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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 | College of the Ozarks | 6700 | 34300 | 0.8058 | 1,500 | 1130 | 0.1097 | |
| 2 | California State University-Northridge | 8100 | 36500 | 0.7791 | 32,846 | 1005 | 0.9176 | |
| 3 | California State University-East Bay | 9000 | 45100 | 0.8008 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 4 | Saint Xavier University | 10200 | 57000 | 0.8208 | 3,100 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 5 | Southern Utah University | 10500 | 51400 | 0.7957 | 13,176 | 1140 | 0.9998 | |
| 6 | Eastern Kentucky University | 10900 | 22900 | 0.525 | 13,448 | 1075 | 0.9683 | |
| 6 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | 10900 | 31800 | 0.6576 | 27,963 | 1090 | 0.8395 | |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 11100 | 28300 | 0.6059 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 9 | Eastern Illinois University | 11900 | 24300 | 0.5125 | 6,731 | 1020 | 0.7073 | |
| 10 | University of West Florida | 12000 | 22200 | 0.459 | 9,971 | 1120 | 0.5822 | |
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago | 12100 | 30200 | 0.5993 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 12 | Boston University | 12300 | 93200 | 0.868 | 18,289 | 1475 | 0.1283 | |
| 13 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 12600 | 12600 | 0 | 25,312 | 1134 | 0.7395 | |
| 14 | Fort Hays State University | 12800 | 19900 | 0.3558 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 15 | Livingstone College | 13100 | 43100 | 0.6963 | 925 | 890 | 0.5925 | |
| 16 | Central Connecticut State University | 13200 | 34200 | 0.6138 | 9,463 | 1020 | 0.793 | |
| 16 | Framingham State University | 13200 | 31000 | 0.5744 | 2,782 | 1190 | 0.8366 | |
| 16 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 27100 | 0.5121 | 29,727 | 990 | 0.9229 | |
| 19 | Northern Illinois University | 13300 | 32100 | 0.5856 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 19 | University of South Florida | 13300 | 22400 | 0.4067 | 39,093 | 1255 | 0.4071 | |
| 21 | Lewis University | 13400 | 57700 | 0.7675 | 4,914 | 1127 | 0.6916 | |
| 21 | University of Delaware | 13400 | 34500 | 0.6119 | 19,287 | 1302 | 0.6924 | |
| 23 | Western Carolina University | 13500 | 16500 | 0.1817 | 10,268 | 1140 | 0.7076 | |
| 24 | Youngstown State University | 14100 | 28400 | 0.5033 | 9,687 | 1120 | 0.9145 | |
| 25 | Eastern Michigan University | 14200 | 33900 | 0.5826 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 25 | Salem State University | 14200 | 38300 | 0.6288 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 25 | San Francisco State University | 14200 | 47700 | 0.7025 | 19,444 | 1035 | 0.9644 | |
| 28 | University of the Virgin Islands | 14300 | 29600 | 0.5176 | 1,650 | 900 | 0.9936 | |
| 29 | Florida Gulf Coast University | 14400 | 20300 | 0.29 | 14,434 | 1125 | 0.6344 | |
| 30 | Arkansas Tech University | 14500 | 31400 | 0.5374 | 8,279 | 1055 | 0.9747 | |
| 31 | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | 14600 | 30100 | 0.5156 | 2,477 | 930 | 0.9641 | |
| 31 | University of North Alabama | 14600 | 37300 | 0.6087 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 33 | Colorado Mesa University | 14800 | 66200 | 0.7759 | 9,459 | 1050 | 0.8314 | |
| 33 | Troy University | 14800 | 26700 | 0.4456 | 10,130 | 1075 | 0.9535 | |
| 35 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14900 | 50100 | 0.7023 | 7,501 | 1055 | 0.9467 | |
| 36 | West Virginia University | 15000 | 73100 | 0.7945 | 18,206 | 1120 | 0.8514 | |
| 37 | Northern Michigan University | 15200 | 33100 | 0.5408 | 6,650 | 1100 | 0.8505 | |
| 37 | University of Mississippi | 15200 | 27000 | 0.4369 | 22,939 | 1172 | 0.9738 | |
| 39 | Central Michigan University | 15400 | 38700 | 0.6019 | 10,238 | 1099 | 0.9104 | |
| 40 | University of North Texas at Dallas | 15500 | 25000 | 0.3801 | 2,953 | 975 | 0.8445 | |
| 41 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 15800 | 28500 | 0.4463 | 7,425 | 1074 | 0.9147 | |
| 42 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 15900 | 90700 | 0.8247 | 8,727 | 1055 | 0.9703 | |
