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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 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 2 | Utah State University | 9700 | 26700 | 0.6361 | 26,629 | 1168 | 0.9212 | |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego | 11500 | 39700 | 0.7102 | 35,442 | 1375 | 0.2856 | |
| 4 | Eastern Kentucky University | 11800 | 22900 | 0.4856 | 13,448 | 1075 | 0.9683 | |
| 5 | Lamar University | 12400 | 22900 | 0.458 | 8,387 | 1040 | 0.8353 | |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,421 | 1054 | 0.9444 | |
| 7 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | 12800 | 26500 | 0.5164 | 13,039 | 1020 | 0.894 | |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 13200 | 19400 | 0.3197 | 14,865 | 1175 | 0.9113 | |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 10 | University of Georgia | 13700 | 26600 | 0.485 | 32,824 | 1348 | 0.3425 | |
| 10 | University of Houston | 13700 | 22000 | 0.3766 | 40,366 | 1224 | 0.7577 | |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 63200 | 0.7838 | 39,193 | 1418 | 0.4081 | |
| 13 | Texas Woman's University | 14100 | 23200 | 0.3916 | 9,962 | 1010 | 0.9658 | |
| 14 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5048 | 12,118 | 1070 | 0.7164 | |
| 15 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 14500 | 26500 | 0.4515 | 23,003 | 1164 | 0.7367 | |
| 16 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14600 | 29600 | 0.5075 | 7,501 | 1055 | 0.9467 | |
| 16 | Sonoma State University | 14600 | 26700 | 0.4532 | 4,449 | 1050 | 0.9841 | |
| 18 | California State University-Monterey Bay | 14800 | 31600 | 0.5323 | 7,402 | 1054 | 0.9684 | |
| 19 | Kentucky State University | 15000 | 28900 | 0.4806 | 1,793 | 865 | 0.9608 | |
| 20 | Texas State University | 15200 | 25500 | 0.4042 | 39,353 | 1080 | 0.9118 | |
| 21 | California State University-East Bay | 15500 | 30100 | 0.4857 | 9,909 | 940 | 0.9739 | |
| 21 | University of Central Oklahoma | 15500 | 28700 | 0.46 | 10,777 | 1075 | 0.7812 | |
| 23 | Florida State University | 15600 | 22900 | 0.3184 | 34,271 | 1369 | 0.2383 | |
| 24 | Alcorn State University | 16100 | 25900 | 0.3783 | 2,469 | 905 | 0.3675 | |
| 25 | Houston Christian University | 17000 | 56800 | 0.7007 | 3,277 | 1099 | 0.8645 | |
| 26 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 17200 | 25700 | 0.3307 | 21,138 | 1134 | 0.9039 | |
| 27 | Greensboro College | 17700 | 37800 | 0.5317 | 899 | 1005 | 0.7014 | |
| 27 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 17700 | 43500 | 0.5926 | 586 | 1140 | 0.9577 | |
| 29 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 18100 | 28600 | 0.3669 | 3,991 | 1010 | 0.9654 | |
| 30 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 18200 | 18200 | 0 | 35,248 | 1289 | 0.6939 | |
| 31 | University of Vermont | 18300 | 37800 | 0.5164 | 12,159 | 1372 | 0.7304 | |
| 32 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 18800 | 32000 | 0.4129 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 33 | Connecticut College | 19200 | 95300 | 0.7982 | 1,953 | 1284 | 0.3923 | |
| 33 | Stephens College | 19200 | 49900 | 0.6155 | 392 | 1045 | 0.7709 | |
| 33 | University of Rhode Island | 19200 | 33900 | 0.4337 | 14,466 | 1197 | 0.7456 | |
| 36 | SUNY Oneonta | 19600 | 29300 | 0.331 | 4,815 | 1090 | 0.7696 | |
| 37 | Columbia College | 19800 | 35800 | 0.447 | 1,566 | 950 | 0.966 | |
