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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 | Brigham Young University | 8000 | 22200 | 0.6405 | 34,354 | 1374 | 0.6862 | |
| 2 | Mississippi Valley State University | 9200 | 26500 | 0.6538 | 2,013 | 845 | 0.9238 | |
| 2 | Washington and Lee University | 9200 | 96300 | 0.9041 | 1,916 | 1484 | 0.1354 | |
| 4 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 10100 | 41500 | 0.7567 | 8,945 | 1099 | 0.975 | |
| 5 | Western Kentucky University | 10300 | 27500 | 0.6258 | 13,732 | 1090 | 0.9145 | |
| 6 | Eastern Kentucky University | 10900 | 27300 | 0.6018 | 13,448 | 1075 | 0.9683 | |
| 7 | Eastern Illinois University | 11900 | 24300 | 0.5125 | 6,731 | 1020 | 0.7073 | |
| 8 | Boston University | 12300 | 93200 | 0.868 | 18,289 | 1475 | 0.1283 | |
| 9 | Lewis University | 13400 | 57700 | 0.7675 | 4,914 | 1127 | 0.6916 | |
| 10 | University of Georgia | 13500 | 27200 | 0.503 | 32,824 | 1348 | 0.3425 | |
| 11 | Eastern Michigan University | 14200 | 33900 | 0.5826 | 10,034 | 1055 | 0.7772 | |
| 11 | Salem State University | 14200 | 38300 | 0.6288 | 4,867 | 1075 | 0.9588 | |
| 13 | University of Memphis | 14400 | 26400 | 0.4554 | 15,538 | 1080 | 0.7878 | |
| 14 | Mercy University | 14600 | 46400 | 0.6858 | 6,692 | 1135 | 0.8724 | |
| 14 | Murray State University | 14600 | 27000 | 0.4597 | 8,217 | 1124 | 0.8413 | |
| 16 | Texas State University | 15000 | 26700 | 0.4375 | 39,353 | 1080 | 0.9118 | |
| 17 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 15200 | 26000 | 0.4149 | 21,138 | 1134 | 0.9039 | |
| 17 | Northern Michigan University | 15200 | 33100 | 0.5408 | 6,650 | 1100 | 0.8505 | |
| 19 | Central Michigan University | 15400 | 38700 | 0.6019 | 10,238 | 1099 | 0.9104 | |
| 20 | Northwest Missouri State University | 15600 | 38800 | 0.5992 | 5,241 | 1095 | 0.8613 | |
| 21 | University of Central Missouri | 15700 | 26600 | 0.4094 | 10,397 | 1055 | 0.7439 | |
| 22 | University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne | 15800 | 79400 | 0.8005 | 1,567 | 980 | 0.9597 | |
| 23 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | 15900 | 24200 | 0.3436 | 7,637 | 1115 | 0.1865 | |
| 24 | Keene State College | 16200 | 51400 | 0.6848 | 2,640 | 1064 | 0.8982 | |
| 25 | Texas Tech University | 16300 | 27100 | 0.3984 | 34,021 | 1195 | 0.6906 | |
| 26 | California State University-Long Beach | 16600 | 25800 | 0.3567 | 36,056 | 1135 | 0.4543 | |
| 27 | Georgia Southern University | 16800 | 20100 | 0.1638 | 25,595 | 1045 | 0.695 | |
| 28 | University of Miami | 17400 | 96300 | 0.8194 | 13,241 | 1408 | 0.1761 | |
| 29 | Morgan State University | 17800 | 42200 | 0.5786 | 9,027 | 965 | 0.8223 | |
| 30 | San Jose State University | 18200 | 41100 | 0.5567 | 29,890 | 1135 | 0.8039 | |
| 31 | Central Washington University | 18400 | 22700 | 0.1892 | 10,033 | 1060 | 0.9061 | |
| 32 | Olivet Nazarene University | 18800 | 79300 | 0.7634 | 2,704 | 1104 | 0.5586 | |
| 33 | State University of New York at Oswego | 19800 | 40200 | 0.5076 | 5,293 | 1179 | 0.7989 | |
| 34 | University of Houston | 19900 | 28400 | 0.2996 | 40,366 | 1224 | 0.7577 | |
