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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 | North Carolina Central University | 7000 | 27000 | 0.7416 | 6,595 | 971 | 0.8697 | |
| 2 | Arkansas Tech University | 9900 | 22900 | 0.5671 | 8,145 | 1055 | 0.9589 | |
| 3 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 12200 | 29900 | 0.5919 | 12,498 | 1010 | 0.8896 | |
| 4 | Northern Illinois University | 12400 | 29000 | 0.5718 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 5 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 12600 | 12600 | 0 | 25,255 | 1134 | 0.737 | |
| 5 | Florida Atlantic University | 12600 | 24800 | 0.491 | 24,942 | 1130 | 0.6613 | |
| 7 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 12800 | 27100 | 0.5269 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 8 | Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | 13000 | 30400 | 0.5729 | 724 | 965 | 0.7913 | |
| 9 | Florida Gulf Coast University | 13500 | 22500 | 0.4006 | 14,243 | 1125 | 0.7675 | |
| 10 | Boston University | 13600 | 88800 | 0.8472 | 18,805 | 1475 | 0.1111 | |
| 10 | Northern Arizona University | 13600 | 25400 | 0.4662 | 22,991 | 1145 | 0.8961 | |
| 10 | University of North Alabama | 13600 | 28200 | 0.518 | 8,078 | 1124 | 0.7054 | |
| 13 | West Virginia University | 14200 | 23300 | 0.3905 | 18,614 | 1125 | 0.778 | |
| 14 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 15 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 14600 | 31600 | 0.5372 | 7,290 | 1035 | 0.6409 | |
| 16 | Central Michigan University | 15200 | 40600 | 0.6257 | 10,219 | 1095 | 0.8982 | |
| 16 | Western Carolina University | 15200 | 16500 | 0.0787 | 10,112 | 1130 | 0.818 | |
| 18 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15300 | 28100 | 0.4555 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 19 | University of North Texas | 15400 | 25400 | 0.3943 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 20 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 15500 | 32300 | 0.5208 | 2,836 | 1170 | 0.3787 | |
| 21 | Livingstone College | 15600 | 29900 | 0.4788 | 799 | 855 | 0.7409 | |
| 22 | Stephen F Austin State University | 15700 | 22600 | 0.3049 | 9,129 | 1060 | 0.7445 | |
| 23 | California State University-Long Beach | 15800 | 25800 | 0.3877 | 35,843 | 1135 | 0.4628 | |
| 23 | New York University | 15800 | 91800 | 0.8277 | 29,060 | 1520 | 0.0923 | |
| 25 | Appalachian State University | 16100 | 19500 | 0.1742 | 19,560 | 1159 | 0.9014 | |
| 26 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 16200 | 28800 | 0.4373 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 27 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 16500 | 31300 | 0.4734 | 4,894 | 1090 | 0.8596 | |
| 28 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 16600 | 25700 | 0.3541 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 28 | Southeast Missouri State University | 16600 | 30300 | 0.4533 | 7,926 | 1080 | 0.6897 | |
| 28 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 16600 | 25200 | 0.3411 | 1,905 | 965 | 0.5754 | |
| 31 | Ferris State University | 16800 | 31000 | 0.4588 | 8,989 | 1015 | 0.9151 | |
| 31 | University of Southern Mississippi | 16800 | 23100 | 0.2725 | 10,193 | 1181 | 0.9912 | |
| 33 | University of Georgia | 17000 | 27100 | 0.3731 | 31,514 | 1336 | 0.3719 | |
| 34 | Central Washington University | 17200 | 22700 | 0.242 | 10,033 | 1060 | 0.9061 | |
| 34 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 17200 | 26300 | 0.3464 | 19,701 | 1214 | 0.8749 | |
| 36 | Eastern Illinois University | 17400 | 27700 | 0.3713 | 6,785 | 1020 | 0.6535 | |
| 37 | Husson University | 17800 | 48100 | 0.6293 | 2,762 | 1115 | 0.8095 | |
| 38 | San Francisco State University | 18000 | 33300 | 0.4594 | 20,756 | 1035 | 0.9615 | |
| 38 | Virginia State University | 18000 | 29300 | 0.3863 | 4,829 | 935 | 0.891 | |
| 40 | Delaware State University | 18300 | 33100 | 0.4474 | 4,941 | 960 | 0.6167 | |
| 41 | University of New Orleans | 18400 | 29500 | 0.3763 | 5,476 | 1125 | 0.6677 | |
