Ranking
Cheapest Colleges in Illinois 2026
The lowest-net-price colleges in Illinois that report federal earnings.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $2,835
- Top earnings 10y
- $68,740
- Public / Private
- 18 / 5
Trinity International University-Illinois
A+- Net price/yr
- $2,835
- Net price
- $2,835
- Earnings 10y
- $46,989
- Acceptance
- 100%
Carl Sandburg College
A+- Net price/yr
- $3,662
- Net price
- $3,662
- Earnings 10y
- $35,274
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Kishwaukee College
A+- Net price/yr
- $4,574
- Net price
- $4,574
- Earnings 10y
- $39,657
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Morton College
A+- Net price/yr
- $5,191
- Net price
- $5,191
- Earnings 10y
- $42,406
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Rock Valley College
A+- Net price/yr
- $5,242
- Net price
- $5,242
- Earnings 10y
- $39,158
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
John A Logan College
A- Net price/yr
- $5,541
- Net price
- $5,541
- Earnings 10y
- $34,096
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College
A+- Net price/yr
- $6,375
- Net price
- $6,375
- Earnings 10y
- $41,625
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
John Wood Community College
A- Net price/yr
- $7,050
- Net price
- $7,050
- Earnings 10y
- $38,631
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
A- Net price/yr
- $7,397
- Net price
- $7,397
- Earnings 10y
- $36,531
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
College of DuPage
A- Net price/yr
- $7,401
- Net price
- $7,401
- Earnings 10y
- $46,909
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Parkland College
A- Net price/yr
- $8,048
- Net price
- $8,048
- Earnings 10y
- $38,320
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of Illinois Springfield
A- Net price/yr
- $9,833
- Net price
- $9,833
- Earnings 10y
- $57,103
- Acceptance
- 85.9%
Saint Xavier University
A- Net price/yr
- $10,970
- Net price
- $10,970
- Earnings 10y
- $58,656
- Acceptance
- 84.3%
University of Illinois Chicago
A- Net price/yr
- $10,974
- Net price
- $10,974
- Earnings 10y
- $68,740
- Acceptance
- 77.4%
Waubonsee Community College
B- Net price/yr
- $11,442
- Net price
- $11,442
- Earnings 10y
- $44,788
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Dominican University
A- Net price/yr
- $11,745
- Net price
- $11,745
- Earnings 10y
- $60,327
- Acceptance
- 90.3%
Governors State University
A- Net price/yr
- $12,329
- Net price
- $12,329
- Earnings 10y
- $58,169
- Acceptance
- 48.3%
Chicago State University
B- Net price/yr
- $12,335
- Net price
- $12,335
- Earnings 10y
- $42,778
- Acceptance
- 43.3%
National Louis University
B- Net price/yr
- $12,641
- Net price
- $12,641
- Earnings 10y
- $45,799
- Acceptance
- 95.1%
Eastern Illinois University
B- Net price/yr
- $12,786
- Net price
- $12,786
- Earnings 10y
- $51,989
- Acceptance
- 65.4%
Western Illinois University
B- Net price/yr
- $12,937
- Net price
- $12,937
- Earnings 10y
- $54,163
- Acceptance
- 71.2%
Taylor Business Institute
D- Net price/yr
- $12,982
- Net price
- $12,982
- Earnings 10y
- $25,559
- Acceptance
- 91.2%
University of St Francis
A- Net price/yr
- $13,006
- Net price
- $13,006
- Earnings 10y
- $63,926
- Acceptance
- 65.3%
Fox College
B- Net price/yr
- $13,109
- Net price
- $13,109
- Earnings 10y
- $41,539
- Acceptance
- 70.2%
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
B- Net price/yr
- $13,297
- Net price
- $13,297
- Earnings 10y
- $53,390
- Acceptance
- 86.9%
How we picked this list
This list starts with Illinois colleges, removes schools without usable net-price data, then sorts from lowest average net price upward. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 14.53 (18 public, 5 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Trinity International University-Illinois in Deerfield, IL tops this ranking. Average net price is $2,835 per year.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by net price/yr using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many Illinois colleges are in this list?
74 Illinois colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.