| 35 | University of Rhode Island | 20000 | 47400 | 0.5782 | 14,466 | 1197 | 0.7456 | |
| 35 | University of Southern California | 20000 | 76400 | 0.7387 | 20,768 | 1499 | 0.1119 | |
| 37 | SUNY at Fredonia | 20100 | 53600 | 0.6248 | 2,771 | 1258 | 0.777 | |
| 38 | South Dakota State University | 20200 | 25200 | 0.2009 | 10,883 | 1115 | 0.9618 | |
| 39 | Montana State University Billings | 20300 | 29100 | 0.3025 | 3,881 | 1090 | 1 | |
| 39 | Syracuse University | 20300 | 83600 | 0.7572 | 16,149 | 1374 | 0.4879 | |
| 41 | Ferris State University | 20800 | 31000 | 0.3295 | 8,980 | 1015 | 0.8237 | |
| 42 | University of Northern Iowa | 21200 | 24800 | 0.144 | 7,800 | 1115 | 0.9313 | |
| 43 | Loras College | 21500 | 58400 | 0.6322 | 1,073 | 1110 | 0.6966 | |
| 44 | Freed-Hardeman University | 22000 | 35900 | 0.3872 | 1,873 | 1120 | 0.5968 | |
| 45 | Columbia College Chicago | 22500 | 63200 | 0.6443 | 4,346 | 0 | 0.738 | |
| 46 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 23100 | 36100 | 0.3598 | 34,447 | 1273 | 0.8804 | |
| 47 | Point Park University | 23300 | 54300 | 0.5707 | 2,498 | 1144 | 0.984 | |
| 48 | Monmouth College | 23600 | 63400 | 0.6282 | 713 | 1120 | 0.9085 | |
| 49 | Dominican University | 23800 | 56000 | 0.5754 | 2,642 | 1005 | 0.8879 | |
| 50 | Campbellsville University | 24100 | 45100 | 0.4653 | 6,848 | 1075 | 0.7974 | |
| 51 | Oral Roberts University | 24200 | 52700 | 0.5403 | 5,017 | 1139 | 0.989 | |
| 52 | Seton Hall University | 24500 | 67400 | 0.6361 | 6,178 | 1328 | 0.6915 | |
| 53 | American University | 24700 | 125500 | 0.803 | 6,730 | 1393 | 0.6556 | |
| 54 | Illinois State University | 24800 | 36400 | 0.3193 | 19,513 | 1115 | 0.8555 | |
| 55 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 24900 | 36800 | 0.3235 | 15,273 | 1115 | 0.8089 | |
| 56 | Walla Walla University | 25500 | 51700 | 0.5077 | 1,314 | 1159 | 0.604 | |
| 57 | Westminster College | 25600 | 57600 | 0.5555 | 1,110 | 1145 | 0.9167 | |
| 58 | Otterbein University | 25800 | 79200 | 0.6746 | 2,292 | 1126 | 0.8388 | |
| 59 | Hood College | 26800 | 71400 | 0.6241 | 1,157 | 1055 | 0.8517 | |
| 59 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 26800 | 33000 | 0.1876 | 6,647 | 1153 | 0.9008 | |
| 61 | Capital University | 27100 | 63800 | 0.5751 | 1,642 | 1045 | 0.6501 | |
| 61 | Saint Ambrose University | 27100 | 57700 | 0.5306 | 1,884 | 1065 | 0.8006 | |
| 63 | Winthrop University | 28000 | 38600 | 0.2736 | 4,289 | 1130 | 0.8281 | |
| 64 | Wayne State University | 28100 | 46800 | 0.3998 | 16,390 | 1183 | 0.8359 | |
| 65 | University of Akron Main Campus | 28500 | 36500 | 0.2194 | 11,691 | 1074 | 0.7722 | |
| 66 | Iowa State University | 28700 | 45200 | 0.3663 | 26,346 | 1212 | 0.8793 | |
| 67 | Cleveland State University | 29200 | 38600 | 0.2436 | 9,418 | 1069 | 0.913 | |
| 68 | Southern Methodist University | 29400 | 96900 | 0.6963 | 7,545 | 1427 | 0.4764 | |
| 68 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | 29400 | 34200 | 0.1402 | 31,845 | 1298 | 0.5651 | |
| 70 | Taylor University | 30100 | 60700 | 0.5048 | 2,769 | 1229 | 0.9881 | |
