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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 | 7500 | 91800 | 0.9183 | 987 | 1557 | 0.0257 | |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | 8300 | 97100 | 0.915 | 9,164 | 1535 | 0.0399 | |
| 3 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 9800 | 20400 | 0.5201 | 3,224 | 1085 | 0.7643 | |
| 4 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 10300 | 10300 | 0 | 6,139 | 1070 | 0.9052 | |
| 5 | Valdosta State University | 10500 | 24800 | 0.5775 | 7,166 | 1015 | 0.7229 | |
| 6 | Savannah State University | 10600 | 26700 | 0.6037 | 2,966 | 925 | 0.4614 | |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 12500 | 28100 | 0.5551 | 8,553 | 1045 | 0.8688 | |
| 8 | University of North Florida | 12600 | 22400 | 0.438 | 13,735 | 1150 | 0.5324 | |
| 9 | Fort Hays State University | 12800 | 22600 | 0.435 | 10,172 | 1075 | 0.9026 | |
| 10 | University of South Florida | 12900 | 17100 | 0.2454 | 38,525 | 1239 | 0.4319 | |
| 11 | University of Michigan-Flint | 13000 | 46300 | 0.719 | 5,011 | 1109 | 0.7046 | |
| 12 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13200 | 25700 | 0.4862 | 28,674 | 980 | 0.9419 | |
| 13 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | 13500 | 13500 | 0 | 1,973 | 1189 | 0.8135 | |
| 14 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 13600 | 34600 | 0.6076 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 13700 | 50700 | 0.7294 | 38,040 | 1418 | 0.452 | |
| 16 | Grand Valley State University | 14100 | 25300 | 0.4432 | 19,002 | 1084 | 0.8302 | |
| 17 | Alabama State University | 14200 | 31300 | 0.5476 | 3,521 | 945 | 0.9755 | |
| 18 | Northern Illinois University | 14300 | 28800 | 0.5047 | 11,348 | 1070 | 0.6979 | |
| 19 | Dickinson State University | 14400 | 25000 | 0.4259 | 1,339 | 990 | 0.3702 | |
| 20 | Northern Kentucky University | 14600 | 25900 | 0.4369 | 10,163 | 1090 | 0.6765 | |
| 20 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 14600 | 29600 | 0.5075 | 7,622 | 1075 | 0.9254 | |
| 20 | Northwestern University | 14600 | 88300 | 0.8348 | 9,399 | 1527 | 0.0769 | |
| 23 | Wayne State College | 15100 | 20300 | 0.2561 | 3,902 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | 15200 | 28700 | 0.4704 | 6,761 | 1105 | 0.8475 | |
| 25 | Coastal Carolina University | 15400 | 27200 | 0.4339 | 10,811 | 1145 | 0.7527 | |
| 26 | Radford University | 15500 | 32000 | 0.5152 | 6,161 | 1070 | 0.8953 | |
| 27 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 15600 | 25800 | 0.3938 | 5,386 | 1050 | 0.9092 | |
| 28 | James Madison University | 15700 | 28900 | 0.4573 | 20,973 | 1260 | 0.7152 | |
| 29 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | 15800 | 26800 | 0.4108 | 4,487 | 1115 | 0.6726 | |
| 30 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | 16000 | 38700 | 0.5863 | 482 | 1195 | 0.9565 | |
| 30 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 16000 | 27700 | 0.4218 | 32,545 | 1129 | 0.799 | |
| 32 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 16100 | 23400 | 0.3124 | 11,756 | 1124 | 0.8698 | |
| 33 | Frostburg State University | 16200 | 26600 | 0.3907 | 3,422 | 1095 | 0.8918 | |