| 42 | Eastern Michigan University | 18700 | 36100 | 0.4817 | 10,470 | 1055 | 0.7964 | |
| 43 | Saint Cloud State University | 18900 | 24500 | 0.2311 | 8,013 | 1094 | 0.9495 | |
| 44 | Kansas State University | 19000 | 31400 | 0.395 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8199 | |
| 45 | San Jose State University | 19200 | 29900 | 0.3576 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 46 | Youngstown State University | 19300 | 29300 | 0.3409 | 8,436 | 1065 | 0.8066 | |
| 47 | University of Mississippi | 19400 | 27000 | 0.2814 | 21,585 | 1182 | 0.9658 | |
| 48 | Western Kentucky University | 19500 | 26800 | 0.2699 | 14,151 | 960 | 0.9387 | |
| 49 | Georgia State University | 19800 | 26000 | 0.2386 | 27,438 | 1089 | 0.5543 | |
| 50 | Piedmont University | 20200 | 47200 | 0.572 | 1,159 | 1130 | 0.9328 | |
| 51 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 20600 | 38100 | 0.4588 | 11,365 | 1216 | 0.8816 | |
| 52 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 20700 | 30000 | 0.3105 | 13,179 | 1110 | 0.8883 | |
| 53 | Central Connecticut State University | 21000 | 34000 | 0.3821 | 8,170 | 1010 | 0.7333 | |
| 53 | North Dakota State University | 21000 | 25700 | 0.1818 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 55 | Montana State University | 21100 | 27100 | 0.2211 | 15,053 | 1184 | 0.8214 | |
| 55 | San Diego State University | 21100 | 28100 | 0.2493 | 34,637 | 1208 | 0.3598 | |
| 57 | Saint Peter's University | 21300 | 66300 | 0.6785 | 2,101 | 1070 | 0.9053 | |
| 58 | Madonna University | 21900 | 50400 | 0.5655 | 1,839 | 1005 | 0.9293 | |
| 59 | Stockton University | 22000 | 32100 | 0.3145 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 60 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus | 22100 | 33900 | 0.3479 | 7,353 | 1085 | 0.9077 | |
| 60 | South Dakota State University | 22100 | 25200 | 0.1219 | 10,728 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 62 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 62 | Cleary University | 22200 | 47200 | 0.53 | 811 | 1060 | 0.5097 | |
| 64 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 22500 | 32000 | 0.2967 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 65 | Columbia College | 22600 | 36800 | 0.3864 | 1,268 | 950 | 0.9614 | |
| 65 | Florida State University | 22600 | 25000 | 0.0962 | 32,711 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 67 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 22900 | 22900 | 0 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 67 | Washington State University | 22900 | 36800 | 0.3783 | 14,346 | 1139 | 0.8797 | |
| 69 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5993 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 70 | Saint Leo University | 23400 | 50000 | 0.5318 | 7,603 | 1085 | 0.721 | |
| 71 | The University of Alabama | 23600 | 29900 | 0.211 | 34,389 | 1233 | 0.7665 | |
| 72 | Keystone College | 23900 | 42900 | 0.4426 | 894 | 1035 | 0.848 | |
| 73 | University of Alaska Anchorage | 24000 | 26400 | 0.0902 | 9,965 | 1095 | 0.5958 | |
| 74 | University of the Virgin Islands | 24100 | 37000 | 0.349 | 1,569 | 925 | 0.9898 | |
| 75 | Meredith College | 24200 | 65900 | 0.6327 | 1,206 | 1237 | 0.7418 | |
| 76 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 24400 | 76300 | 0.6804 | 7,703 | 1105 | 0.9556 | |
| 77 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | 24600 | 32900 | 0.2523 | 2,634 | 1030 | 0.8841 | |
| 78 | Northern Michigan University | 24700 | 32900 | 0.2495 | 6,684 | 1100 | 0.8402 | |
| 79 | New Jersey City University | 25100 | 39800 | 0.3697 | 4,209 | 1015 | 0.8918 | |
| 80 | Bellevue University | 25200 | 25700 | 0.0194 | 11,096 | 0 | 0.995 | |
| 81 | Temple University | 25300 | 36300 | 0.3033 | 21,428 | 1245 | 0.8045 | |
| 82 | Ball State University | 25400 | 25900 | 0.0193 | 15,189 | 1170 | 0.855 | |
| 83 | Michigan State University | 25800 | 28900 | 0.1089 | 41,234 | 1223 | 0.848 | |
