42 colleges in Illinois with an average net price under $25,000 a year, ranked by what families actually pay after aid. Cheapest: Chicago State University at $7,273.
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 | Chicago State University Chicago, IL |
$7,273$23,493 | 15% | 43% |
| 2 | University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL |
$7,528$24,774 | 53% | 86% |
| 3 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL |
$9,377$23,570 | 25% | 75% |
| 4 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL |
$9,540$25,887 | 61% | 77% |
| 5 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL |
$10,018$28,915 | 49% | 71% |
| 6 | Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL |
$10,171$44,271 | 55% | 84% |
| 7 | National Louis University Chicago, IL |
$10,364$21,785 | 32% | 95% |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL |
$12,554$28,511 | 59% | 87% |
| 9 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL |
$12,717$26,962 | 50% | 65% |
| 10 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL |
$13,042$34,226 | 86% | 42% |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL |
$13,111$27,314 | 56% | 98% |
| 12 | Dominican University River Forest, IL |
$14,013$45,684 | 61% | 90% |
| 13 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL |
$14,505$29,642 | 48% | 70% |
| 14 | Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL |
$15,155$34,441 | 64% | 85% |
| 15 | Governors State University University Park, IL |
$15,833$28,740 | 23% | 48% |
| 16 | North Park University Chicago, IL |
$15,949$45,761 | 52% | 69% |
| 17 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL |
$15,961$47,285 | 64% | 65% |
| 18 | Millikin University Decatur, IL |
$16,652$40,285 | 51% | 67% |
| 19 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL |
$16,776$94,971 | 95% | 4% |
| 20 | Concordia University-Chicago River Forest, IL |
$17,217$46,836 | 47% | 93% |
| 21 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL |
$17,318$47,616 | 57% | 71% |
| 22 | Monmouth College Monmouth, IL |
$17,612$58,967 | 58% | 91% |
| 23 | Illinois State University Normal, IL |
$17,829$34,602 | 67% | 88% |
| 24 | McKendree University Lebanon, IL |
$18,457$50,105 | 51% | 72% |
| 25 | Illinois College Jacksonville, IL |
$18,763$51,827 | 61% | 78% |
| 26 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL |
$18,910$46,513 | 43% | 95% |
| 27 | Judson University Elgin, IL |
$19,224$44,090 | 34% | 48% |
| 28 | Knox College Galesburg, IL |
$19,292$70,855 | 73% | 71% |
| 29 | Aurora University Aurora, IL |
$19,385$42,013 | 61% | 81% |
| 30 | Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL |
$19,426$35,530 | 63% | 83% |
| 31 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL |
$19,978$54,914 | 60% | 56% |
| 32 | Greenville University Greenville, IL |
$20,905$48,136 | 52% | 98% |
| 33 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL |
$21,153$66,320 | 73% | 63% |
| 34 | Eureka College Eureka, IL |
$21,198$41,357 | 36% | 85% |
| 35 | Roosevelt University Chicago, IL |
$21,512$37,118 | 34% | 97% |
| 36 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL |
$22,443$69,234 | 71% | 55% |
| 37 | Bradley University Peoria, IL |
$22,469$57,751 | 73% | 77% |
| 38 | Rockford University Rockford, IL |
$22,581$49,977 | 44% | 93% |
| 39 | Quincy University Quincy, IL |
$22,711$52,057 | 44% | 51% |
| 40 | North Central College Naperville, IL |
$22,836$59,508 | 62% | 77% |
| 41 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL |
$23,165$57,818 | 64% | 74% |
| 42 | Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL |
$24,987$70,968 | 73% | 57% |