| 34 | Grove City College | 16400 | 39700 | 0.5876 | 2,341 | 1266 | 0.7232 | |
| 35 | Goshen College | 16500 | 55900 | 0.7045 | 780 | 995 | 0.8407 | |
| 35 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 16500 | 40600 | 0.593 | 581 | 1132 | 0.9821 | |
| 37 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 16700 | 64800 | 0.7418 | 20,885 | 1420 | 0.1534 | |
| 38 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | 16800 | 44500 | 0.6221 | 352 | 1180 | 0.9647 | |
| 39 | Central Connecticut State University | 17600 | 34000 | 0.4818 | 8,170 | 1075 | 0.7333 | |
| 39 | East Carolina University | 17600 | 26100 | 0.3256 | 21,445 | 1160 | 0.8921 | |
| 39 | Wright State University-Main Campus | 17600 | 26600 | 0.3387 | 7,505 | 1073 | 0.9633 | |
| 42 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 17700 | 17700 | 0 | 18,288 | 1090 | 0.9068 | |
| 43 | Boston College | 17900 | 97600 | 0.8164 | 10,314 | 1490 | 0.1643 | |
| 44 | College of Staten Island CUNY | 18000 | 54300 | 0.6684 | 10,051 | 1064 | 0.9234 | |
| 44 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 18000 | 39000 | 0.5397 | 37,985 | 1390 | 0.5815 | |
| 46 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 18100 | 25200 | 0.2812 | 6,835 | 1090 | 0.7147 | |
| 47 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 18200 | 28600 | 0.3634 | 4,218 | 1030 | 0.9489 | |
| 48 | Towson University | 18300 | 29900 | 0.3876 | 16,264 | 1098 | 0.8197 | |
| 49 | Angelo State University | 18500 | 23100 | 0.2011 | 9,702 | 1055 | 0.8301 | |
| 50 | University of Houston-Victoria | 19400 | 35800 | 0.4583 | 2,627 | 1095 | 0.959 | |
| 51 | Rutgers University-Newark | 19500 | 38000 | 0.4866 | 7,989 | 1159 | 0.7136 | |
| 51 | Saint Xavier University | 19500 | 53300 | 0.6329 | 3,098 | 1050 | 0.843 | |
| 53 | Norwich University | 19600 | 73800 | 0.7342 | 2,626 | 1186 | 0.7444 | |
| 54 | Cleveland State University | 20000 | 30900 | 0.3523 | 9,482 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 55 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 20100 | 22800 | 0.1184 | 10,632 | 1075 | 0.8859 | |
| 56 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 20200 | 29400 | 0.3124 | 5,255 | 1109 | 0.7295 | |
| 57 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 20800 | 57800 | 0.6408 | 1,932 | 1193 | 0.9278 | |
| 58 | University of Maryland-College Park | 20900 | 27300 | 0.2346 | 31,133 | 1463 | 0.4479 | |
| 59 | Albright College | 21200 | 49300 | 0.5699 | 1,230 | 1050 | 0.7633 | |
| 60 | Luther College | 21400 | 71900 | 0.7019 | 1,384 | 1226 | 0.7154 | |
| 61 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 21500 | 36400 | 0.4088 | 2,884 | 1175 | 0.9677 | |
| 62 | University of Illinois Chicago | 22200 | 30100 | 0.2629 | 22,495 | 1252 | 0.7735 | |
| 62 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 22200 | 33600 | 0.339 | 21,210 | 1148 | 0.9262 | |
| 64 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | 22400 | 53000 | 0.5768 | 1,472 | 1075 | 0.8459 | |
| 65 | New Mexico Highlands University | 22500 | 27200 | 0.1726 | 1,603 | 0 | 0 | |
| 66 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | 22600 | 25400 | 0.1104 | 2,906 | 1125 | 0.4696 | |
