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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 | California Institute of Technology | 6800 | 91800 | 0.9264 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 2 | Savannah State University | 6900 | 40400 | 0.8283 | 2,857 | 950 | 0.8368 | |
| 3 | Northern Kentucky University | 7200 | 25900 | 0.723 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 4 | University of Houston-Victoria | 7700 | 39700 | 0.8063 | 2,707 | 930 | 0.7671 | |
| 5 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 8300 | 27100 | 0.6927 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 6 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8400 | 98000 | 0.9146 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 7 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 9200 | 48800 | 0.8117 | 10,049 | 1005 | 0.9234 | |
| 8 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9500 | 36900 | 0.7427 | 3,207 | 1060 | 0.8034 | |
| 9 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5775 | 7,206 | 1015 | 0.7214 | |
| 10 | University of Michigan-Flint | 11600 | 45600 | 0.7453 | 5,011 | 1103 | 0.7047 | |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 11800 | 19600 | 0.3978 | 10,656 | 1075 | 0.7289 | |
| 12 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 12100 | 51900 | 0.7672 | 6,029 | 1075 | 0.9173 | |
| 13 | Saint Xavier University | 12600 | 53300 | 0.7625 | 3,039 | 1125 | 0.8575 | |
| 14 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 12700 | 34600 | 0.6336 | 8,975 | 1065 | 0.9721 | |
| 15 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 12900 | 23400 | 0.4493 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 16 | University of California-Riverside | 13000 | 36500 | 0.6434 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 17 | Northern Illinois University | 13200 | 29000 | 0.5435 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 13300 | 13300 | 0 | 18,667 | 1090 | 0.9711 | |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 51900 | 0.7365 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 20 | Fort Hays State University | 13800 | 40700 | 0.6617 | 10,206 | 1110 | 0.9177 | |
| 21 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 13900 | 46000 | 0.6974 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 22 | University of Illinois Chicago | 14000 | 30400 | 0.5387 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 23 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 14400 | 32200 | 0.5534 | 2,836 | 1135 | 0.3787 | |
| 23 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 14400 | 26800 | 0.4632 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 25 | University of North Georgia | 15200 | 48000 | 0.6836 | 18,329 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 26 | Alabama State University | 15300 | 37900 | 0.5967 | 3,322 | 970 | 0.9564 | |
| 27 | Dickinson State University | 15500 | 21700 | 0.2868 | 1,339 | 1005 | 0.3695 | |
| 28 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 15600 | 25800 | 0.3932 | 5,386 | 995 | 0.9092 | |
| 29 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 15700 | 46800 | 0.665 | 6,550 | 1110 | 0.7456 | |
| 30 | University of North Florida | 15800 | 33000 | 0.5216 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 30 | Wayne State College | 15800 | 20000 | 0.2099 | 3,902 | 0 | 1 | |
| 32 | New Mexico Highlands University | 15900 | 31500 | 0.4949 | 1,710 | 945 | 0.9481 | |
| 33 | University of South Alabama | 16200 | 22400 | 0.2773 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 34 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 16400 | 42600 | 0.6153 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 35 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.7042 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 35 | Jacksonville State University | 16500 | 27000 | 0.3896 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 35 | Wayne State University | 16500 | 46200 | 0.643 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 38 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 16800 | 64800 | 0.7416 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 39 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 17000 | 32200 | 0.4719 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 40 | Morgan State University | 17600 | 37200 | 0.5269 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 41 | Boston College | 17800 | 96200 | 0.8146 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 41 | SUNY at Fredonia | 17800 | 39600 | 0.5512 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 41 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 17800 | 44900 | 0.6031 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 44 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 17900 | 52500 | 0.659 | 21,210 | 1171 | 0.9232 | |
| 45 | SUNY Brockport | 18000 | 26200 | 0.3124 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 45 | Westfield State University | 18000 | 36600 | 0.5076 | 3,868 | 1105 | 0.8671 | |
| 47 | Southern University at New Orleans | 18100 | 34200 | 0.4706 | 1,773 | 885 | 0.6021 | |
| 47 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 18100 | 36500 | 0.5044 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 49 | University of Colorado Boulder | 18300 | 30600 | 0.4019 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 50 | Emporia State University | 18500 | 29800 | 0.3797 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 51 | Florida Memorial University | 18600 | 44900 | 0.5858 | 1,299 | 0 | 0.7431 | |
| 51 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 18600 | 42800 | 0.5648 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 53 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 18700 | 43800 | 0.5725 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 54 | Stockton University | 19100 | 44500 | 0.5711 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 55 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 19400 | 38000 | 0.4892 | 5,444 | 1214 | 0.7064 | |
