Recent Articles
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 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | 3700 | 34100 | 0.8918 | 3,237 | 0 | 0.3861 | |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology | 4300 | 90300 | 0.9522 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 6500 | 94100 | 0.9312 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 4 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 8000 | 33400 | 0.7614 | 10,049 | 1005 | 0.9234 | |
| 5 | CUNY Lehman College | 8300 | 35100 | 0.7643 | 11,217 | 1020 | 0.4601 | |
| 6 | University of Houston-Victoria | 9000 | 23500 | 0.6179 | 2,707 | 930 | 0.7671 | |
| 7 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9300 | 20000 | 0.5349 | 3,207 | 1050 | 0.8034 | |
| 8 | New Mexico Highlands University | 10500 | 21500 | 0.5112 | 1,710 | 945 | 0.9481 | |
| 8 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5776 | 7,206 | 1015 | 0.7214 | |
| 10 | Coppin State University | 10700 | 32800 | 0.6736 | 1,810 | 950 | 0.4956 | |
| 11 | Savannah State University | 11300 | 17400 | 0.3499 | 2,857 | 950 | 0.8368 | |
| 12 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 11700 | 27800 | 0.579 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 13 | Christopher Newport University | 11900 | 33900 | 0.6489 | 4,407 | 1209 | 0.8796 | |
| 14 | Northern Illinois University | 12300 | 29000 | 0.5744 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 15 | Fairmont State University | 12400 | 21400 | 0.4211 | 3,060 | 1005 | 0.9924 | |
| 16 | Northwestern University | 12600 | 87700 | 0.8563 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 16 | Texas A&M University-Commerce | 12600 | 24000 | 0.4749 | 9,666 | 1040 | 0.7498 | |
| 18 | Northern Kentucky University | 12700 | 25900 | 0.5105 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 19 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 12800 | 27100 | 0.5269 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 20 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 12900 | 37100 | 0.6518 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 21 | Fort Hays State University | 13300 | 22000 | 0.3956 | 10,206 | 1120 | 0.9177 | |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 32200 | 0.5744 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 23 | University of North Florida | 13900 | 22400 | 0.3799 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 24 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14500 | 41100 | 0.6478 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 25 | Goshen College | 14800 | 55800 | 0.7345 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 26 | University of North Texas | 14900 | 25400 | 0.4141 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 27 | Concord University | 15400 | 31700 | 0.514 | 1,609 | 990 | 0.9256 | |
| 27 | Dickinson State University | 15400 | 21600 | 0.2876 | 1,339 | 1005 | 0.3695 | |
| 29 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 15600 | 25800 | 0.3959 | 5,187 | 1005 | 0.9229 | |
| 29 | Wayne State College | 15600 | 26400 | 0.4096 | 3,902 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 31 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 15700 | 23400 | 0.3295 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 32 | Northeastern University | 16100 | 89900 | 0.8213 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 33 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 16300 | 32400 | 0.4971 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 33 | Southern University at New Orleans | 16300 | 31600 | 0.484 | 1,773 | 885 | 0.6021 | |
| 35 | Jacksonville State University | 16900 | 26600 | 0.3649 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 36 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,428 | 1090 | 0.9529 | |
| 37 | Morgan State University | 17900 | 19700 | 0.0915 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 38 | Georgia Southern University | 18000 | 23800 | 0.2441 | 23,618 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 39 | Angelo State University | 18400 | 23100 | 0.2035 | 9,779 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 39 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 18400 | 25200 | 0.2698 | 6,853 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 41 | Florida Memorial University | 18500 | 46100 | 0.5988 | 1,299 | 0 | 0.7431 | |
| 42 | State University of New York at Oswego | 18600 | 27500 | 0.3235 | 5,517 | 1174 | 0.8057 | |
| 43 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 19000 | 32900 | 0.4231 | 624 | 1115 | 0.9664 | |
| 43 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 19000 | 27000 | 0.2967 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 45 | Westfield State University | 19200 | 32500 | 0.4098 | 3,868 | 1105 | 0.8671 | |
| 46 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 19600 | 27200 | 0.2797 | 31,112 | 1130 | 0.8129 | |
| 47 | Wayne State University | 19700 | 32300 | 0.3906 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 48 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20100 | 38800 | 0.4817 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 48 | University of Colorado Boulder | 20100 | 30600 | 0.3431 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 50 | Alabama State University | 20200 | 37400 | 0.4592 | 3,322 | 945 | 0.9564 | |
| 51 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 52 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20700 | 57800 | 0.6418 | 1,083 | 1205 | 0.9278 | |
| 53 | East Carolina University | 20800 | 23800 | 0.1258 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 54 | Tarleton State University | 21000 | 23000 | 0.087 | 15,130 | 0 | 0.5256 | |
| 55 | Cleveland State University | 21400 | 30900 | 0.3071 | 9,418 | 1005 | 0.913 | |
| 55 | Luther College | 21400 | 71900 | 0.7025 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8402 | |
| 57 | Rutgers University-Newark | 21500 | 38900 | 0.4474 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 58 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 21800 | 33000 | 0.3391 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 59 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 21900 | 34400 | 0.3633 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 60 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 61 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 22700 | 36400 | 0.3759 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 61 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 22700 | 22800 | 0.0044 | 10,656 | 1075 | 0.7289 | |
