Cheapest colleges in Illinois
50 colleges ranked by net price after aid
The 50 most affordable four-year colleges in Illinois have an average net price of $18,224 per year — the typical amount families actually pay after grants and scholarships. Costs run from $8,837 at Millikin University up to $26,984 at Wheaton College. 12 are public institutions and 38 are private.
| # | College | Type | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Median earnings (10yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millikin University Decatur, IL | Private | $8,837 | 54% | $51,262 |
| 2 | University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL | Public | $8,916 | 84% | $57,103 |
| 3 | Governors State University University Park, IL | Public | $9,477 | — | $58,169 |
| 4 | Chicago State University Chicago, IL | Public | $10,133 | 41% | $42,778 |
| 5 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL | Public | $11,592 | 75% | $54,163 |
| 6 | Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL | Private | $12,093 | 86% | $58,656 |
| 7 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | Public | $12,313 | 79% | $68,740 |
| 8 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL | Private | $12,437 | 68% | $62,971 |
| 9 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | Public | $12,909 | 70% | $57,808 |
| 10 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL | Public | $13,550 | 70% | $52,234 |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL | Public | $13,696 | 97% | $56,346 |
| 12 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL | Public | $14,093 | 68% | $51,989 |
| 13 | Methodist College Peoria, IL | Private | $14,867 | 31% | $69,800 |
| 14 | Dominican University River Forest, IL | Private | $15,113 | 80% | $60,327 |
| 15 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Public | $15,201 | 44% | $81,054 |
| 16 | National Louis University Chicago, IL | Private | $16,157 | 93% | $45,799 |
| 17 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | Public | $16,177 | 90% | $53,390 |
| 18 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL | Private | $16,284 | 64% | $63,926 |
| 19 | Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL | Private | $16,381 | 89% | $55,700 |
| 20 | Concordia University-Chicago River Forest, IL | Private | $16,774 | 93% | $54,089 |
| 21 | VanderCook College of Music Chicago, IL | Private | $17,094 | 97% | $47,863 |
| 22 | Quincy University Quincy, IL | Private | $17,324 | 50% | $50,369 |
| 23 | Lincoln Christian University Lincoln, IL | Private | $17,610 | — | $43,038 |
| 24 | Illinois College Jacksonville, IL | Private | $17,945 | 75% | $52,575 |
| 25 | Monmouth College Monmouth, IL | Private | $18,034 | 87% | $51,110 |
| 26 | North Park University Chicago, IL | Private | $18,191 | 73% | $59,572 |
| 27 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL | Private | $18,370 | 73% | $66,099 |
| 28 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Private | $18,967 | 5% | $91,885 |
| 29 | Aurora University Aurora, IL | Private | $18,992 | 85% | $58,709 |
| 30 | Illinois State University Normal, IL | Public | $18,996 | 89% | $62,117 |
| 31 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | Private | $19,353 | 55% | $82,592 |
| 32 | Roosevelt University Chicago, IL | Private | $20,152 | 94% | $48,712 |
| 33 | East-West University Chicago, IL | Private | $21,055 | — | $29,963 |
| 34 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL | Private | $21,063 | 76% | $61,462 |
| 35 | Greenville University Greenville, IL | Private | $21,270 | 95% | $46,827 |
| 36 | Trinity International University-Illinois Deerfield, IL | Private | $21,386 | 93% | $46,989 |
| 37 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL | Private | $21,539 | 67% | $53,213 |
| 38 | Blackburn College Carlinville, IL | Private | $21,814 | 80% | $46,802 |
| 39 | Eureka College Eureka, IL | Private | $22,048 | 88% | $51,641 |
| 40 | North Central College Naperville, IL | Private | $23,033 | 58% | $60,123 |
| 41 | Rockford University Rockford, IL | Private | $23,066 | 57% | $54,794 |
| 42 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL | Private | $23,529 | 77% | $63,446 |
| 43 | Bradley University Peoria, IL | Private | $23,572 | 77% | $66,852 |
| 44 | McKendree University Lebanon, IL | Private | $24,190 | 64% | $58,572 |
| 45 | Knox College Galesburg, IL | Private | $24,875 | 71% | $54,820 |
| 46 | Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL | Private | $25,007 | 98% | $45,399 |
| 47 | Judson University Elgin, IL | Private | $25,027 | 63% | $56,313 |
| 48 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL | Private | $26,788 | 91% | $42,195 |
| 49 | Chamberlain University-Illinois Addison, IL | Private | $26,933 | 89% | $92,405 |
| 50 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL | Private | $26,984 | 90% | $63,756 |
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