| 67 | San Jose State University | 23000 | 41100 | 0.4405 | 28,008 | 1124 | 0.8461 | |
| 68 | Dakota State University | 23100 | 25600 | 0.0977 | 3,066 | 1192 | 0.8805 | |
| 68 | Florida Memorial University | 23100 | 42000 | 0.4495 | 1,206 | 0 | 0.8526 | |
| 70 | Houghton University | 23200 | 44300 | 0.4763 | 1,162 | 1277 | 0.8866 | |
| 71 | Robert Morris University | 23300 | 58000 | 0.5988 | 4,325 | 1145 | 0.8989 | |
| 72 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 23700 | 34400 | 0.311 | 14,783 | 1124 | 0.8096 | |
| 73 | Dominican University | 24000 | 56000 | 0.5716 | 2,690 | 1005 | 0.9032 | |
| 74 | Bradley University | 24100 | 49900 | 0.5161 | 3,596 | 1223 | 0.7676 | |
| 74 | Stockton University | 24100 | 32100 | 0.2491 | 7,565 | 1135 | 0.8894 | |
| 76 | Westfield State University | 24300 | 39000 | 0.3765 | 3,868 | 1085 | 0.8141 | |
| 77 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | 24400 | 30600 | 0.2026 | 10,200 | 1325 | 0.6507 | |
| 78 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 24600 | 40500 | 0.3927 | 25,900 | 1375 | 0.5808 | |
| 78 | Western Oregon University | 24600 | 24600 | 0 | 3,167 | 1040 | 0.981 | |
| 80 | Emporia State University | 24800 | 32000 | 0.2249 | 2,396 | 1075 | 0.9771 | |
| 81 | Pennsylvania Western University | 24900 | 34400 | 0.2759 | 7,586 | 1045 | 0.9433 | |
| 82 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 25000 | 45900 | 0.4557 | 502 | 1189 | 0.9641 | |
| 83 | Doane University | 25300 | 71000 | 0.644 | 1,315 | 1125 | 0.9801 | |
| 84 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | 25800 | 37500 | 0.3124 | 1,236 | 1193 | 0.9811 | |
| 85 | Bethune-Cookman University | 25900 | 32700 | 0.208 | 2,738 | 910 | 0.8824 | |
| 86 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | 26100 | 28300 | 0.076 | 3,375 | 1090 | 0.5876 | |
| 87 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | 26300 | 28400 | 0.0756 | 14,504 | 1149 | 0.7637 | |
| 88 | Columbia College | 26400 | 46900 | 0.4371 | 5,207 | 1145 | 0.4714 | |
| 89 | Benedictine University | 26500 | 48900 | 0.4581 | 1,972 | 1161 | 0.9523 | |
| 89 | Southern University at New Orleans | 26500 | 42300 | 0.3733 | 2,179 | 950 | 0.789 | |
| 91 | Northwood University | 26800 | 54500 | 0.5087 | 2,045 | 1055 | 0.6451 | |
| 92 | Colorado State University Pueblo | 26900 | 30100 | 0.1047 | 5,086 | 1124 | 0.949 | |
| 93 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | 27200 | 37700 | 0.2788 | 4,047 | 1219 | 0.976 | |
| 94 | Kennesaw State University | 27400 | 27400 | 0 | 42,760 | 1120 | 0.6919 | |
| 94 | University of North Georgia | 27400 | 38600 | 0.2905 | 18,322 | 1100 | 0.6794 | |
| 96 | Rowan University | 27500 | 41300 | 0.3345 | 16,100 | 1219 | 0.7766 | |
| 97 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 27600 | 27600 | 0 | 10,767 | 1326 | 0.7243 | |
| 98 | Syracuse University | 27700 | 83100 | 0.6665 | 15,957 | 1363 | 0.4592 | |
| 99 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | 27800 | 36700 | 0.2427 | 1,880 | 1185 | 0.9867 | |
| 100 | George Fox University | 28300 | 69400 | 0.5925 | 3,354 | 1193 | 0.9351 | |