| 71 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | 30200 | 54600 | 0.4463 | 3,120 | 1193 | 0.3992 | |
| 72 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | 30600 | 69000 | 0.5568 | 3,314 | 1094 | 0.8199 | |
| 73 | Southern Adventist University | 30700 | 49000 | 0.3746 | 2,946 | 1142 | 0.7163 | |
| 74 | Southeastern University | 30800 | 79400 | 0.6123 | 11,981 | 1110 | 0.4247 | |
| 75 | Kent State University at Kent | 30900 | 37500 | 0.1751 | 21,144 | 1104 | 0.7603 | |
| 76 | Suffolk University | 31000 | 83500 | 0.6288 | 4,247 | 1209 | 0.8228 | |
| 77 | Marquette University | 31400 | 75900 | 0.5862 | 8,206 | 1304 | 0.7802 | |
| 78 | Northern Kentucky University | 31600 | 32100 | 0.0156 | 10,136 | 1110 | 0.9666 | |
| 79 | Rockhurst University | 32000 | 62500 | 0.4873 | 1,964 | 1159 | 0.9392 | |
| 80 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | 32300 | 43900 | 0.2643 | 3,825 | 1175 | 0.7841 | |
| 81 | Rider University | 32500 | 60200 | 0.4601 | 3,052 | 1214 | 0.7741 | |
| 82 | University of Illinois Chicago | 32700 | 51300 | 0.3625 | 24,260 | 1174 | 0.7576 | |
| 83 | Harding University | 33200 | 47800 | 0.3047 | 3,536 | 1184 | 0.7052 | |
| 84 | Elizabethtown College | 33600 | 57500 | 0.4154 | 1,935 | 1214 | 0.8892 | |
| 85 | Drake University | 33900 | 68500 | 0.5057 | 2,504 | 1226 | 0.6494 | |
| 86 | Lee University | 34200 | 39100 | 0.1253 | 3,425 | 1154 | 0.7138 | |
| 87 | University of Idaho | 34500 | 48700 | 0.2916 | 9,656 | 1104 | 0.7476 | |
| 88 | Auburn University | 35000 | 35000 | 0 | 27,907 | 1324 | 0.4593 | |
| 89 | Temple University | 35600 | 57200 | 0.3774 | 21,031 | 1172 | 0.8622 | |
| 90 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 35900 | 54000 | 0.3352 | 32,041 | 1324 | 0.4358 | |
| 91 | Rowan University | 36500 | 53600 | 0.3189 | 17,157 | 1204 | 0.7654 | |
| 92 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | 36900 | 53600 | 0.3117 | 755 | 1163 | 0.6925 | |
| 93 | Washington State University | 37500 | 53600 | 0.2998 | 21,400 | 1131 | 0.861 | |
| 94 | Xavier University | 37600 | 68100 | 0.4481 | 3,744 | 1286 | 0.848 | |
| 95 | Baldwin Wallace University | 39000 | 69800 | 0.4415 | 2,532 | 1210 | 0.7739 | |
| 96 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | 40900 | 58700 | 0.3035 | 2,401 | 1209 | 0.7819 | |
| 97 | Biola University | 41800 | 71100 | 0.4121 | 3,553 | 1281 | 0.7817 | |
| 98 | University of Florida | 42800 | 45700 | 0.0635 | 37,283 | 1406 | 0.2033 | |
| 99 | Appalachian State University | 46500 | 46500 | 0 | 19,732 | 1174 | 0.9388 | |
| 100 | Lipscomb University | 48800 | 69900 | 0.3023 | 3,327 | 1214 | 0.6774 | |
| 101 | Quinnipiac University | 49000 | 79700 | 0.3854 | 6,610 | 1250 | 0.7031 | |
| 102 | The University of Texas at Austin | 49500 | 58900 | 0.1596 | 44,314 | 1356 | 0.2222 | |
| 103 | The University of Alabama | 53700 | 58000 | 0.0741 | 35,621 | 1238 | 0.7117 | |
| 104 | Hofstra University | 59100 | 83300 | 0.2906 | 6,599 | 1369 | 0.7267 | |
| 105 | University of Oregon | 68700 | 71300 | 0.036 | 20,710 | 1193 | 0.8742 | |
| 106 | Gonzaga University | 70900 | 77700 | 0.0875 | 4,976 | 1328 | 0.7962 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.