College Trends

Public universities in Illinois

The College Scorecard lists 12 public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher in Illinois, all compared on this page. Together they enroll 124,813 undergraduate degree-seeking students. The median average net price is $12,636 a year, lower than the $14,226 median for public universities nationwide. Former students' median earnings 10 years after starting college are $60,394 at the median institution, about the same as the $58,635 median for public universities nationwide. The median graduation rate is 51.4%.

Open in the dashboardSource: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Schools
12
UndergraduatesiUndergraduate degree-seeking enrollment.
124,813
Median net priceiAverage yearly cost for full-time, first-time undergraduates who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. The figure here is the median across schools.
$12,636
U.S.: $14,226
Median earnings, 10 yrsiMedian earnings of former students who received federal aid, 10 years after they started college, among those working and not enrolled. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$60,394
U.S.: $58,635
Median debtiMedian federal student-loan balance of graduates. Excludes Parent PLUS and private loans. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$18,875
U.S.: $19,500
Median grad rateiShare of full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time (6 years for a 4-year degree, 3 years for a 2-year degree). The figure here is the median across schools.
51.4%
U.S.: 51.6%

Compare all public universities in Illinois on one chart

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Each dot is one school. Dashed lines mark the median for Illinois. Showing 12 of 12 public universities in Illinois; schools missing either value are left out.

All 12 public universities in Illinois

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign
36,258$13,042$16,354$36,706$87,599$17,75086.3%94.8%42.4%
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago
22,170$9,540$14,652$30,754$73,666$14,50061.5%80.2%77.3%
Illinois State University
Normal
19,057$17,829$16,152$28,218$67,557$17,00067.3%81.4%88.1%
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb
11,301$14,505$13,792$13,792$61,351$19,55548.5%69.6%69.8%
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville
8,750$13,111$13,299$13,299$59,436$19,00056.5%75.7%97.5%
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale
8,494$12,554$13,544$13,544$57,388$19,50059.3%66.8%86.9%
Western Illinois University
Macomb
4,410$10,018$15,466$15,466$57,175$20,16849.4%61.4%71.2%
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston
4,188$12,717$14,654$17,261$55,885$19,62349.5%71.7%65.3%
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago
3,982$9,377$12,743$22,581$56,278$15,00025.2%52.3%74.6%
Governors State University
University Park
2,556$15,833$13,124$13,124$61,863$18,75022.9%56.2%48.3%
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield
2,263$7,528$12,640$22,795$64,479$17,75053.4%74.8%85.9%
Chicago State University
Chicago
1,384$7,273$13,358$13,358$48,395$29,30814.9%57.3%43.3%
Showing 12 of 12. Starts sorted by undergraduate enrollment; select a column to sort.

Quick facts: public universities in Illinois

How many public universities are in Illinois?
The College Scorecard lists 12 public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher in Illinois.
What do public universities in Illinois cost?
Across the 12 schools that report it, the median average net price is $12,636 a year. Net price is what full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships. Reported net prices range from $7,273 at Chicago State University to $17,829 at Illinois State University.
Which public universities in Illinois have the lowest average net price?
By reported average net price: Chicago State University ($7,273), University of Illinois Springfield ($7,528), Northeastern Illinois University ($9,377), University of Illinois Chicago ($9,540), and Western Illinois University ($10,018).
How much is in-state and out-of-state tuition at public universities in Illinois?
The median published in-state tuition is $13,668 a year, and the median out-of-state tuition is $16,364. Many students pay less than published tuition after aid.
How much do former students of public universities in Illinois earn?
At the median institution, former students who received federal aid earn $60,394 10 years after starting college (12 institutions reporting; branch campuses share one figure and count once). The highest reported medians are at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($87,599), University of Illinois Chicago ($73,666), and Illinois State University ($67,557).
What is the graduation rate at public universities in Illinois?
The median graduation rate is 51.4%, across 12 schools reporting. It counts full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time.
How much student debt do graduates of public universities in Illinois have?
The median institution's graduates leave with $18,875 in federal student loans (the median balance). Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.

Keep comparing

Other college types in Illinois

Public universities in other states

How these numbers work

This page includes public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher, as reported in the College Scorecard. Summary figures are medians across schools: each school counts once, whatever its size, and schools that don't report a measure are left out of that measure. The Scorecard reports earnings and debt for a whole institution, so branch campuses share one figure; for those two measures each institution counts once. Most recent data year: cost 2025, graduation and retention 2025, earnings 2022, debt 2024. More on the data.