| 84 | California State University-Northridge | 25900 | 36600 | 0.2916 | 32,499 | 1005 | 0.9219 | |
| 84 | Northwood University | 25900 | 54500 | 0.5252 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 86 | Lakeland University | 26000 | 56500 | 0.5404 | 2,318 | 1000 | 0.914 | |
| 87 | Fort Hays State University | 26200 | 35200 | 0.256 | 10,206 | 1120 | 0.9177 | |
| 87 | Iowa State University | 26200 | 42800 | 0.3864 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 87 | Roosevelt University | 26200 | 43300 | 0.3947 | 2,605 | 1015 | 0.9427 | |
| 87 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | 26200 | 31800 | 0.1762 | 27,082 | 1099 | 0.8459 | |
| 91 | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | 26300 | 39000 | 0.3255 | 2,233 | 930 | 0.9036 | |
| 92 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 26700 | 28800 | 0.072 | 6,124 | 1159 | 0.8747 | |
| 93 | Kennesaw State University | 27000 | 27000 | 0 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 94 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | 27100 | 55200 | 0.5088 | 1,997 | 1160 | 0.9526 | |
| 94 | Flagler College | 27100 | 37800 | 0.2833 | 2,409 | 1100 | 0.8076 | |
| 96 | Southern Utah University | 27400 | 35600 | 0.2301 | 13,126 | 1140 | 0.8179 | |
| 96 | Troy University | 27400 | 32600 | 0.1594 | 10,222 | 1090 | 0.9604 | |
| 98 | Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 28200 | 50700 | 0.4449 | 582 | 1010 | 0.9073 | |
| 99 | College of Coastal Georgia | 28400 | 43200 | 0.3422 | 3,468 | 985 | 0.9813 | |
| 99 | Mitchell College | 28400 | 65900 | 0.5687 | 500 | 817 | 0.7336 | |
| 101 | Lipscomb University | 28500 | 57600 | 0.5052 | 3,327 | 1214 | 0.6774 | |
| 102 | Framingham State University | 28600 | 38100 | 0.2496 | 2,817 | 1125 | 0.8491 | |
| 103 | Salem State University | 29400 | 38900 | 0.244 | 4,853 | 1100 | 0.9557 | |
| 104 | Montclair State University | 29500 | 36300 | 0.1874 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 105 | California State University-East Bay | 29800 | 43000 | 0.3067 | 10,562 | 940 | 0.9681 | |
| 106 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 29900 | 34000 | 0.1205 | 6,910 | 1053 | 0.9734 | |
| 107 | Kent State University at Kent | 30000 | 37500 | 0.2 | 20,841 | 1105 | 0.8634 | |
| 107 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 109 | Belmont University | 30300 | 67800 | 0.5529 | 7,167 | 1273 | 0.9528 | |
| 110 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 30500 | 78100 | 0.6096 | 14,267 | 1363 | 0.6693 | |
| 111 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 30600 | 43700 | 0.2995 | 1,002 | 1115 | 0.8898 | |
| 112 | Culinary Institute of America | 30700 | 69500 | 0.558 | 3,011 | 1050 | 0.981 | |
| 113 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 31100 | 63700 | 0.5114 | 1,184 | 1015 | 0.7989 | |
| 114 | Siena Heights University | 31200 | 46300 | 0.3259 | 1,669 | 1000 | 0.6656 | |
| 115 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | 31300 | 38500 | 0.1871 | 2,067 | 1025 | 0.6918 | |
| 116 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh | 32100 | 44800 | 0.2835 | 3,856 | 1169 | 0.7518 | |
| 117 | Southern New Hampshire University | 32400 | 47600 | 0.3192 | 159,653 | 965 | 0.9612 | |
| 118 | Widener University | 32500 | 75300 | 0.5682 | 2,811 | 1155 | 0.8402 | |
| 119 | California Lutheran University | 32700 | 65800 | 0.5027 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 119 | Southeastern University | 32700 | 60500 | 0.4592 | 10,351 | 1130 | 0.6165 | |
| 121 | Liberty University | 32800 | 43900 | 0.2528 | 52,823 | 1181 | 0.9932 | |
| 122 | Colorado Mesa University | 33000 | 40000 | 0.1737 | 9,473 | 1050 | 0.9829 | |
| 123 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 1,956 | 1153 | 0.9146 | |
| 124 | Lasell University | 33600 | 47000 | 0.2849 | 1,293 | 1139 | 0.927 | |
| 125 | College of Charleston | 33700 | 33700 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 126 | Auburn University | 34400 | 34400 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 126 | Charleston Southern University | 34400 | 48400 | 0.2905 | 2,914 | 1070 | 0.7609 | |
