 0.6588 | 2,522 | 1163 | 0.6268 | |
| 37 | Drury University | 25300 | 52900 | 0.5216 | 1,391 | 1228 | 0.5758 | |
| 38 | Ave Maria University | 25500 | 46600 | 0.453 | 1,301 | 1164 | 0.4139 | |
| 39 | Seattle Pacific University | 25800 | 70000 | 0.6314 | 1,776 | 1180 | 0.834 | |
| 40 | Northwest University | 25900 | 52300 | 0.5044 | 675 | 1184 | 0.832 | |
| 41 | Briar Cliff University | 26000 | 74200 | 0.6494 | 766 | 1050 | 0.5834 | |
| 42 | Hiram College | 26700 | 48700 | 0.4516 | 1,026 | 1030 | 0.9353 | |
| 42 | University of Arkansas | 26700 | 28900 | 0.0745 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.743 | |
| 44 | Kansas State University | 27000 | 31400 | 0.1409 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8169 | |
| 44 | University of Idaho | 27000 | 45200 | 0.4023 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 46 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.5999 | 1,391 | 1164 | 0.9152 | |
| 47 | Florida Southern College | 27900 | 63200 | 0.5593 | 2,682 | 1264 | 0.6442 | |
| 48 | Wichita State University | 28000 | 39800 | 0.2974 | 13,313 | 1073 | 0.9395 | |
| 49 | Chestnut Hill College | 28100 | 60100 | 0.5323 | 868 | 995 | 0.7446 | |
| 50 | Creighton University | 29200 | 68000 | 0.5709 | 4,377 | 1328 | 0.7975 | |
| 51 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 34000 | 0.1383 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 52 | University of Toledo | 29800 | 42000 | 0.2895 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 53 | Northern Kentucky University | 30100 | 32100 | 0.0623 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 54 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30500 | 54700 | 0.4419 | 1,427 | 1025 | 0.4941 | |
| 55 | Central College | 30600 | 36800 | 0.1686 | 1,084 | 1145 | 0.8617 | |
| 56 | Life University | 31100 | 45500 | 0.3164 | 899 | 1020 | 0.9303 | |
| 56 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4733 | 2,503 | 1229 | 0.7353 | |
| 58 | Ithaca College | 32100 | 72500 | 0.5571 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 59 | Gettysburg College | 32300 | 86500 | 0.6261 | 2,104 | 1369 | 0.389 | |
| 59 | Marquette University | 32300 | 66500 | 0.5142 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 61 | The University of Tampa | 32700 | 56900 | 0.425 | 10,598 | 1185 | 0.4034 | |
| 62 | Ursinus College | 33300 | 83700 | 0.6027 | 1,502 | 1303 | 0.9177 | |
| 63 | California Baptist University | 33600 | 65600 | 0.4878 | 8,417 | 1070 | 0.8488 | |
| 64 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,677 | 1430 | 0.4709 | |
| 64 | Gordon College | 33700 | 51300 | 0.3431 | 1,314 | 1256 | 0.6923 | |
| 66 | Gardner-Webb University | 34100 | 50400 | 0.3235 | 1,861 | 1110 | 0.7721 | |
| 66 | SUNY at Fredonia | 34100 | 39600 | 0.1391 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 68 | Sacred Heart University | 34600 | 67500 | 0.4877 | 7,204 | 950 | 0.6536 | |
| 69 | Barry University | 34800 | 56400 | 0.3828 | 3,232 | 1005 | 0.7724 | |
| 70 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,123 | 1189 | 0.8943 | |
| 71 | Averett University | 35400 | 57200 | 0.3813 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 72 | New York Institute of Technology | 35500 | 83600 | 0.5755 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 73 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35600 | 66100 | 0.4616 | 2,862 | 1203 | 0.757 | |
| 73 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 75 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 36100 | 48500 | 0.2567 | 2,075 | 1090 | 0.8894 | |
| 76 | Vermont State University | 37400 | 38700 | 0.0336 | 4,108 | 960 | 0.8167 | |
| 77 | University of Nevada-Reno | 38000 | 45800 | 0.1704 | 19,117 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 78 | Queens University of Charlotte | 38100 | 68200 | 0.4411 | 1,225 | 1208 | 0.6208 | |
| 79 | Washington State University | 38200 | 53900 | 0.2906 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 80 | Saint Francis University | 38500 | 63100 | 0.3899 | 2,567 | 1150 | 0.7682 | |
| 81 | Fresno Pacific University | 40100 | 52200 | 0.2327 | 1,545 | 1099 | 0.6407 | |
| 82 | Appalachian State University | 40600 | 40600 | 0 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 83 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41400 | 57000 | 0.2738 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.782 | |
| 84 | Montreat College | 41900 | 58100 | 0.278 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 85 | Seattle University | 42000 | 75000 | 0.4397 | 4,078 | 1305 | 0.7692 | |
| 86 | Shenandoah University | 43100 | 56600 | 0.2385 | 2,641 | 1124 | 0.7695 | |
| 87 | University of Florida | 43200 | 45700 | 0.0548 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 88 | University at Buffalo | 43900 | 46700 | 0.06 | 20,359 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 89 | The University of Montana | 44400 | 45000 | 0.0133 | 7,891 | 1225 | 0.9586 | |
| 90 | Ashland University | 44900 | 56400 | 0.204 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 91 | Boise State University | 45100 | 50000 | 0.098 | 23,983 | 1135 | 0.8721 | |
| 92 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.04 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 93 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 53300 | 61000 | 0.127 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 94 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 53700 | 62800 | 0.1449 | 23,920 | 1397 | 0.5973 | |
| 95 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 54000 | 59200 | 0.087 | 24,449 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 96 | Auburn University | 58500 | 58500 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4592 | |
| 97 | Mercyhurst University | 60900 | 68000 | 0.1044 | 2,274 | 1090 | 0.8102 | |
| 98 | College of Charleston | 61200 | 61200 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 99 | University of California-Davis | 69800 | 69800 | 0 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 100 | Gonzaga University | 70700 | 76600 | 0.077 | 5,281 | 1329 | 0.8169 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.