Colleges in Illinois: ACT scores and what they really cost.

57 four-year colleges in Illinois, 32 of which publish an admitted ACT range. The lowest average net price among IL schools is $2,835 a year at Trinity International University-Illinois, after grant and scholarship aid. Sorted cheapest first. All figures from the U.S. Department of Education.

Browse Illinois colleges by ACT score
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57 colleges

Trinity International University-Illinois

Deerfield, IL · Private
$2,835/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
100%
Undergrads
55

Telshe Yeshiva-Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private
$7,626/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
100%
Undergrads
78

University of Illinois Springfield

Springfield, IL · Public
$9,833/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
21–27
Admit rate
86%
Undergrads
2,263

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, IL · Private
$10,970/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
84%
Undergrads
3,096

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL · Public
$10,974/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
25–31
Admit rate
77%
Undergrads
22,170

Dominican University

River Forest, IL · Private
$11,745/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
16–26
Admit rate
90%
Undergrads
2,561

Governors State University

University Park, IL · Public
$12,329/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
48%
Undergrads
2,556

Chicago State University

Chicago, IL · Public
$12,335/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
43%
Undergrads
1,384

National Louis University

Chicago, IL · Private
$12,641/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
95%
Undergrads
4,406

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL · Public
$12,786/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
65%
Undergrads
4,188

Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL · Public
$12,937/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
71%
Undergrads
4,410

University of St Francis

Joliet, IL · Private
$13,006/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–32
Admit rate
65%
Undergrads
1,223

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL · Public
$13,297/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–25
Admit rate
87%
Undergrads
8,494

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL · Public
$13,391/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
70%
Undergrads
11,301

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL · Public
$14,109/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
75%
Undergrads
3,982

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public
$14,355/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
30–34
Admit rate
42%
Undergrads
36,258

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private
$14,860/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
34–35
Admit rate
4%
Undergrads
7,569

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL · Public
$14,889/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–27
Admit rate
98%
Undergrads
8,750

North Park University

Chicago, IL · Private
$16,948/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
69%
Undergrads
1,818

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL · Private
$17,028/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–27
Admit rate
71%
Undergrads
4,015

Monmouth College

Monmouth, IL · Private
$17,133/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–27
Admit rate
91%
Undergrads
702

Eureka College

Eureka, IL · Private
$17,349/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
85%
Undergrads
522

Illinois College

Jacksonville, IL · Private
$18,298/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–26
Admit rate
78%
Undergrads
930

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL · Private
$18,425/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
26–32
Admit rate
55%
Undergrads
2,833

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL · Private
$18,436/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
93%
Undergrads
1,323

Blackburn College

Carlinville, IL · Private
$18,460/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
63%
Undergrads
471

Judson University

Elgin, IL · Private
$18,558/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
16–24
Admit rate
48%
Undergrads
708

Aurora University

Aurora, IL · Private
$18,838/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
21–29
Admit rate
81%
Undergrads
3,974

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL · Private
$19,125/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–25
Admit rate
85%
Undergrads
820

Illinois State University

Normal, IL · Public
$19,398/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
21–27
Admit rate
88%
Undergrads
19,057

Greenville University

Greenville, IL · Private
$19,533/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
16–28
Admit rate
98%
Undergrads
955

VanderCook College of Music

Chicago, IL · Private
$19,780/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
89%
Undergrads
76

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL · Private
$20,194/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–26
Admit rate
97%
Undergrads
2,849

Quincy University

Quincy, IL · Private
$20,359/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–25
Admit rate
51%
Undergrads
1,010

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL · Private
$20,729/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–26
Admit rate
56%
Undergrads
2,603

North Central College

Naperville, IL · Private
$21,044/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
24–29
Admit rate
77%
Undergrads
2,428

East-West University

Chicago, IL · Private
$21,697/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
Undergrads
468

Millikin University

Decatur, IL · Private
$21,989/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–25
Admit rate
67%
Undergrads
1,382

Moody Bible Institute

Chicago, IL · Private
$22,221/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
83%
Undergrads
1,510

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL · Private
$22,313/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
95%
Undergrads
1,942

Rockford University

Rockford, IL · Private
$22,436/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
17–23
Admit rate
93%
Undergrads
972

Bradley University

Peoria, IL · Private
$22,719/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
77%
Undergrads
3,574

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL · Private
$22,736/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
21–29
Admit rate
63%
Undergrads
2,490

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL · Private
$24,185/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
23–30
Admit rate
74%
Undergrads
3,006

Knox College

Galesburg, IL · Private
$24,595/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
21–32
Admit rate
71%
Undergrads
1,127

McKendree University

Lebanon, IL · Private
$24,717/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
72%
Undergrads
1,752

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private
$26,598/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
89%
Undergrads
5,368

Hebrew Theological College

Skokie, IL · Private
$26,861/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
57%
Undergrads
90

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL · Private
$26,975/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
28–32
Admit rate
87%
Undergrads
2,121

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL · Private
$28,199/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
25–30
Admit rate
39%
Undergrads
1,582

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL · Private
$28,673/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
28–32
Admit rate
57%
Undergrads
1,813

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private
$29,167/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
33–35
Admit rate
8%
Undergrads
9,201

DePaul University

Chicago, IL · Private
$30,902/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
25–31
Admit rate
76%
Undergrads
14,090

Chamberlain University-Illinois

Addison, IL · Private, for-profit
$31,837/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
83%
Undergrads
14,027

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private
$36,079/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
27–32
Admit rate
82%
Undergrads
11,737

Methodist College

Peoria, IL · Private
$41,787/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
39%
Undergrads
245

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private
$49,790/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
77%
Undergrads
2,805

Net price is total cost of attendance (tuition, fees, housing, books) minus grant and scholarship aid, for students receiving federal aid. Admitted ACT range is the 25th to 75th percentile of admitted students; schools that do not publish a range may still accept ACT scores. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Common questions

How many four-year colleges are in Illinois?

Illinois (IL) has 57 four-year colleges reporting an average net price to the U.S. Department of Education. 32 of them publish an admitted ACT score range; the rest are test-optional or do not report one, though they may still accept ACT scores.

What is the cheapest college in Illinois?

By average net price after grant and scholarship aid, Trinity International University-Illinois in Deerfield is the least expensive four-year college in Illinois at $2,835 a year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus aid that does not need to be repaid, for students receiving federal aid. What a specific family pays varies by household income.

Are public colleges cheaper than private colleges in Illinois?

Usually, but not always. Among Illinois's 12 public colleges the median net price is $13,297 a year, against $20,729 across 45 private colleges. Private schools often discount heavily through grant aid, so a private college can cost a specific family less than a public one despite a far higher sticker price.

Does household income change what college costs in Illinois?

Substantially. Across Illinois colleges the median net price is $14,845 a year for a family earning under $30,000 and $25,788 for one earning over $110,000, at the same schools. The average price a college publishes blends every income level together, so it may be far from what any particular family pays.