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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 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | 5700 | 34100 | 0.8331 | 3,237 | 0 | 0.3861 | |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology | 7600 | 90300 | 0.9157 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8900 | 94100 | 0.9057 | 9,157 | 1535 | 0.0386 | |
| 4 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9200 | 30500 | 0.6982 | 3,207 | 1050 | 0.8034 | |
| 5 | New Mexico Highlands University | 10500 | 21500 | 0.5112 | 1,710 | 945 | 0.9481 | |
| 5 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5776 | 7,206 | 1015 | 0.7214 | |
| 7 | Coppin State University | 10700 | 32800 | 0.6736 | 1,810 | 950 | 0.4956 | |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 11300 | 34400 | 0.6706 | 37,140 | 1442 | 0.4237 | |
| 9 | Christopher Newport University | 11900 | 33900 | 0.6489 | 4,407 | 1209 | 0.8796 | |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 12400 | 27200 | 0.5443 | 39,083 | 1412 | 0.4517 | |
| 11 | Northern Illinois University | 12500 | 29000 | 0.5679 | 11,349 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 12 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 13100 | 37100 | 0.6464 | 4,218 | 1020 | 0.9307 | |
| 13 | Fort Hays State University | 13200 | 22000 | 0.4002 | 10,206 | 1120 | 0.9177 | |
| 14 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13400 | 27100 | 0.5048 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9401 | |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 13600 | 19600 | 0.306 | 10,656 | 1075 | 0.7289 | |
| 16 | University of South Florida | 14200 | 17100 | 0.1695 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 17 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | 14400 | 41100 | 0.6502 | 8,975 | 1045 | 0.9721 | |
| 18 | University of Michigan-Flint | 15000 | 36600 | 0.5901 | 5,011 | 1103 | 0.7047 | |
| 19 | Alabama State University | 15100 | 28000 | 0.4611 | 3,322 | 945 | 0.9564 | |
| 19 | Northeastern University | 15100 | 89900 | 0.8324 | 22,695 | 1490 | 0.0522 | |
| 19 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 15100 | 35400 | 0.5729 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 22 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 15200 | 35700 | 0.5744 | 26,500 | 1183 | 0.8857 | |
| 23 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 15300 | 28100 | 0.4555 | 8,553 | 1054 | 0.8688 | |
| 24 | Coastal Carolina University | 15400 | 27200 | 0.4339 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 25 | Wayne State College | 15600 | 26400 | 0.4096 | 3,902 | 1075 | 1 | |
| 26 | Goshen College | 15700 | 55800 | 0.718 | 780 | 995 | 0.8404 | |
| 27 | James Madison University | 15900 | 28600 | 0.4433 | 21,112 | 1260 | 0.7151 | |
| 27 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 15900 | 25800 | 0.3835 | 5,187 | 1005 | 0.9229 | |
| 29 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 16000 | 23400 | 0.3166 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8727 | |
| 30 | Grand Valley State University | 16200 | 25300 | 0.3601 | 19,002 | 1233 | 0.8302 | |
| 30 | Southern University at New Orleans | 16200 | 31600 | 0.4872 | 1,773 | 885 | 0.6021 | |
| 32 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 16400 | 32400 | 0.494 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 33 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 16500 | 42300 | 0.6101 | 10,049 | 1005 | 0.9234 | |
| 34 | Jacksonville State University | 16900 | 26600 | 0.3649 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 35 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 17000 | 64800 | 0.7377 | 21,075 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 36 | Dickinson State University | 17200 | 23700 | 0.2739 | 1,339 | 1005 | 0.3695 | |
| 37 | Frostburg State University | 17600 | 26900 | 0.3451 | 2,619 | 1082 | 0.892 | |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,428 | 1090 | 0.9529 | |
| 39 | University of Houston-Victoria | 18400 | 34400 | 0.4654 | 2,707 | 930 | 0.7671 | |
| 40 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 18800 | 25200 | 0.2539 | 6,853 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 41 | San Jose State University | 19300 | 29900 | 0.3542 | 28,008 | 0 | 0.8461 | |
| 42 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill | 19400 | 32900 | 0.4109 | 624 | 1115 | 0.9664 | |