| 42 | Kansas State University | 15900 | 26400 | 0.3957 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 44 | Stephen F Austin State University | 16500 | 27800 | 0.4058 | 9,905 | 1055 | 0.8339 | |
| 45 | California State University-Long Beach | 16600 | 25800 | 0.3567 | 36,056 | 1135 | 0.4543 | |
| 46 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 17000 | 36400 | 0.5323 | 2,710 | 1218 | 0.9374 | |
| 46 | University of South Alabama | 17000 | 22400 | 0.2415 | 9,530 | 1140 | 0.9455 | |
| 48 | Montclair State University | 17100 | 36000 | 0.5256 | 19,048 | 1005 | 0.894 | |
| 48 | North Carolina Central University | 17100 | 37500 | 0.5444 | 7,232 | 865 | 0.8605 | |
| 50 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 17200 | 33900 | 0.4925 | 7,402 | 1054 | 0.9684 | |
| 50 | Middle Tennessee State University | 17200 | 29000 | 0.4071 | 18,042 | 1140 | 0.6909 | |
| 52 | University of Kentucky | 17500 | 36500 | 0.5208 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 52 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 17500 | 44100 | 0.6035 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 54 | East Carolina University | 17600 | 26100 | 0.3256 | 21,693 | 1065 | 0.9003 | |
| 54 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 17600 | 33300 | 0.4715 | 1,094 | 1109 | 0.8917 | |
| 56 | Morgan State University | 17800 | 42200 | 0.5786 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 57 | York College of Pennsylvania | 17900 | 45800 | 0.6097 | 3,369 | 1153 | 0.7374 | |
| 58 | Kennesaw State University | 18000 | 27400 | 0.3428 | 46,069 | 1119 | 0.7944 | |
| 59 | Georgia State University | 18100 | 26000 | 0.304 | 26,785 | 1089 | 0.5722 | |
| 59 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 18100 | 44300 | 0.5918 | 1,817 | 905 | 0.4118 | |
| 61 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 18200 | 18400 | 0.0109 | 1,184 | 1015 | 0.7989 | |
| 61 | San Jose State University | 18200 | 41100 | 0.5567 | 29,890 | 1135 | 0.8039 | |
| 63 | Bellevue University | 18300 | 41000 | 0.5532 | 11,037 | 0 | 1 | |
| 63 | Columbia College | 18300 | 60700 | 0.698 | 1,566 | 950 | 0.966 | |
| 65 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 18800 | 32000 | 0.4129 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 66 | Husson University | 19100 | 48100 | 0.6023 | 2,865 | 1174 | 0.8143 | |
| 67 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 19900 | 45100 | 0.559 | 31,536 | 1366 | 0.5457 | |
| 68 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | 20000 | 55300 | 0.6381 | 2,881 | 1040 | 0.89 | |
| 69 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20200 | 57800 | 0.6503 | 5,196 | 1050 | 0.8422 | |
| 70 | Bradley University | 20400 | 59500 | 0.6564 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 70 | Stockton University | 20400 | 45800 | 0.5547 | 7,583 | 1134 | 0.901 | |
| 72 | North Dakota State University | 20600 | 25700 | 0.2008 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 72 | Saint Leo University | 20600 | 50000 | 0.5878 | 7,519 | 1110 | 0.7877 | |
| 74 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20700 | 39200 | 0.4722 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 75 | College of Coastal Georgia | 20800 | 51600 | 0.5967 | 3,609 | 1005 | 0.9885 | |
| 75 | Ferris State University | 20800 | 31000 | 0.3295 | 8,980 | 1015 | 0.8237 | |
| 77 | University of New Orleans | 20900 | 30000 | 0.3029 | 5,419 | 1040 | 0.7431 | |
| 78 | Iowa State University | 21100 | 25700 | 0.1794 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 79 | Davis & Elkins College | 21300 | 51200 | 0.5838 | 663 | 902 | 0.9433 | |
| 80 | Grand Canyon University | 21700 | 34000 | 0.3613 | 75,936 | 1075 | 0.7891 | |
| 80 | South Dakota State University | 21700 | 25200 | 0.1414 | 10,883 | 1115 | 0.9618 | |
| 82 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 21900 | 39100 | 0.4402 | 2,907 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 83 | Florida State University | 22200 | 32100 | 0.3082 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 84 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 22300 | 26000 | 0.1421 | 21,138 | 1134 | 0.9039 | |
