Middle Class Affordability Rankings™ - State of Illinois

Most Affordable Botany/Plant Biology, Botany/Plant Biology, Other Colleges in the state of Illinois for 2026

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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:

  • Number of people in family: 4
  • Number of students in college: 1
  • Total income: $80,000
  • Total assets: $50,000
Illinois
Rank Institution Typical Net Price Sticker Price % Savings Undergraduates Est. Median SAT Acceptance Rate Save
1 University of California-Davis 10100 37800 0.732 32,273 1290 0.4183
#1

#1 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of California-Davis
Davis, CA

Sticker Price

$37,800

% Savings

73%

Undergraduates

32,273

Est. Median SAT

1,290

Acceptance Rate

41.8 %

2 Brigham Young University 10900 29000 0.6237 32,221 1374 0.6919
#2

#2 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Brigham Young University
Provo, UT

Sticker Price

$29,000

% Savings

62%

Undergraduates

32,221

Est. Median SAT

1,374

Acceptance Rate

69.2 %

3 Northern Illinois University 12300 29000 0.5744 11,349 1070 0.6979
#3

#3 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL

Sticker Price

$29,000

% Savings

57%

Undergraduates

11,349

Est. Median SAT

1,070

Acceptance Rate

69.8 %

4 University of Wisconsin-Madison 13700 32200 0.5744 39,083 1412 0.4517
#4

#4 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI

Sticker Price

$32,200

% Savings

57%

Undergraduates

39,083

Est. Median SAT

1,412

Acceptance Rate

45.2 %

5 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville 14500 41100 0.6478 8,975 1045 0.9721
#5

#5 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL

Sticker Price

$41,100

% Savings

65%

Undergraduates

8,975

Est. Median SAT

1,045

Acceptance Rate

97.2 %

6 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale 15400 28100 0.452 8,553 1054 0.8688
#6

#6 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL

Sticker Price

$28,100

% Savings

45%

Undergraduates

8,553

Est. Median SAT

1,054

Acceptance Rate

86.9 %

7 Ohio University-Main Campus 23800 24500 0.0285 19,888 1209 0.8517
#7

#7 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Ohio University-Main Campus
Athens, OH

Sticker Price

$24,500

% Savings

3%

Undergraduates

19,888

Est. Median SAT

1,209

Acceptance Rate

85.2 %

8 Weber State University 27700 33300 0.1682 31,672 1075 1
#8

#8 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Weber State University
Ogden, UT

Sticker Price

$33,300

% Savings

17%

Undergraduates

31,672

Est. Median SAT

1,075

Acceptance Rate

100.0 %

9 Connecticut College 28400 83300 0.6595 1,990 1287 0.3704
#9

#9 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Connecticut College
New London, CT

