Choosing the best college for you might be a difficult undertaking. There are various factors to consider, including the degree you seek, whether you’re willing to relocate across the country or even to another country, and, of course, the fees.
Many students studying at universities are unable to afford hefty tuition prices, which causes them to reconsider their decision to pursue higher education.
Obtaining a college diploma, on the other hand, does not have to be costly, since many universities offer affordable tuition prices while still offering intriguing programs.
In-state tuition is available at a number of good colleges in Illinois. Going to a college where the majority of your money is spent on tuition solely will allow you to concentrate on your academics rather than accumulating significant student debt in the future.
It will also help you budget better for other necessities like food, rent, transportation, and utilities, to mention a few. Begin saving money early on and consider attending one of Illinois’s cheapest colleges. To help you, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 cheapest colleges in Illinois.
Table of contents
- Why Study In Illinois?
- 10 Cheapest Colleges In Illinois
- 1. Eastern Illinois University
- Charleston, Illinois
- 2. Lincoln Christian University
- Lincoln, Illinois
- 3. Chicago State University
- Chicago, Illinois
- 4. University of Illinois at Springfield
- Springfield, Illinois
- 5. Western Illinois University
- 6. Moody Bible Institute
- Chicago, Illinois
- 7. University of Illinois at Chicago
- Chicago, Illinois
- 8. Illinois State University
- Normal, Illinois
- 9. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
- 10. Methodist College
- Peoria, Illinois
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- References
- We Also Recommend
Why Study In Illinois?
For international students, Illinois is a popular choice. Over 28,000 students worldwide chose Illinois last year because of its diverse academic offerings and convenient location in the heart of the United States.
Wherever you go in Illinois, you’ll never be far from a major city with easy access to international and domestic travel.
Because of its central location, Illinois has four seasons: hot summers, colourful autumns, harsh winters, and nice springs. Illinois offers international students an ideal location for education and pleasure, with rolling hills, wide plains, the enormous Lake Michigan, and the towering skyscrapers of Chicago.
McDonald’s, Motorola, Boeing, CDW, United, and State Farm have company headquarters in Illinois. These are excellent places to look for internships and jobs.
Come explore the riches of Illinois: History, art, architecture, shopping, restaurants, and entertainment, outdoor recreation.
Professional Sports – Chicago is home of the Cubs (baseball); White Sox (baseball); Bulls (basketball); Bears (football); Blackhawks (hockey); and Fire (soccer)
10 Cheapest Colleges In Illinois
1. Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois
Eastern Illinois University, founded in 1895 as Eastern Illinois State Normal School, has evolved from a two-year teacher’s college to a complete university with inexpensive bachelor’s and master’s programs in the humanities, arts, and sciences, business, and teaching.
Students can prepare for their career and life path by choosing from 50 undergraduate degrees, 36 graduate programs, and more than 150 major and minor options, including online learning opportunities.
The university has four colleges, a School of Continuing Education, a Graduate School, over 150 registered student organizations, a daily newspaper, and a student government.
In addition, this one o the Cheapest Colleges in Illinois
In-State Tuition: $11,803
Out-of-State Tuition: $14,023
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 14:1
Graduation Rate: 56 percent
2. Lincoln Christian University
Lincoln, Illinois
Lincoln Christian Institution is a private Christian university in Lincoln, Illinois. LCU offers online continuing education programs as well as residential four-year undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Business administration, youth and family ministry, intercultural studies, and religious matters, including preaching ministry, children’s ministry, and biblical studies, are among the 12 affordable bachelor’s degrees the school offers.
LCU, which has a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1, has approximately 1,000 students and provides opportunities for students to build personal interactions with peers and teachers.
LCU Sings Out, an American Idol-styled singing competition, and FOCUS, a student-led, weekly worship session and intramural sports, are among the student activities.
In addition, this is one of the cheapest colleges in Illinois.
In-State Tuition: $13,200
Out-of-State Tuition: $13,200
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 12:1
Graduation Rate: 67 percent
3. Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is a member school of Chicago State University, which has a campus in Chicago, Illinois. CSU began as the Cook County Normal School in 1867 and grew to over 7,000 students, and began as an innovative teachers’ college.
A College of Pharmacy, a College of Health Sciences, a College of Education, a College of Business, a College of Arts and Sciences, and an Honors College are all part of the school.
Business, psychology, criminal justice, safety studies, and liberal arts and humanities are among CSU’s most popular majors, which are available both on-campus and online.
Students are encouraged to join student-run clubs, the Upward Bound leadership program, and the African-American Male Resource Center, among other extracurricular activities offered by the school.
In-State Tuition: $10,163
Out-of-State Tuition: $17,123
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 10:1
Graduation Rate: 13 percent
4. University of Illinois at Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
The University of Illinois at Springfield was founded in 1969 as Sangamon State University and joined the University of Illinois System in 1995 as the newest member institution.
Through its four schools, the institution offers more than 4,500 students in low-cost undergraduate and graduate degree programs as a public land-grant liberal arts college.
Biochemistry, visual arts, and public policy are just a few of the majors available to students. Other popular undergraduate programs include psychology, computer science, and business administration.
The school’s distinctive astronomy/physics department analyzes contemporary trends and concerns through transdisciplinary courses, real-world learning experiences, and conferences.