| 85 | Meredith College | 22500 | 67400 | 0.666 | 1,212 | 1239 | 0.7506 | |
| 86 | Saint Cloud State University | 22600 | 36800 | 0.3849 | 8,209 | 1079 | 0.948 | |
| 87 | University of Southern Mississippi | 22800 | 23100 | 0.013 | 10,371 | 1181 | 0.926 | |
| 88 | Robert Morris University | 23000 | 58000 | 0.6043 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 89 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 23100 | 26700 | 0.1336 | 7,290 | 1015 | 0.6409 | |
| 90 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | 23300 | 89100 | 0.7384 | 2,012 | 1174 | 0.9631 | |
| 91 | Central Washington University | 23400 | 27900 | 0.1615 | 10,033 | 1060 | 0.9061 | |
| 92 | Lackawanna College | 23500 | 52100 | 0.5492 | 2,211 | 0 | 0.8619 | |
| 93 | Northern Arizona University | 23900 | 47000 | 0.4928 | 22,203 | 1129 | 0.8961 | |
| 93 | University of North Texas | 23900 | 37400 | 0.3607 | 34,414 | 1094 | 0.7089 | |
| 95 | Montana State University | 24400 | 24400 | 0 | 15,142 | 1184 | 0.9938 | |
| 96 | Keystone College | 24500 | 50500 | 0.5153 | 676 | 1020 | 0.7385 | |
| 97 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 24800 | 37700 | 0.342 | 5,130 | 1099 | 0.8645 | |
| 97 | Temple University | 24800 | 36100 | 0.3132 | 21,031 | 1172 | 0.8622 | |
| 99 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 25300 | 31100 | 0.1856 | 19,787 | 1197 | 0.8807 | |
| 100 | Ball State University | 25400 | 25400 | 0 | 15,950 | 1185 | 0.8625 | |
| 100 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 25400 | 39400 | 0.3555 | 13,039 | 1020 | 0.894 | |
| 102 | Southeast Missouri State University | 25600 | 28600 | 0.107 | 7,926 | 1070 | 0.6897 | |
| 103 | Michigan State University | 25800 | 28900 | 0.1089 | 41,415 | 1212 | 0.8324 | |
| 103 | Northwood University | 25800 | 54500 | 0.5271 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 105 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26400 | 40600 | 0.3497 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 106 | New Jersey City University | 26600 | 39800 | 0.332 | 3,871 | 1015 | 0.9838 | |
| 107 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 27400 | 30000 | 0.0855 | 6,227 | 1184 | 0.9171 | |
| 108 | Delaware State University | 27700 | 62600 | 0.5574 | 4,581 | 930 | 0.4658 | |
| 109 | Mitchell College | 27800 | 63900 | 0.5647 | 442 | 817 | 0.9466 | |
| 110 | Flagler College | 28100 | 61900 | 0.5456 | 2,359 | 1175 | 0.787 | |
| 111 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 28200 | 50700 | 0.4447 | 927 | 1010 | 0.7653 | |
| 112 | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | 28400 | 69700 | 0.5922 | 765 | 1020 | 0.6617 | |
| 112 | Roosevelt University | 28400 | 47600 | 0.4043 | 2,868 | 1049 | 0.9716 | |
| 114 | Oregon State University | 28800 | 36700 | 0.2171 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 115 | New York University | 29000 | 92100 | 0.6851 | 29,471 | 1520 | 0.0906 | |
| 116 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 29300 | 112100 | 0.7385 | 4,999 | 1258 | 0.9296 | |
| 117 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29400 | 34200 | 0.1402 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 118 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30100 | 78300 | 0.6157 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 118 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 30100 | 33200 | 0.0932 | 7,088 | 1100 | 0.7448 | |
| 120 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | 30400 | 38500 | 0.2105 | 2,162 | 1025 | 0.725 | |
| 121 | Southeastern University | 30800 | 79400 | 0.6123 | 11,981 | 1110 | 0.4247 | |
| 122 | Kent State University at Kent | 30900 | 37500 | 0.1751 | 21,144 | 1104 | 0.7603 | |
| 122 | Warner University | 30900 | 41000 | 0.2455 | 803 | 931 | 0.4281 | |
| 122 | Western Kentucky University | 30900 | 42800 | 0.2783 | 13,732 | 1090 | 0.9145 | |
| 125 | Lasell University | 31200 | 50800 | 0.3861 | 1,347 | 1095 | 0.7457 | |
| 126 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 31900 | 35200 | 0.0938 | 32,041 | 1324 | 0.4358 | |
| 127 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 32400 | 38400 | 0.1562 | 23,003 | 1164 | 0.7367 | |