Sticker Price

$83,300

% Savings

66%

Undergraduates

1,990

Est. Median SAT

1,287

Acceptance Rate

37.0 %

10 California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt 29100 38000 0.2345 5,474 1138 0.9198
#10

#10 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Arcata, CA

Sticker Price

$38,000

% Savings

23%

Undergraduates

5,474

Est. Median SAT

1,138

Acceptance Rate

92.0 %

11 Kent State University at Kent 30000 37500 0.2 20,841 1105 0.8634
#11

#11 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH

Sticker Price

$37,500

% Savings

20%

Undergraduates

20,841

Est. Median SAT

1,105

Acceptance Rate

86.3 %

12 University of Nebraska-Lincoln 30600 31100 0.0161 19,701 1214 0.8749
#12

#12 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE

Sticker Price

$31,100

% Savings

2%

Undergraduates

19,701

Est. Median SAT

1,214

Acceptance Rate

87.5 %

13 University of Hawaii at Manoa 30900 39500 0.2175 14,576 1179 0.6967
#13

#13 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, HI

Sticker Price

$39,500

% Savings

22%

Undergraduates

14,576

Est. Median SAT

1,179

Acceptance Rate

69.7 %

14 North Carolina State University 32800 54800 0.4017 28,422 1335 0.4167
#14

#14 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC

Sticker Price

$54,800

% Savings

40%

Undergraduates

28,422

Est. Median SAT

1,335

Acceptance Rate

41.7 %

15 Ohio Wesleyan University 32900 73700 0.5534 1,525 1241 0.556
#15

#15 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH

Sticker Price

$73,700

% Savings

55%

Undergraduates

1,525

Est. Median SAT

1,241

Acceptance Rate

55.6 %

16 University of Vermont 34500 66300 0.4793 12,276 1379 0.653
#16

#16 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Vermont
Burlington, VT

Sticker Price

$66,300

% Savings

48%

Undergraduates

12,276

Est. Median SAT

1,379

Acceptance Rate

65.3 %

17 University of Maine 36100 45100 0.1996 591 1199 0.9684
#17

#17 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Maine
Orono, ME

Sticker Price

$45,100

% Savings

20%

Undergraduates

591

Est. Median SAT

1,199

Acceptance Rate

96.8 %

18 Oklahoma State University-Main Campus 38600 44600 0.1345 22,351 1159 0.7504
#18

#18 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK

Sticker Price

$44,600

% Savings

13%

Undergraduates

22,351

Est. Median SAT

1,159

Acceptance Rate

75.0 %

18 University of Wyoming 38600 43800 0.1187 8,130 1159 0.9688
#18

#18 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY

Sticker Price

$43,800

% Savings

12%

Undergraduates

8,130

Est. Median SAT

1,159

Acceptance Rate

96.9 %

20 University of Georgia 40300 46000 0.1242 31,514 1336 0.3719
#20

#20 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Georgia
Athens, GA

Sticker Price

$46,000

% Savings

12%

Undergraduates

31,514

Est. Median SAT

1,336

Acceptance Rate

37.2 %

20 University of Washington-Seattle Campus 40300 56700 0.2893 40,754 1391 0.3915
#20

#20 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA

Sticker Price

$56,700

% Savings

29%

Undergraduates

40,754

Est. Median SAT

1,391

Acceptance Rate

39.2 %

22 Purdue University-Main Campus 43000 46200 0.0693 44,170 1327 0.4979
#22

#22 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN

Sticker Price

$46,200

% Savings

7%

Undergraduates

44,170

Est. Median SAT

1,327

Acceptance Rate

49.8 %

23 University of California-Riverside 43500 66400 0.3448 22,599 1199 0.7685
#23

#23 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA

Sticker Price

$66,400

% Savings

34%

Undergraduates

22,599

Est. Median SAT

1,199

Acceptance Rate

76.9 %

23 University of Florida 43500 45600 0.046 36,567 1399 0.242
#23

#23 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

Sticker Price

$45,600

% Savings

5%

Undergraduates

36,567

Est. Median SAT

1,399

Acceptance Rate

24.2 %

25 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus 43800 57100 0.2315 23,351 1239 0.766
#25

#25 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK

Sticker Price

$57,100

% Savings

23%

Undergraduates

23,351

Est. Median SAT

1,239

Acceptance Rate

76.6 %

26 Oregon State University 44900 61900 0.2748 31,253 1272 0.773
#26

#26 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR

Sticker Price

$61,900

% Savings

27%

Undergraduates

31,253

Est. Median SAT

1,272

Acceptance Rate

77.3 %

27 Michigan State University 47200 56200 0.1601 41,234 1223 0.848
#27

#27 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

Sticker Price

$56,200

% Savings

16%

Undergraduates

41,234

Est. Median SAT

1,223

Acceptance Rate

84.8 %

28 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 50900 84200 0.3956 34,454 1435 0.1564
#28

#28 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI

Sticker Price

$84,200

% Savings

40%

Undergraduates

34,454

Est. Median SAT

1,435

Acceptance Rate

15.6 %

29 University of Minnesota Twin Cities 53200 61000 0.1279 41,303 1338 0.7975
#29

#29 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN

Sticker Price

$61,000

% Savings

13%

Undergraduates

41,303

Est. Median SAT

1,338

Acceptance Rate

79.8 %

30 Miami University-Oxford 56100 56100 0 16,816 1299 0.754
#30

#30 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

Miami University-Oxford
Oxford, OH

Sticker Price

$56,100

% Savings

--

Undergraduates

16,816

Est. Median SAT

1,299

Acceptance Rate

75.4 %

31 University of California-Berkeley 74600 75500 0.0119 33,469 1407 0.1104
#31

#31 Middle Class Affordability Rankings

University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA

Sticker Price

$75,500

% Savings

1%

Undergraduates

33,469

Est. Median SAT

1,407

Acceptance Rate

11.0 %

School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.

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