| 42 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 19400 | 27000 | 0.2819 | 7,505 | 1059 | 0.9633 | |
| 44 | Wayne State University | 19500 | 32300 | 0.3968 | 16,173 | 1174 | 0.7786 | |
| 45 | Savannah State University | 19700 | 27300 | 0.2779 | 2,857 | 950 | 0.8368 | |
| 45 | Towson University | 19700 | 30000 | 0.3429 | 16,264 | 1093 | 0.8198 | |
| 47 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 20100 | 38800 | 0.4812 | 36,588 | 1367 | 0.6535 | |
| 48 | Florida Memorial University | 20200 | 46100 | 0.5619 | 1,299 | 0 | 0.7431 | |
| 49 | Central College | 20400 | 36800 | 0.4455 | 1,084 | 1140 | 0.8617 | |
| 49 | Dakota State University | 20400 | 22500 | 0.0912 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8814 | |
| 49 | University of Colorado Boulder | 20400 | 30600 | 0.3333 | 32,100 | 1290 | 0.8115 | |
| 52 | East Carolina University | 20800 | 23800 | 0.1258 | 21,445 | 1120 | 0.8922 | |
| 53 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 21000 | 57800 | 0.6362 | 1,083 | 1205 | 0.9278 | |
| 53 | Tarleton State University | 21000 | 23000 | 0.087 | 15,130 | 0 | 0.5256 | |
| 55 | Rutgers University-Newark | 21500 | 38900 | 0.4474 | 7,417 | 1214 | 0.7873 | |
| 56 | Luther College | 21600 | 71900 | 0.699 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.8402 | |
| 57 | Stockton University | 21700 | 32100 | 0.3238 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 58 | Bradley University | 22200 | 48300 | 0.5396 | 3,596 | 1174 | 0.7675 | |
| 58 | Northwestern University | 22200 | 87700 | 0.7469 | 8,846 | 1513 | 0.0722 | |
| 60 | Fairmont State University | 22400 | 32000 | 0.3004 | 3,060 | 1005 | 0.9924 | |
| 60 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 22400 | 32000 | 0.2999 | 5,205 | 1118 | 0.744 | |
| 60 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 22400 | 28000 | 0.1999 | 5,789 | 1115 | 0.5774 | |
| 63 | Robert Morris University | 22800 | 56300 | 0.5949 | 3,769 | 1180 | 0.9057 | |
| 64 | University of Illinois Chicago | 22900 | 30300 | 0.244 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 64 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 22900 | 22900 | 0 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 66 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 23400 | 36400 | 0.3567 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 67 | Grambling State University | 24300 | 26700 | 0.09 | 4,279 | 965 | 0.2368 | |
| 67 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 24300 | 37400 | 0.3499 | 7,595 | 1075 | 0.9226 | |
| 69 | Bemidji State University | 24500 | 26400 | 0.0714 | 3,610 | 1110 | 0.9131 | |
| 70 | McKendree University | 24600 | 55600 | 0.5573 | 1,605 | 1098 | 0.6388 | |
| 70 | Western Oregon University | 24600 | 24600 | 0 | 3,343 | 1120 | 0.9871 | |
| 72 | Averett University | 24700 | 57200 | 0.5685 | 1,180 | 1010 | 0.478 | |
| 72 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | 24700 | 62200 | 0.6033 | 686 | 1030 | 0.8649 | |
| 74 | Elmhurst University | 24800 | 67000 | 0.6301 | 3,170 | 1148 | 0.7357 | |
| 74 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 24800 | 26600 | 0.0708 | 3,413 | 1085 | 0.5295 | |
| 76 | Dominican University | 25000 | 55500 | 0.5487 | 2,690 | 1035 | 0.9032 | |
| 76 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 25000 | 51700 | 0.5162 | 1,409 | 1110 | 0.6327 | |
| 78 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 25100 | 28000 | 0.103 | 5,086 | 1000 | 0.9821 | |
| 78 | Houghton University | 25100 | 35500 | 0.2928 | 939 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 80 | Texas A&M University-Commerce | 25500 | 37400 | 0.3186 | 9,666 | 1040 | 0.7498 | |
| 81 | Boston College | 25600 | 94600 | 0.7294 | 9,654 | 1490 | 0.1619 | |
| 82 | Westfield State University | 25700 | 39000 | 0.3407 | 3,868 | 1105 | 0.8671 | |
| 83 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 25800 | 36500 | 0.2928 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 84 | Northwood University | 25900 | 54500 | 0.5252 | 1,989 | 1075 | 0.839 | |
| 84 | Norwich University | 25900 | 70900 | 0.6349 | 2,642 | 1209 | 0.7361 | |
| 86 | Doane University | 26000 | 62800 | 0.5861 | 1,323 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 87 | Bethune-Cookman University | 26200 | 32700 | 0.1988 | 2,739 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 88 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1150 | 0.9523 | |