| 63 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 22900 | 22900 | 0 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 64 | Dakota State University | 23100 | 25600 | 0.0977 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8814 | |
| 65 | Robert Morris University | 23200 | 58000 | 0.5998 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 66 | Averett University | 23300 | 57200 | 0.593 | 1,180 | 1010 | 0.478 | |
| 67 | Syracuse University | 23500 | 83100 | 0.7172 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 68 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5708 | 2,690 | 1035 | 0.9032 | |
| 69 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 24100 | 34500 | 0.3014 | 5,444 | 1214 | 0.7064 | |
| 70 | Bemidji State University | 24200 | 26400 | 0.0835 | 3,610 | 1110 | 0.9131 | |
| 71 | Grambling State University | 24300 | 26700 | 0.09 | 4,279 | 965 | 0.2368 | |
| 72 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 24400 | 26600 | 0.0828 | 3,413 | 1085 | 0.5295 | |
| 72 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 24400 | 37400 | 0.3473 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 74 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | 24700 | 62200 | 0.6033 | 686 | 1030 | 0.8649 | |
| 75 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 24800 | 28000 | 0.1144 | 5,086 | 1000 | 0.9821 | |
| 75 | Elmhurst University | 24800 | 67000 | 0.6301 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 77 | Boston College | 25100 | 94600 | 0.7347 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 78 | Houghton University | 25200 | 35500 | 0.29 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 79 | Bethune-Cookman University | 25900 | 32700 | 0.208 | 2,739 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 79 | Northwood University | 25900 | 54500 | 0.5252 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 81 | Doane University | 26000 | 62800 | 0.5861 | 1,323 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 82 | Norwich University | 26300 | 70900 | 0.6293 | 2,642 | 1209 | 0.7361 | |
| 83 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 84 | Pennsylvania Western University | 26600 | 35600 | 0.2531 | 7,586 | 1070 | 0.9433 | |
| 85 | Columbia College | 26900 | 41300 | 0.349 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 86 | Kennesaw State University | 27000 | 27000 | 0 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 86 | University of North Georgia | 27000 | 35500 | 0.2393 | 18,329 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 88 | Emporia State University | 27200 | 37700 | 0.2783 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 89 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 28000 | 28000 | 0 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 90 | Grand Valley State University | 28200 | 35700 | 0.2101 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 91 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 31500 | 0.0921 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 92 | George Fox University | 28700 | 67100 | 0.5727 | 3,401 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 92 | Mercy University | 28700 | 44500 | 0.3552 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 92 | Salisbury University | 28700 | 28700 | 0 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 95 | Radford University | 28800 | 32800 | 0.122 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 95 | University of Utah | 28800 | 32000 | 0.1002 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 97 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 28900 | 39700 | 0.2722 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 98 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | 29100 | 52800 | 0.4491 | 938 | 1090 | 0.951 | |
| 99 | Furman University | 29200 | 79600 | 0.6329 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 99 | Lincoln University | 29200 | 40900 | 0.2859 | 1,707 | 920 | 0 | |
| 101 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 29700 | 38200 | 0.2227 | 6,550 | 1140 | 0.7456 | |
| 102 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 29900 | 51100 | 0.4151 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 102 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 29900 | 52900 | 0.435 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 104 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 105 | Saint Xavier University | 30300 | 51200 | 0.4067 | 3,039 | 1125 | 0.8575 | |
| 105 | San Jose State University | 30300 | 41000 | 0.2608 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 107 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30400 | 54700 | 0.4429 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.6327 | |
| 107 | SUNY at Fredonia | 30400 | 39600 | 0.2326 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 109 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 30500 | 39500 | 0.2277 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 110 | Albright College | 30600 | 48700 | 0.3717 | 1,328 | 1050 | 0.8615 | |
| 110 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30600 | 54600 | 0.4397 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 112 | University of Toledo | 30800 | 42000 | 0.267 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 113 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 30900 | 36900 | 0.1639 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 114 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 31000 | 33200 | 0.0664 | 14,504 | 1145 | 0.7637 | |
| 115 | SUNY Brockport | 31100 | 37900 | 0.1794 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 116 | Thomas Jefferson University | 31500 | 67700 | 0.5346 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 116 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 31500 | 36700 | 0.1417 | 5,789 | 1115 | 0.5774 | |
| 118 | Washington Adventist University | 31600 | 37800 | 0.1642 | 605 | 950 | 0.4536 | |
| 119 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 31800 | 31800 | 0 | 11,562 | 1110 | 0.5836 | |
