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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 | Kentucky State University | 10100 | 17400 | 0.4184 | 1,793 | 865 | 0.9608 | |
| 3 | University of California-Davis | 10200 | 38100 | 0.7328 | 32,273 | 1290 | 0.4183 | |
| 4 | University of California-San Diego | 11500 | 39700 | 0.7102 | 34,955 | 1375 | 0.2671 | |
| 5 | Eastern Kentucky University | 11800 | 22900 | 0.4856 | 13,448 | 1110 | 0.7761 | |
| 6 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 11900 | 25700 | 0.5363 | 46,815 | 1378 | 0.6057 | |
| 7 | Texas Woman's University | 12100 | 28200 | 0.571 | 10,039 | 1035 | 0.9612 | |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 13200 | 19400 | 0.3197 | 14,416 | 1210 | 0.8851 | |
| 9 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 13400 | 25700 | 0.4786 | 20,584 | 1134 | 0.9053 | |
| 10 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 11 | University of Georgia | 13700 | 26600 | 0.485 | 32,399 | 1382 | 0.377 | |
| 11 | University of Houston | 13700 | 22000 | 0.3766 | 39,257 | 1249 | 0.7392 | |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 50700 | 0.7294 | 38,040 | 1418 | 0.452 | |
| 14 | Utah State University | 13800 | 20800 | 0.3369 | 25,706 | 1176 | 0.9247 | |
| 15 | University of Idaho | 14100 | 25800 | 0.4543 | 9,574 | 1119 | 0.7553 | |
| 16 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5047 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 17 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14400 | 37400 | 0.6144 | 7,622 | 1075 | 0.9254 | |
| 18 | Sonoma State University | 14600 | 26700 | 0.4532 | 5,272 | 1050 | 0.9343 | |
| 19 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 14800 | 31600 | 0.5323 | 6,907 | 1060 | 0.974 | |
| 20 | University of Central Oklahoma | 15500 | 28700 | 0.46 | 10,777 | 1075 | 0.7812 | |
| 21 | Florida State University | 15600 | 22900 | 0.3184 | 32,720 | 1360 | 0.2422 | |
| 21 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15600 | 31000 | 0.4964 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 23 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 15900 | 38500 | 0.5862 | 37,140 | 1406 | 0.4237 | |
| 24 | Alcorn State University | 16100 | 25900 | 0.3783 | 2,532 | 925 | 0.4533 | |
| 25 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 16500 | 40600 | 0.593 | 581 | 1132 | 0.9821 | |
| 26 | Southern University at New Orleans | 16600 | 31000 | 0.4639 | 2,179 | 950 | 0.789 | |
| 27 | Connecticut College | 16700 | 95300 | 0.8244 | 1,990 | 1421 | 0.3704 | |
| 28 | Houston Christian University | 17600 | 56800 | 0.6901 | 2,899 | 1090 | 0.8444 | |
| 29 | Greensboro College | 17700 | 37800 | 0.5317 | 899 | 1005 | 0.7014 | |
| 30 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 18200 | 18200 | 0 | 34,242 | 1273 | 0.7333 | |
| 30 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18200 | 27700 | 0.3428 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 30 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 18200 | 28600 | 0.3634 | 4,218 | 1030 | 0.9489 | |
| 33 | Benedict College | 18300 | 33000 | 0.445 | 1,628 | 915 | 0.957 | |
| 34 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 18800 | 32000 | 0.4129 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 35 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 18900 | 31400 | 0.3981 | 13,921 | 1119 | 0.7468 | |
| 36 | Stephens College | 19200 | 49900 | 0.6155 | 392 | 1045 | 0.7722 | |
| 36 | University of Nevada-Reno | 19200 | 28200 | 0.3189 | 19,117 | 1134 | 0.7371 | |
| 38 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 19400 | 36900 | 0.4748 | 24,449 | 1256 | 0.7847 | |
