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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 | 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 | 11500 | 31200 | 0.6315 | 6,952 | 995 | 0.9075 | |
| 4 | 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 | University of Idaho | 14100 | 25800 | 0.4543 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 8 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5047 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 9 | Midwestern State University | 14400 | 21600 | 0.3329 | 4,303 | 1010 | 0.9352 | |
| 10 | Murray State University | 15000 | 27000 | 0.4443 | 7,851 | 1115 | 0.8568 | |
| 11 | University of California-Irvine | 15200 | 38000 | 0.6003 | 30,204 | 1333 | 0.2857 | |
| 12 | Appalachian State University | 15800 | 19500 | 0.1899 | 19,560 | 1190 | 0.9014 | |
| 12 | Kansas State University | 15800 | 26100 | 0.3949 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8169 | |
| 12 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 15800 | 26800 | 0.4108 | 4,487 | 1115 | 0.6726 | |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 16000 | 22300 | 0.2822 | 24,868 | 1214 | 0.796 | |
| 16 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 16100 | 25400 | 0.3667 | 9,302 | 1125 | 0.9735 | |
| 17 | Eastern Michigan University | 16400 | 36100 | 0.5448 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 18 | Northern State University | 16800 | 23300 | 0.2784 | 3,169 | 1075 | 0.93 | |
| 19 | West Virginia University | 17000 | 40900 | 0.5841 | 18,206 | 1125 | 0.89 | |
| 20 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17100 | 27800 | 0.3854 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 21 | University of Lynchburg | 17600 | 54900 | 0.6791 | 1,595 | 1104 | 0.4301 | |
| 22 | University of Miami | 17700 | 95700 | 0.8149 | 13,250 | 1406 | 0.189 | |
| 23 | College of Charleston | 18000 | 33900 | 0.4696 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 24 | Texas Tech University | 18300 | 27100 | 0.3253 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 25 | University of Nevada-Reno | 19200 | 28200 | 0.3189 | 19,117 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 26 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 19400 | 36900 | 0.4748 | 24,449 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 27 | Illinois College | 19700 | 55200 | 0.6423 | 937 | 1059 | 0.7819 | |
| 28 | Alma College | 19900 | 64800 | 0.6931 | 1,159 | 1135 | 0.5703 | |
| 29 | Bethany Lutheran College | 20000 | 46400 | 0.5684 | 856 | 1160 | 0.3897 | |
| 29 | Cleveland State University | 20000 | 30900 | 0.3523 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 29 | The College of Idaho | 20000 | 59900 | 0.6661 | 1,041 | 1189 | 0.491 | |
| 32 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20500 | 23200 | 0.1164 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 33 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.326 | 44,819 | 1327 | 0.4987 | |
| 34 | Washington State University | 21200 | 36200 | 0.4131 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 35 | Marian University | 21900 | 59800 | 0.6333 | 2,378 | 1085 | 0.9546 | |
| 36 | Florida State University | 22600 | 32400 | 0.3029 | 32,720 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 37 | Indiana Institute of Technology | 23000 | 48800 | 0.5288 | 1,650 | 1055 | 0.7039 | |
| 38 | Concordia University-Chicago | 23200 | 54900 | 0.5769 | 1,368 | 1100 | 0.9279 | |
| 38 | The College of Saint Scholastica | 23200 | 60400 | 0.6162 | 1,810 | 1110 | 0.9296 | |
| 40 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 23600 | 24900 | 0.0522 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 41 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 24100 | 39300 | 0.3873 | 23,920 | 1397 | 0.5973 | |
| 42 | Skidmore College | 24300 | 89100 | 0.7269 | 2,704 | 1418 | 0.2105 | |
| 43 | Boise State University | 24600 | 31200 | 0.2116 | 23,983 | 1135 | 0.8721 | |
| 44 | Augustana College | 24800 | 72800 | 0.6588 | 2,522 | 1163 | 0.6268 | |
| 45 | Drury University | 25300 | 52900 | 0.5216 | 1,391 | 1228 | 0.5758 | |
| 46 | Ave Maria University | 25500 | 46600 | 0.453 | 1,301 | 1164 | 0.4139 | |
| 47 | Seattle Pacific University | 25800 | 70000 | 0.6314 | 1,776 | 1180 | 0.834 | |
| 48 | Northwest University | 25900 | 52300 | 0.5044 | 675 | 1184 | 0.832 | |
| 49 | Briar Cliff University | 26000 | 74200 | 0.6494 | 766 | 1050 | 0.5834 | |