In-State Tuition: $11,813
Out-of-State Tuition: $21,338
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 13:1
Graduation Rate: 50 percent
5. Western Illinois University
Western Illinois State Normal School opened its doors in 1899 as Western Illinois University. The school’s goal was to prepare about 200 students for teaching jobs.
Since then, the institution has grown into a powerhouse offering more than 70 undergraduate academic programs in practically every subject area.
Students can earn distinctive bachelor’s degrees in forensic chemistry, meteorology, textile and apparel merchandising, and agribusiness, among other fields.
WIU’s NCAA Division I sports teams and more than 250 organizations and campus groups are open to students.
Academic advising services assist students with career guidance, changing majors, alternative admissions, and major and course selections, among other things.
This is one of the cheapest colleges in Illinois.
In-State Tuition: $12,951
Out-of-State Tuition: $12,951
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 14:1
Graduation Rate: 50 percent
6. Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, Illinois
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian university that enrols over 3,100 students yearly and has a primary campus in Chicago, Illinois. Evangelism, youth ministries, and biblical language are just a few themes covered in MBC’s academic programs.
Cheap majors in aviation, elementary education, linguistics, and communications are available to students who want a more secular degree.
Students can join gospel choirs, ministry organizations, and extracurricular fellowships, all structured around spiritual topics on campus.
The institution boasts an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a job placement record of 90% for graduates.
In-State Tuition: $13,056
Out-of-State Tuition: $13,056
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 18:1
Graduation Rate: 59 percent
7. University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
The Institution of Illinois at Chicago is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, and the largest university in the Chicago area by enrollment, with over 30,000 students enrolled in its 15 colleges, including over 16,000 undergraduates.
UIC also houses the country’s largest medical school and is one of the top 50 research universities in the United States.
More than 125 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available in urban and public affairs, architecture, education, biological sciences, the arts, and others.
A bachelor’s degree in integrated health studies, a bachelor’s degree in integrated design, and joint undergraduate and graduate degrees in public policy/public administration and urban studies/urban planning are among the new possibilities.
In-State Tuition: $13,764
Out-of-State Tuition: $26,980
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 19:1
Graduation Rate: 57 percent
Check out: The University of Illinois at Chicago – UIC Scholarships 2024
8. Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois
Illinois State University was founded in 1857 and is notable for being the state’s oldest public university. ISU strongly emphasises education and is ranked among the top ten schools in the country for teacher preparation.
ISU’s College of Applied Science and Technology, College of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, College of Fine Arts, and Mennonite College of Nursing offer more than 160 affordable undergraduate degree options.
Undergraduate finance, agriculture, and information technology majors, as well as cutting-edge degrees in interactive media, web application development, engineering physics, and crop and soil science, are available to students.
Despite the school’s increasing size (it now has over 21,000 pupils), it still has a 69 percent graduation rate.
In-State Tuition: $14,516
Out-of-State Tuition: $26,040
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 18:1
Graduation Rate: 69 percent
Read Also: Illinois State University: Tuition, Acceptance Rate, Scholarships & Cost of Living 2024
9. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is the oldest campus in the Southern Illinois University System, having been founded in 1869.
It is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. SIU Carbondale enrolls students from over 100 countries and all 50 states, offering over 300 low-cost associates, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as 11 professional degrees in medical, law, and architecture mention a few.
Education, manufacturing engineering, healthcare management, aviation management and operations, criminology, psychology, and accounting are among the most popular majors at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
The average student-to-faculty ratio at SIU Carbondale is 14:1, with 59 per cent of classes having 19 students or fewer.
In-State Tuition: $14,704
Out-of-State Tuition: $29,160
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 14:1
Graduation Rate: 40 percent
10. Methodist College
Peoria, Illinois
Methodist College in Peoria, Illinois, which began as a nursing school in 1900, has developed into one of the state’s top healthcare institutions, offering affordable bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing education, nursing, social work, health science, and healthcare administration.
Nursing assistant, medical assistant, and gerontology professional certificate programs are also available.
The Simulation Center and Clinical Practice Center, which provide hands-on technology simulations that replicate healthcare and nursing activities and allow students to obtain hands-on, real-world clinical experience in a supervised, controlled environment, are part of the teaching process.
Students can participate in group-directed practices in addition to the obligatory clinical sessions to obtain additional experience.
In-State Tuition: $20,750
Out-of-State Tuition: $20,750
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 8:1
Graduation Rate: 42 percent
Conclusion
A “best value” institution combines quality with affordability; the most you can aspire for in your university search is to find a school that offers all of the resources and academic opportunities you need while staying within your budget.
As a result, you should pay close attention to the information about 10 Cheapest Colleges in Illinois
Frequently Asked Questions
For international students, Illinois is a popular choice. Over 28,000 students worldwide chose Illinois last year because of its diverse academic offerings and convenient location in the heart of the United States.
The grade point average in high school.
Class rank in high school.
Test scores that are above average.
Completion of a College Preparatory Program is required.
Competency Demonstration.
References
- 20 Best Affordable Schools – Illinois for Bachelor’s Degre
- ICollegecal – Illinois In-State Tuition Ranking
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