| 119 | Saint Michael's College | 31800 | 68400 | 0.5348 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 121 | McKendree University | 31900 | 52200 | 0.3882 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 122 | Hampton University | 32300 | 47000 | 0.3128 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 122 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 32300 | 34700 | 0.0691 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 124 | University of Scranton | 32400 | 78700 | 0.5881 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.812 | |
| 125 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 32600 | 40200 | 0.1892 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 126 | California Lutheran University | 32700 | 65800 | 0.5027 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 127 | Frostburg State University | 32800 | 43100 | 0.239 | 2,619 | 1082 | 0.892 | |
| 127 | Harding University | 32800 | 47000 | 0.3023 | 3,523 | 1193 | 0.3942 | |
| 129 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 33100 | 54600 | 0.3936 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 130 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 33400 | 40900 | 0.1835 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 130 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 1,956 | 1153 | 0.9146 | |
| 132 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 33600 | 46200 | 0.2729 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 132 | Stockton University | 33600 | 44500 | 0.2451 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 134 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 54600 | 0.383 | 1,903 | 1214 | 0.7787 | |
| 134 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5882 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 136 | LeTourneau University | 34000 | 54600 | 0.3772 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 137 | University of South Florida | 34700 | 34700 | 0 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 138 | DePaul University | 34900 | 56200 | 0.3791 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 139 | Adelphi University | 35100 | 63300 | 0.4454 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 139 | City University of Seattle | 35100 | 45400 | 0.227 | 1,180 | 0 | 0.9025 | |
| 139 | Coastal Carolina University | 35100 | 44700 | 0.2146 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 139 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 35100 | 49600 | 0.2921 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 143 | Stevenson University | 35300 | 59900 | 0.4105 | 3,106 | 1100 | 0.7891 | |
| 144 | Mercer University | 36400 | 60500 | 0.3984 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 145 | Towson University | 36500 | 45700 | 0.2013 | 16,264 | 1093 | 0.8198 | |
| 146 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 36700 | 38900 | 0.0566 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 147 | Immaculata University | 37100 | 47800 | 0.2236 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8578 | |
| 147 | University of Michigan-Flint | 37100 | 39400 | 0.0584 | 5,011 | 1103 | 0.7047 | |
| 149 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 37600 | 38900 | 0.0334 | 1,919 | 1245 | 0.7844 | |
| 150 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38400 | 38400 | 0 | 14,416 | 1205 | 0.8851 | |
| 151 | Suffolk University | 38500 | 73600 | 0.4771 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 152 | University of Illinois Chicago | 39200 | 48000 | 0.1832 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 153 | Pace University | 39700 | 74100 | 0.464 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 154 | Stony Brook University | 39800 | 53000 | 0.2491 | 18,263 | 1395 | 0.4904 | |
| 155 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 40100 | 45400 | 0.1167 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 156 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 40300 | 40300 | 0 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 157 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 40500 | 40500 | 0 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 158 | Loyola University Maryland | 41900 | 78800 | 0.4684 | 3,881 | 1309 | 0.7549 | |
| 159 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 42500 | 54900 | 0.2261 | 20,418 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 160 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 42600 | 55100 | 0.227 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 161 | University of Maryland-College Park | 42700 | 52900 | 0.1928 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 162 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 16,086 | 1293 | 0.5117 | |
| 162 | Western Oregon University | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 3,343 | 1120 | 0.9871 | |
| 164 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4481 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 164 | University of California-Riverside | 43500 | 66400 | 0.3448 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 166 | James Madison University | 46400 | 46400 | 0 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 167 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 56200 | 0.1476 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 168 | Molloy University | 48200 | 62300 | 0.2265 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 168 | University of Mount Olive | 48200 | 50400 | 0.0438 | 1,937 | 945 | 0.7775 | |
| 170 | College of Charleston | 49600 | 59000 | 0.1594 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 171 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 49900 | 56400 | 0.1152 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 172 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 50200 | 52300 | 0.0401 | 21,210 | 1171 | 0.9232 | |
| 173 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 50900 | 84200 | 0.3956 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 174 | University of Kentucky | 51000 | 56000 | 0.0893 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 175 | Drexel University | 51100 | 82600 | 0.3812 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 176 | Fordham University | 52600 | 94600 | 0.4442 | 10,307 | 1415 | 0.5628 | |
| 177 | Rowan University | 53600 | 53600 | 0 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 178 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 56700 | 58900 | 0.0374 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 179 | Clemson University | 61400 | 63700 | 0.0346 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 180 | Thiel College | 67400 | 69100 | 0.0246 | 831 | 1065 | 0.7189 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.