| 38 | Iowa State University | 19900 | 24200 | 0.179 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 39 | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20400 | 23200 | 0.1207 | 20,786 | 1225 | 0.8689 | |
| 40 | University of Wyoming | 20500 | 27900 | 0.2644 | 8,138 | 1163 | 0.9695 | |
| 41 | Purdue University-Main Campus | 20700 | 30600 | 0.326 | 43,633 | 1342 | 0.4343 | |
| 42 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | 21000 | 48900 | 0.5702 | 5,274 | 1103 | 0.9513 | |
| 42 | Southern Virginia University | 21000 | 46700 | 0.5503 | 936 | 1094 | 0.9659 | |
| 44 | Washington State University | 21100 | 36200 | 0.417 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 45 | Louisiana Tech University | 21300 | 26100 | 0.1841 | 11,071 | 1189 | 0.9073 | |
| 46 | Bradley University | 21700 | 49900 | 0.5642 | 3,258 | 1174 | 0.7459 | |
| 47 | South Dakota State University | 21900 | 25200 | 0.1305 | 10,883 | 1115 | 0.9618 | |
| 48 | Abilene Christian University | 23500 | 59000 | 0.6013 | 5,101 | 1149 | 0.6615 | |
| 48 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | 23500 | 38200 | 0.3846 | 2,280 | 1224 | 0.9675 | |
| 50 | Stockton University | 24100 | 32100 | 0.2491 | 7,583 | 1134 | 0.901 | |
| 51 | Indiana State University | 24200 | 32400 | 0.2532 | 6,352 | 1015 | 0.9157 | |
| 52 | University of Arizona | 24400 | 38100 | 0.3597 | 43,294 | 1186 | 0.8351 | |
| 53 | Temple University | 24800 | 36100 | 0.3132 | 21,031 | 1172 | 0.8622 | |
| 54 | Illinois State University | 25100 | 36400 | 0.3118 | 19,513 | 1115 | 0.8555 | |
| 55 | Seattle Pacific University | 25700 | 70000 | 0.6328 | 1,657 | 1174 | 0.9301 | |
| 56 | Westminster College | 25800 | 57600 | 0.5521 | 1,110 | 1145 | 0.9167 | |
| 57 | Rockford University | 25900 | 58500 | 0.5577 | 983 | 975 | 0.9289 | |
| 58 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 26300 | 36800 | 0.2855 | 15,273 | 1115 | 0.8089 | |
| 59 | Georgia Southern University | 26500 | 26800 | 0.0112 | 25,595 | 1045 | 0.695 | |
| 60 | University of Arkansas | 26600 | 28900 | 0.0793 | 29,252 | 1179 | 0.7388 | |
| 61 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 26700 | 41500 | 0.3564 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 61 | University of Idaho | 26700 | 45200 | 0.4089 | 9,656 | 1104 | 0.7476 | |
| 63 | Kansas State University | 27000 | 31400 | 0.1412 | 16,555 | 1163 | 0.875 | |
| 64 | University of Mount Union | 27100 | 56300 | 0.5183 | 2,207 | 1089 | 0.782 | |
| 65 | North Dakota State University | 27700 | 30400 | 0.0886 | 9,762 | 1110 | 0.9496 | |
| 65 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | 27700 | 30000 | 0.0763 | 6,227 | 1184 | 0.9171 | |
| 67 | California State University-San Bernardino | 27900 | 39100 | 0.2863 | 15,948 | 1020 | 0.943 | |
| 67 | Syracuse University | 27900 | 83100 | 0.6641 | 16,149 | 1374 | 0.4879 | |
| 69 | California State University-San Marcos | 28000 | 38300 | 0.2689 | 15,770 | 990 | 0.9513 | |
| 70 | Concordia University-Saint Paul | 28100 | 46000 | 0.3893 | 3,604 | 1069 | 0.9761 | |
| 71 | University of North Texas | 28400 | 37400 | 0.2405 | 34,414 | 1094 | 0.7089 | |
| 72 | Oregon State University | 28800 | 36700 | 0.2153 | 31,253 | 1272 | 0.773 | |
| 72 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 28800 | 39700 | 0.2747 | 4,789 | 1040 | 0.6671 | |
| 74 | University of Connecticut | 29200 | 39500 | 0.2608 | 20,056 | 1329 | 0.5239 | |
| 75 | Southern Utah University | 29900 | 40800 | 0.2673 | 13,176 | 1140 | 0.9998 | |
| 76 | California State University-Long Beach | 30900 | 38900 | 0.2058 | 36,056 | 1135 | 0.4543 | |