| 128 | University of Denver | 34700 | 76800 | 0.5481 | 6,619 | 1349 | 0.7729 | |
| 128 | University of South Florida | 34700 | 34700 | 0 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 130 | DePaul University | 34900 | 56200 | 0.3791 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 131 | University of North Texas at Dallas | 35000 | 37600 | 0.0685 | 3,018 | 920 | 0.9386 | |
| 132 | Southern Connecticut State University | 35400 | 52500 | 0.326 | 7,252 | 965 | 0.9482 | |
| 132 | St. Thomas Aquinas College | 35400 | 64400 | 0.4506 | 1,889 | 985 | 0.9305 | |
| 134 | University of West Florida | 35600 | 44600 | 0.2019 | 9,661 | 1120 | 0.5687 | |
| 135 | Baldwin Wallace University | 35700 | 47300 | 0.2452 | 2,862 | 1194 | 0.757 | |
| 136 | Florida International University | 36300 | 36800 | 0.0136 | 44,904 | 1175 | 0.5466 | |
| 137 | Ashland University | 36400 | 52700 | 0.3091 | 5,180 | 1145 | 0.8053 | |
| 137 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 36400 | 53300 | 0.317 | 1,044 | 1095 | 0.7209 | |
| 139 | University of Central Florida | 36700 | 39600 | 0.0733 | 59,649 | 1280 | 0.4471 | |
| 140 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 141 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 62000 | 0.3968 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5499 | |
| 142 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38400 | 38400 | 0 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 143 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 38600 | 44600 | 0.1345 | 22,351 | 1159 | 0.7504 | |
| 144 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 39000 | 52900 | 0.2626 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 145 | Nichols College | 39600 | 59600 | 0.3359 | 1,152 | 1070 | 0.8814 | |
| 145 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | 39600 | 53800 | 0.264 | 23,920 | 1390 | 0.5973 | |
| 147 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 40300 | 40300 | 0 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 148 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | 40500 | 66000 | 0.3861 | 3,908 | 1050 | 0.8844 | |
| 149 | Endicott College | 40700 | 63200 | 0.3559 | 3,176 | 1255 | 0.7229 | |
| 150 | Webber International University | 40800 | 44400 | 0.0806 | 879 | 965 | 0.7756 | |
| 151 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 41400 | 53900 | 0.2319 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 151 | York College of Pennsylvania | 41400 | 41400 | 0 | 3,308 | 1135 | 0.942 | |
| 153 | Campbell University | 41700 | 65100 | 0.3591 | 2,699 | 1120 | 0.872 | |
| 154 | St. John's University-New York | 42100 | 80100 | 0.4742 | 15,640 | 1249 | 0.8343 | |
| 155 | Mercyhurst University | 42600 | 66400 | 0.3586 | 2,274 | 1189 | 0.8102 | |
| 155 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 42600 | 55100 | 0.227 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 157 | Merrimack College | 43600 | 78800 | 0.4464 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 158 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2742 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 159 | Middle Tennessee State University | 45800 | 45800 | 0 | 17,668 | 1124 | 0.68 | |
| 160 | James Madison University | 46400 | 46400 | 0 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 161 | University of Delaware | 47200 | 53200 | 0.1127 | 19,119 | 1303 | 0.6356 | |
| 162 | University of Kentucky | 51000 | 56000 | 0.0893 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 163 | Drexel University | 51200 | 82600 | 0.38 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 164 | Lynn University | 51600 | 64200 | 0.1963 | 2,861 | 1130 | 0.7347 | |
| 165 | University of San Francisco | 53500 | 83200 | 0.3568 | 5,321 | 1292 | 0.6171 | |
| 166 | Dallas Baptist University | 55900 | 56100 | 0.0036 | 2,785 | 1104 | 0.8884 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.