| 50 | Hiram College | 26700 | 48700 | 0.4516 | 1,026 | 1030 | 0.9353 | |
| 50 | University of Arkansas | 26700 | 28900 | 0.0745 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.743 | |
| 52 | College of Saint Benedict | 27600 | 68900 | 0.5999 | 1,391 | 1164 | 0.9152 | |
| 53 | Winston-Salem State University | 27800 | 34300 | 0.1895 | 4,192 | 945 | 0.7826 | |
| 54 | Florida Southern College | 27900 | 63200 | 0.5593 | 2,682 | 1264 | 0.6442 | |
| 55 | Wichita State University | 28000 | 39800 | 0.2974 | 13,313 | 1073 | 0.9395 | |
| 56 | Chestnut Hill College | 28100 | 60100 | 0.5323 | 868 | 995 | 0.7446 | |
| 57 | Creighton University | 29200 | 68000 | 0.5709 | 4,377 | 1328 | 0.7975 | |
| 58 | University of Toledo | 29500 | 32600 | 0.0966 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 59 | Northern Kentucky University | 30100 | 32100 | 0.0623 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 60 | North Carolina Central University | 30300 | 40000 | 0.2424 | 6,595 | 1060 | 0.8696 | |
| 61 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30500 | 54700 | 0.4419 | 1,427 | 1025 | 0.4941 | |
| 62 | Central College | 30600 | 36800 | 0.1686 | 1,084 | 1145 | 0.8617 | |
| 63 | Life University | 31100 | 45500 | 0.3164 | 899 | 1020 | 0.9303 | |
| 63 | Taylor University | 31100 | 59100 | 0.4733 | 2,503 | 1229 | 0.7353 | |
| 65 | Ithaca College | 32100 | 72500 | 0.5571 | 4,268 | 1314 | 0.6901 | |
| 66 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities | 32200 | 36700 | 0.1214 | 41,303 | 1338 | 0.7975 | |
| 67 | Gettysburg College | 32300 | 86500 | 0.6261 | 2,104 | 1369 | 0.389 | |
| 67 | Marquette University | 32300 | 66500 | 0.5142 | 8,045 | 1309 | 0.8134 | |
| 69 | The University of Tampa | 32700 | 56900 | 0.425 | 10,598 | 1185 | 0.4034 | |
| 70 | Ursinus College | 33300 | 83700 | 0.6027 | 1,502 | 1303 | 0.9177 | |
| 71 | California Baptist University | 33600 | 65600 | 0.4878 | 8,417 | 1070 | 0.8488 | |
| 72 | Auburn University | 33700 | 34100 | 0.0117 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4592 | |
| 72 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,677 | 1430 | 0.4709 | |
| 72 | Gordon College | 33700 | 51300 | 0.3431 | 1,314 | 1256 | 0.6923 | |
| 75 | Gardner-Webb University | 34100 | 50400 | 0.3235 | 1,861 | 1110 | 0.7721 | |
| 76 | Sacred Heart University | 34600 | 67500 | 0.4877 | 7,204 | 950 | 0.6536 | |
| 77 | Barry University | 34800 | 56400 | 0.3828 | 3,232 | 1005 | 0.7724 | |
| 78 | Valparaiso University | 34900 | 62700 | 0.4428 | 2,123 | 1189 | 0.8943 | |
| 79 | Averett University | 35400 | 57200 | 0.3813 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 80 | New York Institute of Technology | 35500 | 83600 | 0.5755 | 3,646 | 1298 | 0.8102 | |
| 81 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35600 | 66100 | 0.4616 | 2,862 | 1203 | 0.757 | |
| 82 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 36100 | 48500 | 0.2567 | 2,075 | 1090 | 0.8894 | |
| 83 | East Carolina University | 37000 | 42700 | 0.1324 | 21,445 | 1160 | 0.8921 | |
| 84 | Vermont State University | 37400 | 38700 | 0.0336 | 4,108 | 960 | 0.8167 | |
| 85 | Queens University of Charlotte | 38100 | 68200 | 0.4411 | 1,225 | 1208 | 0.6208 | |
| 86 | Saint Francis University | 38500 | 63100 | 0.3899 | 2,567 | 1150 | 0.7682 | |
| 87 | University of South Alabama | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 88 | Fresno Pacific University | 40100 | 52200 | 0.2327 | 1,545 | 1099 | 0.6407 | |
| 89 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41400 | 57000 | 0.2738 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.782 | |
| 90 | Montreat College | 41900 | 58100 | 0.278 | 781 | 1164 | 0.692 | |
| 91 | Seattle University | 42000 | 75000 | 0.4397 | 4,078 | 1305 | 0.7692 | |
| 92 | Shenandoah University | 43100 | 56600 | 0.2385 | 2,641 | 1124 | 0.7695 | |
| 93 | University of Florida | 43200 | 45700 | 0.0548 | 36,573 | 1399 | 0.242 | |
| 94 | University at Buffalo | 43900 | 46700 | 0.06 | 20,359 | 1303 | 0.7418 | |
| 95 | The University of Montana | 44400 | 45000 | 0.0133 | 7,891 | 1225 | 0.9586 | |
| 96 | Ashland University | 44900 | 56400 | 0.204 | 2,977 | 1125 | 0.764 | |
| 97 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.04 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 98 | Mercyhurst University | 60900 | 68000 | 0.1044 | 2,274 | 1090 | 0.8102 | |
| 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.