| 56 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 19700 | 38100 | 0.483 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 57 | Lincoln University | 19900 | 40800 | 0.5128 | 1,707 | 920 | 0 | |
| 58 | Central Connecticut State University | 20000 | 29500 | 0.3219 | 8,170 | 1010 | 0.7333 | |
| 58 | Towson University | 20000 | 30000 | 0.3329 | 16,264 | 1093 | 0.8198 | |
| 60 | Bradley University | 20100 | 48500 | 0.5849 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 61 | State University of New York at Oswego | 20300 | 40200 | 0.4952 | 5,517 | 1164 | 0.8057 | |
| 62 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 62 | Grove City College | 20400 | 39700 | 0.4868 | 2,341 | 1256 | 0.7232 | |
| 64 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 20600 | 34400 | 0.4011 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 65 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20800 | 57800 | 0.6406 | 1,083 | 1171 | 0.9278 | |
| 66 | Albright College | 21200 | 49300 | 0.5699 | 1,328 | 1050 | 0.8615 | |
| 67 | Kennesaw State University | 21400 | 27200 | 0.2133 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 68 | Elmhurst University | 21500 | 67000 | 0.6794 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 68 | Luther College | 21500 | 71900 | 0.7017 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8402 | |
| 68 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 21500 | 38900 | 0.4469 | 1,919 | 1245 | 0.7844 | |
| 71 | Pennsylvania Western University | 21700 | 28200 | 0.2309 | 7,586 | 0 | 0.9433 | |
| 72 | Averett University | 22100 | 57200 | 0.614 | 1,180 | 1070 | 0.478 | |
| 73 | Northwestern University | 22200 | 88100 | 0.7483 | 9,060 | 1533 | 0.0769 | |
| 73 | San Jose State University | 22200 | 41100 | 0.46 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 75 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 22300 | 43000 | 0.4809 | 5,789 | 1060 | 0.5774 | |
| 76 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22800 | 58100 | 0.608 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 77 | Dakota State University | 23100 | 25600 | 0.0977 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8814 | |
| 77 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 23100 | 44400 | 0.4794 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 79 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 23200 | 45200 | 0.4871 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 80 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5986 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 81 | Grambling State University | 23600 | 34800 | 0.3215 | 4,279 | 955 | 0.2368 | |
| 82 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 23800 | 26300 | 0.0952 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 83 | Houghton University | 23900 | 61900 | 0.6142 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 84 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5713 | 2,690 | 1060 | 0.9032 | |
| 85 | Norwich University | 24300 | 88400 | 0.7253 | 2,642 | 1182 | 0.7361 | |
| 86 | Northwood University | 25200 | 54500 | 0.5381 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 87 | Columbia College | 25900 | 51600 | 0.4985 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 88 | Doane University | 26000 | 77700 | 0.665 | 1,323 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 89 | Grand Valley State University | 26200 | 36300 | 0.2786 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 89 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26200 | 28300 | 0.0755 | 3,413 | 1095 | 0.5295 | |
| 91 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 92 | Bethune-Cookman University | 26700 | 32700 | 0.1835 | 2,739 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 92 | Furman University | 26700 | 79600 | 0.6643 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 94 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 27000 | 30100 | 0.1042 | 5,086 | 1000 | 0.9821 | |
| 95 | Cleveland State University | 27300 | 37300 | 0.2682 | 9,418 | 1105 | 0.913 | |
| 95 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 27300 | 47900 | 0.4298 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 97 | Fairmont State University | 27400 | 32200 | 0.1491 | 3,060 | 975 | 0.9924 | |
| 98 | Thomas Jefferson University | 27600 | 67700 | 0.5922 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 99 | George Fox University | 27700 | 76800 | 0.6393 | 3,401 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 100 | Syracuse University | 27800 | 83100 | 0.6654 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 101 | California Lutheran University | 28100 | 70000 | 0.5988 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 102 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 33400 | 0.1437 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 103 | Mercy University | 28700 | 44500 | 0.3552 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 104 | University of Toledo | 29500 | 32600 | 0.0961 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 105 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30500 | 54700 | 0.4416 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.5568 | |
| 105 | University of North Texas | 30500 | 37400 | 0.1844 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 107 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 30600 | 62800 | 0.5124 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 108 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30700 | 54600 | 0.4385 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 109 | East Texas A&M University | 30800 | 36500 | 0.1561 | 9,666 | 1040 | 0.7498 | |
| 110 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 31000 | 36900 | 0.162 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 111 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 31100 | 33200 | 0.0643 | 14,504 | 1145 | 0.7637 | |