| 88 | Georgia Southern University | 26500 | 26700 | 0.0075 | 23,618 | 1065 | 0.8789 | |
| 88 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 26500 | 51100 | 0.4817 | 1,477 | 1075 | 0.8068 | |
| 91 | Pennsylvania Western University | 26600 | 35600 | 0.2531 | 7,586 | 1070 | 0.9433 | |
| 92 | Columbia College | 26900 | 41300 | 0.349 | 876 | 1025 | 0.8878 | |
| 93 | Kennesaw State University | 27000 | 27000 | 0 | 42,840 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 93 | Northern Kentucky University | 27000 | 31600 | 0.1454 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.8307 | |
| 93 | University of North Georgia | 27000 | 35500 | 0.2393 | 18,329 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 96 | Emporia State University | 27200 | 37700 | 0.2783 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 97 | University of North Texas | 27600 | 37400 | 0.2622 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 98 | Rowan University | 27700 | 40500 | 0.316 | 16,199 | 1214 | 0.783 | |
| 99 | Cleveland State University | 27900 | 37300 | 0.2521 | 9,418 | 1005 | 0.913 | |
| 100 | George Fox University | 28600 | 67100 | 0.5742 | 3,401 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 100 | Mercy University | 28600 | 44500 | 0.3574 | 6,775 | 1074 | 0.8584 | |
| 102 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28700 | 31500 | 0.0889 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 103 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 28900 | 39700 | 0.2722 | 4,478 | 1065 | 0.8132 | |
| 104 | Concord University | 29000 | 46500 | 0.3763 | 1,609 | 990 | 0.9256 | |
| 104 | Radford University | 29000 | 32800 | 0.1159 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 106 | Lincoln University | 29100 | 40900 | 0.2884 | 1,707 | 920 | 0 | |
| 107 | Furman University | 29200 | 79600 | 0.6329 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 108 | University of Toledo | 29700 | 32600 | 0.0885 | 11,013 | 1159 | 0.9202 | |
| 109 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 29800 | 38200 | 0.2201 | 6,550 | 1140 | 0.7456 | |
| 110 | University of South Alabama | 30000 | 35000 | 0.1429 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 111 | Saint Xavier University | 30300 | 51200 | 0.4067 | 3,039 | 1125 | 0.8575 | |
| 112 | SUNY at Fredonia | 30400 | 39600 | 0.2326 | 2,876 | 1193 | 0.792 | |
| 112 | Syracuse University | 30400 | 83100 | 0.6342 | 15,958 | 1363 | 0.4611 | |
| 114 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30900 | 54600 | 0.4339 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 114 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | 30900 | 52800 | 0.4146 | 938 | 1090 | 0.951 | |
| 116 | SUNY Brockport | 31100 | 37900 | 0.1794 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 117 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 31300 | 33200 | 0.0568 | 14,504 | 1145 | 0.7637 | |
| 118 | State University of New York at Oswego | 31400 | 38300 | 0.1799 | 5,517 | 1174 | 0.8057 | |
| 119 | Washington Adventist University | 31600 | 37800 | 0.1642 | 605 | 950 | 0.4536 | |
| 120 | University of North Florida | 31700 | 37900 | 0.1636 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 121 | CUNY Brooklyn College | 31800 | 31800 | 0 | 11,562 | 1110 | 0.5836 | |
| 121 | Thomas Jefferson University | 31800 | 67700 | 0.5302 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8098 | |
| 123 | Harding University | 31900 | 43800 | 0.2712 | 3,523 | 1193 | 0.3942 | |
| 124 | Albright College | 32000 | 48700 | 0.343 | 1,328 | 1050 | 0.8615 | |
| 124 | Angelo State University | 32000 | 35400 | 0.0956 | 9,779 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 126 | Saint Michael's College | 32200 | 68400 | 0.5289 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 127 | Hampton University | 32300 | 47000 | 0.3128 | 3,728 | 956 | 0.6225 | |
| 128 | University of Scranton | 32400 | 76300 | 0.5751 | 3,613 | 1220 | 0.812 | |
| 129 | California Lutheran University | 32700 | 65800 | 0.5027 | 2,297 | 1258 | 0.7567 | |
| 130 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 32900 | 44100 | 0.2539 | 581 | 1129 | 0.9821 | |
| 131 | Wilkes University | 33400 | 61900 | 0.4597 | 1,956 | 1153 | 0.9146 | |