| 127 | Wilkes University | 32400 | 61900 | 0.4769 | 2,055 | 1188 | 0.9397 | |
| 129 | Liberty University | 32500 | 44700 | 0.2729 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 130 | Belmont University | 33200 | 72300 | 0.5412 | 7,174 | 1273 | 0.9367 | |
| 131 | Charleston Southern University | 33900 | 48400 | 0.3007 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 131 | St. John's University-New York | 33900 | 83800 | 0.5958 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 133 | DePaul University | 34100 | 69400 | 0.5083 | 14,338 | 1258 | 0.878 | |
| 134 | Culinary Institute of America | 34800 | 91000 | 0.6176 | 2,935 | 1050 | 0.9486 | |
| 135 | Southern Connecticut State University | 35000 | 42000 | 0.1667 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 136 | Bay Path University | 35300 | 57500 | 0.3863 | 1,178 | 1110 | 0.8514 | |
| 136 | Mount Mercy University | 35300 | 61200 | 0.4237 | 1,139 | 1110 | 0.8248 | |
| 138 | San Diego State University | 35900 | 37100 | 0.0324 | 36,196 | 1208 | 0.3741 | |
| 139 | Florida International University | 36500 | 36800 | 0.0081 | 46,249 | 1180 | 0.6085 | |
| 140 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 37000 | 53600 | 0.3099 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 141 | Washington State University | 37500 | 53600 | 0.2998 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 142 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38800 | 38800 | 0 | 14,865 | 1175 | 0.9113 | |
| 143 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 69800 | 0.4415 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 144 | University of Denver | 39200 | 84100 | 0.5341 | 5,766 | 1292 | 0.8538 | |
| 145 | Nichols College | 39600 | 59600 | 0.3359 | 1,163 | 1135 | 0.8084 | |
| 146 | Drexel University | 39700 | 86400 | 0.5408 | 12,318 | 1354 | 0.699 | |
| 146 | Endicott College | 39700 | 65400 | 0.3928 | 3,195 | 1275 | 0.7121 | |
| 146 | St. Thomas Aquinas College | 39700 | 64500 | 0.3848 | 2,138 | 1148 | 0.9469 | |
| 149 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | 40300 | 66000 | 0.3892 | 3,908 | 1050 | 0.8844 | |
| 149 | Webber International University | 40300 | 44400 | 0.0917 | 833 | 950 | 0.694 | |
| 151 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 40900 | 58700 | 0.3035 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 152 | Virginia State University | 41600 | 42800 | 0.028 | 5,124 | 955 | 0.8863 | |
| 153 | University of Central Florida | 42100 | 42800 | 0.0164 | 60,083 | 1289 | 0.428 | |
| 154 | Merrimack College | 43300 | 78800 | 0.4501 | 4,123 | 1124 | 0.6927 | |
| 155 | James Madison University | 43500 | 45100 | 0.0355 | 21,358 | 1259 | 0.6879 | |
| 156 | Campbell University | 43700 | 68700 | 0.3646 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 157 | Florida Atlantic University | 45300 | 45300 | 0 | 25,626 | 1150 | 0.5497 | |
| 158 | Appalachian State University | 46500 | 46500 | 0 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 159 | Lipscomb University | 48800 | 69900 | 0.3025 | 3,327 | 1214 | 0.6774 | |
| 160 | College of Charleston | 49700 | 62300 | 0.2021 | 10,596 | 1234 | 0.73 | |
| 161 | Lynn University | 51500 | 71600 | 0.2807 | 3,020 | 1135 | 0.7425 | |
| 162 | University of Georgia | 52000 | 52100 | 0.0019 | 32,824 | 1348 | 0.3425 | |
| 163 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 53400 | 63400 | 0.1578 | 24,019 | 1404 | 0.5989 | |
| 164 | The University of Alabama | 53700 | 58000 | 0.0741 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 165 | University of San Francisco | 54700 | 87200 | 0.3727 | 5,171 | 1333 | 0.7176 | |
| 166 | Dallas Baptist University | 55800 | 84300 | 0.3381 | 2,938 | 1073 | 0.9131 | |
| 167 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 58600 | 61200 | 0.0419 | 26,490 | 1183 | 0.8863 | |
| 168 | Auburn University | 59400 | 59400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 169 | Mercyhurst University | 61100 | 68000 | 0.1014 | 2,214 | 1203 | 0.775 | |
| 170 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 63700 | 63700 | 0 | 1,709 | 1218 | 0.9653 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.