Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois Ranked for Students in 2024

Published: Mar 23, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Here are the most affordable colleges and universities in llinois. Our list will help you find the right kind of school for you, at a price you can afford.

10 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2024

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Chicago
Northern Illinois University
Illinois State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Chicago State University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Western Illinois University
University of Illinois Springfield
Eastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 98%
National Louis University 97%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale 95%
Illinois State University 92%
University of Illinois Chicago 79%
University of Illinois Springfield 79%
Lincoln College 74%
Western Illinois University 72%
Eastern Illinois University 72%
Northern Illinois University 70%

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 20 to 1
Illinois State University 19 to 1
University of Illinois Chicago 18 to 1
National Louis University 16 to 1
Northern Illinois University 16 to 1
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 16 to 1
Lincoln College 15 to 1
Eastern Illinois University 14 to 1
Western Illinois University 13 to 1
St. Augustine College 13 to 1

Lincoln College $19,800
Southern Illinois University Carbondale $15,240
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign $14,446
Western Illinois University $13,669
Northern Illinois University $12,478
University of Illinois Chicago $12,253
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville $12,219
St. Augustine College $12,120
National Louis University $11,505
Illinois State University $10,932

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign $14,635
University of Illinois Chicago $13,927
National Louis University $11,646
Southern Illinois University Carbondale $11,268
Northern Illinois University $8,942
University of Illinois Springfield $8,375
Western Illinois University $8,319
Northeastern Illinois University $7,947
Illinois State University $7,805
Eastern Illinois University $7,691

St. Augustine College
Lincoln College
Governors State University
National Louis University
Northeastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University
University of Illinois Springfield
Western Illinois University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Chicago State University

Chicago State University 47%
Governors State University 52%
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 60%
Northeastern Illinois University 62%
Northern Illinois University 70%
Eastern Illinois University 72%
Western Illinois University 72%
Lincoln College 74%
University of Illinois Springfield 79%
University of Illinois Chicago 79%

Chicago State University 9 to 1
Southern Illinois University Carbondale 11 to 1
Governors State University 11 to 1
University of Illinois Springfield 12 to 1
Northeastern Illinois University 12 to 1
Western Illinois University 13 to 1
St. Augustine College 13 to 1
Eastern Illinois University 14 to 1
Lincoln College 15 to 1
National Louis University 16 to 1

Chicago State University $7,488
Governors State University $7,512
Eastern Illinois University $9,207
University of Illinois Springfield $9,645
Northeastern Illinois University $10,091
Illinois State University $10,932
National Louis University $11,505
St. Augustine College $12,120
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville $12,219
University of Illinois Chicago $12,253

Chicago State University $5,850
Governors State University $6,354
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville $7,146
Eastern Illinois University $7,691
Illinois State University $7,805
Northeastern Illinois University $7,947
Western Illinois University $8,319
University of Illinois Springfield $8,375
Northern Illinois University $8,942
Southern Illinois University Carbondale $11,268

Key Takeaways

The most affordable colleges in Illinois have an average tuition fee of $14,000. But Illinois residents looking to save money on their education enroll in Governors State University. GSU has the lowest tuition and fees at an average of $10k per year.
The two most prominent public institutions in Illinois are the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Students from all corners of the globe can access Illinois’ on-campus and online learning. Both public and private colleges and universities in Illinois offer affordable online degree programs.

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Illinois

Prospective students searching for colleges in Illinois have plenty of excellent schools to choose from. Illinois offers over 130 higher education institutes throughout the state. Thanks to an expansive public university system and several top private institutions, students can select from an extremely wide array of brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Illinois.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois at Chicago, the state’s two largest public universities in Illinois. Students can access a full spectrum of undergraduate and graduate degrees for in-state tuition rates of $13,000 to $15,000 respectively. Both public universities also offer a full selection of online degree programs.

It’s also worth noting that Illinois residents who pursue online degrees at public colleges in Illinois will qualify for in-state tuition rates. Out of state students will generally pay more whether pursuing on-campus or online degrees.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

More than half of the colleges in Illinois are actually private schools. Among these private colleges and universities, the most notable are DePaul University, Northwestern University, and Loyola University Chicago. Tuition from these three private schools can be costly, ranging from $44,000 to $55,000. However, each of these private schools boasts a high graduation rate and excellent professors.

Illinois is also home to many small private schools, including Benedictine University and National Louis University.

Popular disciplines in Illinois include disciplines like criminal justice, social work, nursing, education, religious studies, communications, and medicine. Both traditional and online students have a wide range of options in each of these subject areas.

Degree completion programs are also widely available for lapsed students who have already accumulated some college credits. This is an especially popular online degree option among working professionals in Illinois.

Additionally, Illinois offers several loan forgiveness-based financial aid programs for qualifying students pursuing careers as teachers, public defenders or prosecutors, or nurses.

