16 colleges in Illinois with an average net price under $15,000 a year, ranked by what families actually pay after aid. Cheapest: University of Illinois Springfield at $9,833.
Net price is the average a family pays after grant aid — not the published sticker price. Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Schools granting only associate degrees are excluded, so a community college appears here only if it also awards bachelor's degrees.
Compare these on the map| # | College | Net price / yr | Graduates | Accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL |
$9,833$25,521 | 53% | 86% |
| 2 | Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL |
$10,970$43,244 | 57% | 84% |
| 3 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL |
$10,974$27,521 | 62% | 77% |
| 4 | Dominican University River Forest, IL |
$11,745$43,891 | 55% | 90% |
| 5 | Governors State University University Park, IL |
$12,329$24,227 | 22% | 48% |
| 6 | Chicago State University Chicago, IL |
$12,335$29,764 | 15% | 43% |
| 7 | National Louis University Chicago, IL |
$12,641$24,154 | 30% | 95% |
| 8 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL |
$12,786$26,996 | 47% | 65% |
| 9 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL |
$12,937$28,254 | 45% | 71% |
| 10 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL |
$13,006$46,239 | 67% | 65% |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL |
$13,297$28,329 | 62% | 87% |
| 12 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL |
$13,391$28,851 | 49% | 70% |
| 13 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL |
$14,109$26,960 | 22% | 75% |
| 14 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL |
$14,355$33,642 | 85% | 42% |
| 15 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL |
$14,860$90,360 | 96% | 4% |
| 16 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL |
$14,889$28,919 | 57% | 98% |