College Costs in Illinois
Illinois Colleges, Cost and Affordability for 2027
How much does it cost to attend college in Illinois? The average annual in-state college tuition in Illinois was $21,049 for the 2024-2025 academic year. This is $3,239 higher than the U.S. average and ranks Illinois amongst the costliest as the 12th most expensive state or district to attend college. This is a change of $1,520 from the 2022-2023 average of $19,529 and represents a 7.78% annual increase in tuition costs. The list of Illinois colleges below provides school specific cost and value rating.
This analysis surveyed tuition data from the 119 colleges and universities in Illinois, the most popular being University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with 49,610 full time students and an in-state tuition list price of $16,004. University of Chicago is the most expensive in Illinois with an in-state tuition of $70,662.
All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS 2025 survey and reflect reported costs for academic year 2024/2025.
University of Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- $70,662 tuition
UChicago is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate economics and a rigorous Core Curriculum. The urban campus occupies Hyde Park on Chicago's South Side.
- SAT Range 1510-1580
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.95
- Acceptance Rate 4%
- Net Price $28,060
Northwestern University
- Private 4 Year
- Evanston, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- $68,322 tuition
- Jan 1 application deadline
Northwestern is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate journalism, communications, and theater. The Evanston campus runs along Lake Michigan just north of Chicago.
- SAT Range 1510-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.92
- Acceptance Rate 8%
- Net Price $26,830
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
- Public 4 Year
- Champaign, IL
-
4.4 | 5 reviews
- $16,004 tuition
- Jan 5 application deadline
Illinois is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate computer science and engineering. The campus spans the adjacent college towns of Champaign and Urbana.
- SAT Range 1310-1520
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $13,973
University of Illinois Chicago
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- $14,338 tuition
- Feb 1 application deadline
UIC is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, architecture, and engineering. The urban campus sits on Chicago's Near West Side near the Illinois Medical District.
- SAT Range 1130-1350
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $10,852
Loyola University Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.3 | 6 reviews
- $53,710 tuition
Loyola Chicago is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and communications. The urban campus sits along Lake Michigan on Chicago's North Side.
- SAT Range 1170-1360
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $39,147
DePaul University
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
- $45,999 tuition
- Feb 1 application deadline
DePaul is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, film, and theater. Its urban campuses sit in Chicago's Lincoln Park and Loop neighborhoods.
- SAT Range 1140-1330
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $34,135
Illinois State University
- Public 4 Year
- Normal, IL
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- $16,144 tuition
- Apr 1 application deadline
Illinois State is a large public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Normal, next to Bloomington.
- SAT Range 990-1210
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $21,369
Northern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Dekalb, IL
-
3.2 | 5 reviews
- $13,248 tuition
- Aug 1 application deadline
NIU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, education, and the visual arts. The residential campus is in the college town of DeKalb west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 940-1170
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,243
Wheaton College
- Private 4 Year
- Wheaton, IL
-
4.0 | 3 reviews
- $45,546 tuition
- Aug 1 application deadline
Wheaton is a private evangelical Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate biblical studies, theology, and the sciences. The residential campus sits in a western suburb of Chicago.
- SAT Range 1260-1470
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $31,356
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Public 4 Year
- Carbondale, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- $13,334 tuition
SIU Carbondale is a large public university known for undergraduate aviation, journalism, and forestry. The wooded campus anchors the college town of Carbondale in southern Illinois.
- SAT Range 900-1160
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $13,473
Bradley University
- Private 4 Year
- Peoria, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- $42,160 tuition
Bradley is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and health sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in Peoria.
- SAT Range 1090-1300
- Avg GPA 3.83
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $23,787
College of DuPage
- Public 2 Year
- Glen Ellyn, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- $10,650 tuition
College of DuPage is a large community college known for associate programs in nursing, health sciences, and culinary arts. Most students commute to the suburban campus in Glen Ellyn west of Chicago.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $6,691
Chicago State University
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- $12,754 tuition
Chicago State is a public university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The urban campus is located on Chicago's South Side.
- SAT Range 750-963
- Avg GPA 3.18
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $10,441
Northeastern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- $12,383 tuition
- Jul 15 application deadline
Northeastern Illinois is a public university known for undergraduate education and business programs. The urban campus sits on Chicago's Northwest Side.
- SAT Range 810-1010
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $14,140
Columbia College Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- $34,088 tuition
- Aug 1 application deadline
Columbia College Chicago is a private arts and media college known for undergraduate film, journalism, and performing arts. The urban campus sits in Chicago's South Loop.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $29,473
Illinois Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- $52,386 tuition
- Mar 1 application deadline
Illinois Tech is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and computer science. The urban Chicago campus is noted for its modernist buildings by Mies van der Rohe.
- SAT Range 1180-1440
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 55%
- Net Price $24,796
Lewis University
- Private 4 Year
- Romeoville, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- $39,200 tuition
Lewis is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate aviation and nursing. The suburban Romeoville campus includes its own airport used for flight training.
- SAT Range 960-1210
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $18,959
Aurora University
- Private 4 Year
- Aurora, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- $29,170 tuition
Aurora University is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and social work. The suburban campus sits in Aurora, about 40 miles west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 900-1150
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $19,053