| 101 | Elmhurst University | 28600 | 67000 | 0.5734 | 3,213 | 1148 | 0.7364 | |
| 101 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28600 | 32300 | 0.1145 | 11,160 | 1069 | 0.5967 | |
| 103 | University of North Texas | 28900 | 37400 | 0.2271 | 34,458 | 1114 | 0.7223 | |
| 103 | University of Utah | 28900 | 32000 | 0.0984 | 28,064 | 1237 | 0.8598 | |
| 105 | Jacksonville State University | 29100 | 38200 | 0.2381 | 8,663 | 1069 | 0.7769 | |
| 106 | Clemson University | 29200 | 37100 | 0.2141 | 23,401 | 1343 | 0.3834 | |
| 107 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29300 | 34000 | 0.1383 | 30,187 | 1292 | 0.6015 | |
| 108 | East Texas A&M University | 29500 | 36500 | 0.1917 | 9,992 | 1045 | 0.9224 | |
| 109 | Morgan State University | 29700 | 41900 | 0.2914 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 110 | Fairmont State University | 29800 | 32200 | 0.0746 | 3,088 | 970 | 0.9862 | |
| 110 | University of Toledo | 29800 | 42000 | 0.2895 | 11,013 | 1229 | 0.9202 | |
| 112 | Mercy University | 30100 | 44500 | 0.3237 | 6,774 | 1135 | 0.8584 | |
| 113 | Grambling State University | 30200 | 35300 | 0.1446 | 4,313 | 950 | 0.4486 | |
| 114 | Central College | 30400 | 36800 | 0.174 | 1,084 | 1145 | 0.8617 | |
| 115 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 30500 | 54700 | 0.4419 | 1,427 | 1025 | 0.4941 | |
| 116 | Lincoln University | 30600 | 34500 | 0.1129 | 1,926 | 0 | 0 | |
| 116 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30600 | 54600 | 0.4387 | 3,163 | 1165 | 0.9347 | |
| 118 | Hampton University | 31400 | 54800 | 0.427 | 3,728 | 947 | 0.6225 | |
| 119 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 31800 | 49500 | 0.3579 | 1,813 | 1109 | 0.9484 | |
| 120 | Saint Michael's College | 31900 | 68500 | 0.5346 | 1,120 | 1240 | 0.8451 | |
| 121 | McKendree University | 32000 | 52200 | 0.3872 | 1,757 | 1098 | 0.7172 | |
| 122 | Washington Adventist University | 32300 | 37800 | 0.1457 | 513 | 995 | 0.4618 | |
| 123 | SUNY Brockport | 32400 | 35800 | 0.095 | 5,816 | 1195 | 0.7068 | |
| 124 | University of Scranton | 32500 | 78700 | 0.5874 | 3,613 | 1250 | 0.8123 | |
| 125 | Suffolk University | 32900 | 70300 | 0.5319 | 4,326 | 1209 | 0.8233 | |
| 126 | State University of New York at Oswego | 33000 | 40200 | 0.1792 | 5,517 | 1180 | 0.8055 | |
| 127 | Tarleton State University | 33300 | 33300 | 0 | 15,254 | 1080 | 0.8955 | |
| 128 | George Washington University | 33700 | 81800 | 0.5881 | 11,677 | 1430 | 0.4709 | |
| 129 | Immaculata University | 33900 | 47500 | 0.2861 | 1,652 | 1245 | 0.8576 | |
| 130 | LeTourneau University | 34000 | 54800 | 0.3798 | 3,187 | 1178 | 0.3801 | |
| 130 | Thomas Jefferson University | 34000 | 68100 | 0.501 | 3,772 | 1255 | 0.8097 | |
| 132 | Salisbury University | 34100 | 41700 | 0.1821 | 6,288 | 1250 | 0.8747 | |
| 132 | SUNY at Fredonia | 34100 | 39600 | 0.1391 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 134 | Charleston Southern University | 34300 | 48400 | 0.2921 | 3,126 | 1060 | 0.9646 | |
| 135 | California Lutheran University | 35100 | 70000 | 0.4988 | 2,297 | 1254 | 0.7567 | |
| 136 | Adelphi University | 35200 | 63300 | 0.4445 | 5,325 | 1237 | 0.6591 | |