From the skyscrapers in Chicago to the vast prairie lands in the north, Illinois is a place where city meets country. Students can grab a Chicago-style hotdog on the way to a Cubs game, explore the ancient sandstone cliffs in the Shawnee National Forest, or admire an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, all while attending one of The Prairie State’s universities or colleges.

The higher education institutes in Illinois have also produced many prominent alumni, including Stephen Colbert, Phillip Glass, and Kurt Vonnegut. Students hoping to walk the same streets as these well-known individuals can check out some of the state’s top programs and universities.

What are Illinois’s Colleges & Universities?

Illinois’s Best Overall

Affordable Colleges? Try Illinois!

Illinois, just like other states, experienced a downturn in college enrollment during the start of COVID-19. But in the middle of 2021, the state began to experience a quick rebound. Because of its strong economy, Illinois is a desirable area to pursue higher education and a profession.

While Illinois takes pride in hosting one of the most affordable colleges in the United States, college-bound students are still looking for financial aid opportunities. It will also help students decide which major to pursue if they know which careers provide the highest ROI in Illinois.

Financial Aid Opportunities in Illinois

AIM HIGH: The Aspirational Institutional Match Helping Illinois Grow Higher Education (AIM HIGH) Grant Pilot Program of the State of Illinois provides funding for the AIM HIGH Scholarship. This initiative aims to make education more affordable for Illinois students, helps them pay off their student loans, and encourages them to attend an in-state university.

Grants: Grants are non-repayable gifts from federal, state, or university monies based on demonstrable financial need.

Scholarships: Scholarships are gifts that don’t have to be paid back and are given out based on several criteria, such as academic excellence, talent, athletic prowess, leadership qualities, geographic location, the field of study, or financial necessity.

Loans: Loans are borrowed monies that must be repaid whenever a student graduates, leaves college, or drops below half-time status. They are used to assist you in paying for your college or graduate school educational expenditures.

Student Employment: Employment enables undergraduate and graduate students to make money while still attending classes.

In-Demand Illinois Jobs

Graduates decide which career path to take based on several reasons, including the undergraduate and graduate programs they pursue, their individual skills, interests, and suggestions from peers.

However, a crucial factor—the demand for workers in a specific job—is frequently ranked lower or not considered. Researching job trends can help you concentrate on an in-demand career with future growth, especially for professionals in the workforce considering a career change.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) names these top five most in-demand majors/jobs in Illinois:

Management Occupations

In many businesses, management positions provide some of the most direct paths to increasing your level of responsibility. Businesses and organizations need someone to be in charge of overseeing staff productivity and progress.

According to BLS, management occupations are expected to grow by 8% in the next ten years.

Business and Financial Operations Occupations

The major duty of finance professionals is to provide financial services using their understanding of finance, tax regulations, and accounting. These professionals usually help with financial planning in businesses and individuals. According to BLS, business and financial occupations are expected to grow by 7% in the next ten years.

Computer and Mathematical Occupations

Professionals in computer and mathematical occupations are tasked to help companies or organizations model networks, analyze, plan, and synchronize network and data communications hardware and software. Additionally, professionals help computer network specialists manage network security.

According to BLS, computer and mathematical occupations are expected to grow by 15% in the next ten years.

Architecture and Engineering Occupations

You should consider an architecture or engineering job if you are interested in science, math, and construction techniques. These professionals gather data for mapping and other uses while designing and creating various products, systems, and buildings.

According to BLS, architecture and engineering occupations are expected to grow by 4% in the next ten years.

Life sciences occupations often entail studying living organisms. Principles of chemistry and physics are often studied and applied in physical science occupations. Social science specialists study interpersonal relationships and human civilization.

According to BLS, Life, physical, and social science occupations are expected to grow by 7% in the next ten years.

How do we determine Illinois's best affordable colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

There are 15 affordable colleges and universities in Illinois with stated tuitions and fees under $20,000/year. The following list of the most affordable colleges and universities in Illinois is composed entirely of schools offering bachelor’s degree programs, have stated tuition and fees near or under the national average of $16,000/year, and are fully accredited colleges.

Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2023

These schools are ranked by academic excellence, and all under $20,000/year.

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Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois Ranked for Students in 2024

10 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2024

Key Takeaways

Colleges and Universities in Illinois

What are Illinois’s Colleges & Universities?

Affordable Colleges? Try Illinois!

Financial Aid Opportunities in Illinois

In-Demand Illinois Jobs

Management Occupations

Business and Financial Operations Occupations

Computer and Mathematical Occupations

Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois 2023

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

University of Illinois Chicago’s Online Degrees

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Western Illinois University’s Online Degrees

Most Influential Alumni

University of Illinois Springfield’s Online Degrees

Most Influential Alumni

Eastern Illinois University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Governors State University’s Online Degrees

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

National Louis University’s Online Degrees

Most Influential Alumni

Illinois’s Most Affordable Colleges in Your Area of Interest

Ask A Question