| 112 | Coastal Carolina University | 31300 | 45100 | 0.3061 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 112 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 31300 | 31300 | 0 | 6,853 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 114 | Angelo State University | 31800 | 35400 | 0.1027 | 9,779 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 115 | DePaul University | 32000 | 67100 | 0.5231 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 115 | McKendree University | 32000 | 52200 | 0.3869 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 115 | Saint Michael's College | 32000 | 68500 | 0.5331 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 118 | Washington Adventist University | 32200 | 37800 | 0.1483 | 605 | 951 | 0.4536 | |
| 119 | Hampton University | 32300 | 62400 | 0.482 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 120 | University of Scranton | 32500 | 78700 | 0.5872 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.8029 | |
| 121 | Suffolk University | 32600 | 69700 | 0.5326 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 122 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 32900 | 45100 | 0.2705 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 123 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 15,130 | 1095 | 0.5256 | |
| 124 | Frostburg State University | 33400 | 43000 | 0.2234 | 2,619 | 1095 | 0.892 | |
| 125 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 126 | LeTourneau University | 34100 | 54800 | 0.378 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 126 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 34100 | 58500 | 0.4177 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 128 | Salisbury University | 34200 | 41700 | 0.1797 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 129 | Charleston Southern University | 34300 | 48400 | 0.2918 | 2,914 | 1060 | 0.7609 | |
| 130 | Pace University | 34600 | 74800 | 0.5373 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 131 | University of South Florida | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 132 | Adelphi University | 35200 | 63300 | 0.4443 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 133 | Immaculata University | 36000 | 47800 | 0.2467 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8578 | |
| 134 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 36200 | 56800 | 0.3624 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 135 | Loyola University Maryland | 36300 | 78800 | 0.5394 | 3,881 | 1309 | 0.7549 | |
| 136 | Christopher Newport University | 36900 | 51000 | 0.2767 | 4,407 | 1209 | 0.8796 | |
| 137 | East Carolina University | 37100 | 40100 | 0.0748 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 138 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38600 | 38600 | 0 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 139 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38700 | 53400 | 0.2754 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 140 | Stony Brook University | 39900 | 53000 | 0.2478 | 18,263 | 1404 | 0.4904 | |
| 141 | Rutgers University-Newark | 40200 | 60500 | 0.3358 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 142 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 42100 | 67900 | 0.3799 | 3,965 | 1335 | 0.9121 | |
| 143 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42600 | 54700 | 0.2212 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 144 | University of Maryland-College Park | 43000 | 53400 | 0.1948 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 145 | Western Oregon University | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 3,343 | 1120 | 0.9871 | |
| 146 | Merrimack College | 43600 | 78800 | 0.4472 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 146 | Radford University | 43600 | 45700 | 0.0467 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 148 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 43900 | 57100 | 0.2302 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 149 | James Madison University | 45300 | 45300 | 0 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 150 | Mercer University | 47100 | 63700 | 0.2607 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 151 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 48300 | 60000 | 0.1949 | 31,112 | 1114 | 0.8129 | |
| 151 | University of Mount Olive | 48300 | 50400 | 0.0424 | 1,937 | 1020 | 0.7775 | |
| 153 | Drexel University | 48800 | 83800 | 0.4176 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 154 | Molloy University | 48900 | 62300 | 0.2152 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 154 | University of Kentucky | 48900 | 56600 | 0.1362 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 156 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 51000 | 84700 | 0.398 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 157 | University of Utah | 51600 | 53700 | 0.0398 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 158 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 159 | Dallas Baptist University | 55900 | 71900 | 0.2224 | 2,785 | 1104 | 0.8884 | |
| 160 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.0921 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 161 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 59100 | 61200 | 0.0349 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 162 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 60600 | 63200 | 0.0411 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 162 | Thiel College | 60600 | 69100 | 0.123 | 830 | 1065 | 0.7189 | |
| 164 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 60800 | 64100 | 0.0514 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 165 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 61400 | 64200 | 0.0436 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 166 | Clemson University | 61500 | 63700 | 0.0335 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 167 | College of Charleston | 61600 | 61600 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 168 | Fordham University | 70000 | 95000 | 0.263 | 10,582 | 1406 | 0.5931 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.