| 39 | Gallaudet University | 19600 | 44600 | 0.5604 | 875 | 895 | 0.5806 | |
| 39 | University of Arizona | 19600 | 30900 | 0.3663 | 44,848 | 1233 | 0.8614 | |
| 41 | Columbia College | 19800 | 35800 | 0.447 | 1,391 | 950 | 0.9393 | |
| 42 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20500 | 23200 | 0.1164 | 20,444 | 1209 | 0.8499 | |
| 43 | North Dakota State University | 21000 | 25700 | 0.1847 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 43 | Southern Virginia University | 21000 | 46700 | 0.5503 | 936 | 1094 | 0.9642 | |
| 45 | Louisiana Tech University | 21400 | 26100 | 0.1802 | 10,881 | 1189 | 0.864 | |
| 46 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | 21500 | 48900 | 0.5599 | 5,692 | 1124 | 0.9508 | |
| 47 | South Dakota State University | 22100 | 25200 | 0.1249 | 10,719 | 1120 | 0.9834 | |
| 48 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 22300 | 25900 | 0.1373 | 6,136 | 1159 | 0.8767 | |
| 49 | The University of Alabama | 22600 | 31000 | 0.2708 | 34,389 | 1284 | 0.7665 | |
| 50 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 23500 | 38200 | 0.3846 | 2,371 | 1189 | 0.9806 | |
| 51 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 52 | Indiana State University | 24200 | 32400 | 0.2532 | 6,224 | 1020 | 0.8077 | |
| 53 | Abilene Christian University | 24300 | 59000 | 0.5877 | 3,263 | 1189 | 0.6603 | |
| 54 | University of Central Missouri | 24400 | 35800 | 0.3185 | 7,584 | 1055 | 0.638 | |
| 55 | Temple University | 24800 | 36100 | 0.3132 | 21,457 | 1135 | 0.8041 | |
| 56 | Illinois State University | 25200 | 36400 | 0.3079 | 19,107 | 1120 | 0.8815 | |
| 57 | Seattle Pacific University | 25800 | 70000 | 0.6314 | 1,776 | 1180 | 0.834 | |
| 58 | Rockford University | 25900 | 58500 | 0.5577 | 983 | 975 | 0.9291 | |
| 59 | Westminster College | 26000 | 57600 | 0.5486 | 1,137 | 1149 | 0.9256 | |
| 60 | Iowa State University | 26200 | 42800 | 0.3881 | 25,628 | 1207 | 0.8866 | |
| 61 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 26400 | 36800 | 0.2828 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 62 | University of Mount Union | 26500 | 50900 | 0.4799 | 2,207 | 1089 | 0.782 | |
| 63 | Georgia Southern University | 26600 | 26800 | 0.0075 | 23,541 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 64 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26700 | 41500 | 0.3564 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 64 | University of Arkansas | 26700 | 28900 | 0.0745 | 28,859 | 1179 | 0.743 | |
| 66 | Kansas State University | 27000 | 31400 | 0.1409 | 15,650 | 1164 | 0.8169 | |
| 67 | California State University-San Bernardino | 27400 | 39100 | 0.2991 | 15,365 | 990 | 0.9374 | |
| 68 | Syracuse University | 27700 | 83100 | 0.6665 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 69 | Texas State University | 28000 | 28000 | 0 | 36,236 | 1100 | 0.8932 | |
| 70 | California State University-San Marcos | 28100 | 38300 | 0.2662 | 14,977 | 1040 | 0.951 | |
| 71 | Concordia University-Saint Paul | 28400 | 46000 | 0.3828 | 3,424 | 1209 | 0.7887 | |
| 72 | University of North Texas | 28900 | 37400 | 0.2271 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 72 | University of Utah | 28900 | 32000 | 0.0984 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 74 | University of Connecticut | 29200 | 39500 | 0.2608 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 75 | California State University-East Bay | 29400 | 45100 | 0.3483 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 76 | Rivier University | 29800 | 65700 | 0.5463 | 1,252 | 1120 | 0.8259 | |
| 77 | Southern Utah University | 29900 | 40800 | 0.2673 | 13,126 | 1140 | 0.8179 | |