| 76 | Oklahoma Christian University | 30900 | 45000 | 0.3123 | 2,098 | 1129 | 0.9654 | |
| 78 | Kent State University at Kent | 31200 | 37500 | 0.1678 | 21,144 | 1104 | 0.7603 | |
| 79 | Southern Wesleyan University | 31400 | 47100 | 0.3349 | 784 | 1170 | 0.9953 | |
| 80 | Southern Nazarene University | 32000 | 48400 | 0.3385 | 1,473 | 1055 | 1 | |
| 81 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 32200 | 40900 | 0.2127 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 82 | Samford University | 32600 | 64600 | 0.4955 | 4,210 | 1199 | 0.8236 | |
| 83 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | 32700 | 44700 | 0.2684 | 3,219 | 1226 | 0.5836 | |
| 83 | State University of New York at Oswego | 32700 | 40200 | 0.1866 | 5,293 | 1179 | 0.7989 | |
| 85 | Liberty University | 33200 | 44600 | 0.2556 | 52,961 | 1174 | 0.9898 | |
| 86 | Baylor University | 33400 | 70300 | 0.5247 | 14,183 | 1302 | 0.5222 | |
| 87 | Bridgewater College | 34200 | 42500 | 0.1953 | 1,412 | 1115 | 0.903 | |
| 88 | Texas Tech University | 35600 | 38900 | 0.0848 | 34,021 | 1195 | 0.6906 | |
| 89 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 36300 | 53100 | 0.3162 | 32,041 | 1324 | 0.4358 | |
| 90 | Lesley University | 36800 | 54700 | 0.3274 | 1,230 | 1115 | 0.9687 | |
| 91 | University of Nevada-Reno | 37300 | 45800 | 0.1857 | 20,204 | 1109 | 0.8313 | |
| 92 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 37400 | 66300 | 0.436 | 31,536 | 1366 | 0.5457 | |
| 93 | Hope International University | 38300 | 58600 | 0.3463 | 649 | 995 | 0.6253 | |
| 94 | Oakwood University | 38500 | 43300 | 0.1107 | 1,184 | 1005 | 0.4563 | |
| 95 | Mississippi State University | 39100 | 53400 | 0.2675 | 19,093 | 1205 | 0.8363 | |
| 96 | University of Maine | 39500 | 45200 | 0.1262 | 9,182 | 1195 | 0.9562 | |
| 97 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 39600 | 42500 | 0.0683 | 14,249 | 1084 | 0.7761 | |
| 98 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 40300 | 44100 | 0.0862 | 13,432 | 1225 | 0.8701 | |
| 99 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 40800 | 53600 | 0.2389 | 46,627 | 1366 | 0.492 | |
| 100 | Montclair State University | 41600 | 46600 | 0.1073 | 19,048 | 1005 | 0.894 | |
| 101 | Anderson University | 42300 | 53600 | 0.2108 | 3,724 | 1209 | 0.5491 | |
| 102 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 42600 | 56200 | 0.2421 | 10,900 | 1222 | 0.8914 | |
| 103 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4479 | 4,123 | 1124 | 0.6927 | |
| 104 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 49800 | 62200 | 0.1995 | 38,572 | 1455 | 0.3659 | |
| 105 | Binghamton University | 50500 | 52800 | 0.0433 | 14,559 | 1404 | 0.3731 | |
| 106 | University of Utah | 51400 | 53700 | 0.0426 | 29,335 | 1222 | 0.9015 | |
| 107 | George Mason University | 53400 | 61000 | 0.1246 | 28,862 | 1271 | 0.8647 | |
| 108 | Howard University | 55000 | 66500 | 0.173 | 11,519 | 1208 | 0.4134 | |
| 109 | The University of Alabama | 55700 | 58500 | 0.0478 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 110 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 59300 | 61600 | 0.0372 | 25,141 | 1256 | 0.7613 | |
| 111 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60700 | 64100 | 0.053 | 1,078 | 1217 | 0.9646 | |
| 112 | University of California-Davis | 68400 | 69800 | 0.0201 | 31,695 | 1290 | 0.4435 | |
| 113 | Berea College | 68800 | 69000 | 0.0029 | 1,529 | 1209 | 0.1567 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.