| 137 | Christopher Newport University | 35300 | 36200 | 0.0249 | 4,369 | 1189 | 0.8604 | |
| 137 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 35300 | 56700 | 0.3775 | 12,122 | 1283 | 0.8304 | |
| 139 | Averett University | 35400 | 57200 | 0.3813 | 1,244 | 1054 | 0.5659 | |
| 140 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 36200 | 56300 | 0.3578 | 5,552 | 1305 | 0.7255 | |
| 141 | Furman University | 36700 | 82900 | 0.5571 | 2,383 | 1359 | 0.4295 | |
| 141 | Loyola University Maryland | 36700 | 78800 | 0.5343 | 3,881 | 1303 | 0.7549 | |
| 143 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 36900 | 37100 | 0.0054 | 5,939 | 1065 | 0.5878 | |
| 144 | DePaul University | 37800 | 66000 | 0.4275 | 14,188 | 1254 | 0.7589 | |
| 145 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 38400 | 38700 | 0.0078 | 14,416 | 1210 | 0.8851 | |
| 146 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 38600 | 53100 | 0.2729 | 30,564 | 1302 | 0.416 | |
| 147 | University of South Alabama | 39700 | 39700 | 0 | 9,241 | 1140 | 0.7096 | |
| 148 | Stony Brook University | 39900 | 53000 | 0.2481 | 18,263 | 1410 | 0.4904 | |
| 149 | Wayne State University | 40400 | 46200 | 0.1256 | 16,012 | 1174 | 0.8116 | |
| 150 | Pace University | 40700 | 74800 | 0.4558 | 8,038 | 1260 | 0.7592 | |
| 151 | University of Mount Olive | 42300 | 50400 | 0.1617 | 1,944 | 1075 | 0.7575 | |
| 152 | Merrimack College | 43500 | 78800 | 0.4474 | 4,102 | 1115 | 0.7002 | |
| 153 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 43900 | 57100 | 0.2305 | 23,329 | 1239 | 0.766 | |
| 154 | Mercer University | 45200 | 65400 | 0.3085 | 4,690 | 1273 | 0.6889 | |
| 155 | University of Colorado Boulder | 47000 | 57700 | 0.1842 | 32,244 | 1351 | 0.7808 | |
| 156 | Wentworth Institute of Technology | 47900 | 67900 | 0.2945 | 3,965 | 1229 | 0.9121 | |
| 157 | Drexel University | 48800 | 83900 | 0.4184 | 13,309 | 1339 | 0.7944 | |
| 158 | University of California-Riverside | 49200 | 66000 | 0.2547 | 22,600 | 1199 | 0.7639 | |
| 158 | University of Kentucky | 49200 | 58000 | 0.1531 | 25,534 | 1193 | 0.9294 | |
| 160 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 49800 | 62200 | 0.1995 | 37,140 | 1406 | 0.4237 | |
| 161 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | 50500 | 55400 | 0.0885 | 5,444 | 1220 | 0.7064 | |
| 162 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 50900 | 84700 | 0.3991 | 34,454 | 1435 | 0.1564 | |
| 163 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 53000 | 61200 | 0.1332 | 26,221 | 1204 | 0.8854 | |
| 164 | Dallas Baptist University | 56400 | 63400 | 0.1104 | 2,785 | 1109 | 0.8884 | |
| 165 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | 58200 | 64100 | 0.092 | 42,604 | 1336 | 0.6056 | |
| 166 | Molloy University | 59800 | 62300 | 0.0402 | 3,240 | 1199 | 0.8174 | |
| 167 | Thiel College | 60600 | 69100 | 0.123 | 833 | 1065 | 0.7155 | |
| 168 | College of Charleston | 61200 | 61200 | 0 | 10,880 | 1255 | 0.6003 | |
| 169 | Fordham University | 69900 | 95100 | 0.2649 | 10,582 | 1406 | 0.5931 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.