| 78 | Kent State University at Kent | 30000 | 37500 | 0.2 | 20,841 | 1105 | 0.8634 | |
| 79 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 30500 | 39200 | 0.2222 | 12,507 | 1010 | 0.8897 | |
| 80 | California State University-Long Beach | 31000 | 38900 | 0.2032 | 36,082 | 1135 | 0.4627 | |
| 81 | Oklahoma Christian University | 31100 | 45000 | 0.3092 | 2,098 | 1129 | 0.9654 | |
| 82 | Lamar University | 31200 | 38300 | 0.1855 | 8,184 | 1050 | 0.8641 | |
| 83 | Southern Wesleyan University | 31500 | 47100 | 0.332 | 784 | 1170 | 0.9953 | |
| 84 | Baylor University | 31900 | 70300 | 0.546 | 14,915 | 1321 | 0.5128 | |
| 85 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 32200 | 40900 | 0.2127 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 86 | Samford University | 32600 | 64600 | 0.4955 | 4,210 | 1199 | 0.8236 | |
| 87 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | 32700 | 44700 | 0.2684 | 3,219 | 1226 | 0.5836 | |
| 88 | University of Rhode Island | 32900 | 46400 | 0.2907 | 14,376 | 1148 | 0.7216 | |
| 89 | Liberty University | 33200 | 44600 | 0.2556 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 90 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 33900 | 41000 | 0.174 | 22,364 | 1159 | 0.7504 | |
| 91 | Hope International University | 34200 | 60500 | 0.435 | 564 | 1027 | 0.3298 | |
| 92 | University of Vermont | 34500 | 66300 | 0.4788 | 12,276 | 1379 | 0.653 | |
| 93 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 32,580 | 1200 | 0.7265 | |
| 94 | Mississippi State University | 36300 | 50500 | 0.2804 | 18,567 | 1214 | 0.7764 | |
| 95 | Lesley University | 36800 | 54700 | 0.3274 | 1,229 | 1115 | 0.9687 | |
| 96 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 66300 | 0.436 | 31,035 | 1366 | 0.5478 | |
| 97 | Southern Nazarene University | 38200 | 48400 | 0.2117 | 1,456 | 0 | 0 | |
| 97 | Washington State University | 38200 | 53900 | 0.2906 | 21,455 | 1125 | 0.8664 | |
| 99 | Oakwood University | 38600 | 43300 | 0.1074 | 1,177 | 1005 | 0.4522 | |
| 99 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38600 | 53100 | 0.2729 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 101 | University of Maine | 39900 | 45200 | 0.1173 | 9,601 | 1205 | 0.9664 | |
| 102 | University of Wyoming | 40100 | 45300 | 0.1137 | 8,130 | 1179 | 0.9688 | |
| 103 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 40300 | 44100 | 0.0862 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 104 | SUNY Oneonta | 41700 | 41700 | 0 | 4,681 | 1234 | 0.696 | |
| 105 | Montclair State University | 42000 | 46600 | 0.0987 | 18,712 | 1058 | 0.8789 | |
| 106 | Anderson University | 42200 | 53600 | 0.2127 | 3,683 | 1209 | 0.5471 | |
| 107 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 42700 | 56200 | 0.2403 | 11,355 | 1222 | 0.8816 | |
| 108 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4474 | 4,102 | 1115 | 0.7002 | |
| 109 | Oregon State University | 44900 | 61900 | 0.2746 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 110 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 48600 | 51200 | 0.0517 | 44,819 | 1327 | 0.4987 | |
| 111 | Binghamton University | 50700 | 52800 | 0.0407 | 14,669 | 1415 | 0.3861 | |
| 112 | George Mason University | 53600 | 61000 | 0.1213 | 28,334 | 1268 | 0.8748 | |
| 113 | Miami University-Oxford | 57400 | 57400 | 0 | 16,816 | 1299 | 0.754 | |
| 114 | Howard University | 60000 | 66500 | 0.0978 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 115 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60400 | 64100 | 0.0577 | 1,236 | 1193 | 0.9811 | |
| 116 | Berea College | 68900 | 69000 | 0.0014 | 1,527 | 1235 | 0.1934 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.