| 132 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 33500 | 54600 | 0.3863 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8296 | |
| 133 | Elizabethtown College | 33700 | 54600 | 0.383 | 1,903 | 1214 | 0.7787 | |
| 134 | George Washington University | 33800 | 81800 | 0.587 | 11,677 | 1421 | 0.4709 | |
| 134 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 33800 | 40900 | 0.1737 | 1,236 | 1203 | 0.9811 | |
| 136 | LeTourneau University | 34200 | 54600 | 0.3736 | 3,184 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 137 | Morgan State University | 34400 | 37200 | 0.0753 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 138 | DePaul University | 34900 | 56200 | 0.3791 | 14,188 | 1218 | 0.7589 | |
| 139 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 35100 | 49600 | 0.2921 | 1,809 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 140 | Stevenson University | 35300 | 59900 | 0.4105 | 3,106 | 1100 | 0.7891 | |
| 140 | University of Mount Olive | 35300 | 35300 | 0 | 1,937 | 945 | 0.7775 | |
| 142 | Adelphi University | 35400 | 63300 | 0.4403 | 5,325 | 1218 | 0.6591 | |
| 143 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 35700 | 42400 | 0.158 | 31,112 | 1130 | 0.8129 | |
| 144 | Salisbury University | 36200 | 40900 | 0.115 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 145 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 36400 | 56300 | 0.3531 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 146 | Mercer University | 36600 | 60500 | 0.3951 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 147 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 37000 | 38900 | 0.0484 | 23,351 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 148 | Immaculata University | 37300 | 47800 | 0.2194 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8578 | |
| 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 | 38700 | 73600 | 0.4744 | 4,324 | 1209 | 0.822 | |
| 152 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 39300 | 52900 | 0.2569 | 30,564 | 1298 | 0.416 | |
| 153 | Pace University | 39700 | 74100 | 0.464 | 8,038 | 1274 | 0.7592 | |
| 154 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 40000 | 45400 | 0.1189 | 502 | 1204 | 0.9641 | |
| 155 | Stony Brook University | 40100 | 53000 | 0.2431 | 18,263 | 1395 | 0.4904 | |
| 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 | 42100 | 78800 | 0.4658 | 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-Baltimore County | 42800 | 45200 | 0.0531 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 162 | Fordham University | 43200 | 94600 | 0.5436 | 10,307 | 1415 | 0.5628 | |
| 163 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | 43400 | 43400 | 0 | 16,086 | 1293 | 0.5117 | |
| 164 | University of California-Riverside | 43500 | 66400 | 0.3448 | 22,599 | 1199 | 0.7685 | |
| 165 | Merrimack College | 43700 | 78800 | 0.4453 | 4,199 | 1115 | 0.7361 | |
| 166 | University of Maryland-College Park | 43800 | 52900 | 0.172 | 31,133 | 1456 | 0.448 | |
| 167 | City University of Seattle | 44200 | 45400 | 0.0264 | 1,180 | 0 | 0.9025 | |
| 168 | CUNY Lehman College | 44400 | 45800 | 0.0306 | 11,217 | 1020 | 0.4601 | |
| 169 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 47400 | 48100 | 0.0145 | 5,444 | 1214 | 0.7064 | |
| 170 | Molloy University | 48200 | 62300 | 0.2265 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 171 | University of Kentucky | 49000 | 56000 | 0.1236 | 25,535 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 172 | College of Charleston | 49900 | 59000 | 0.1543 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 172 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 49900 | 56400 | 0.1152 | 10,200 | 1346 | 0.6507 | |
| 174 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 50200 | 52300 | 0.0401 | 21,210 | 1171 | 0.9232 | |
| 175 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 50500 | 56200 | 0.1014 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 176 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 51200 | 84200 | 0.392 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 177 | Drexel University | 51400 | 82600 | 0.3776 | 13,169 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 178 | University of Utah | 51800 | 53700 | 0.0351 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 179 | Clemson University | 61800 | 63700 | 0.0296 | 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.