There are 249 colleges in Illinois - 63 public and 186 private schools. At Illinois colleges, rising college costs are evident in the Cost of Attendance (COA), which combines tuition, fees, textbooks, room and board, and personal living expenses; this figure has grown significantly in the last decade.
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Illinois colleges:
Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:
| Institution Type | 10-Year Increase (2016-2025) | 2025 Average Tuition & Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Public, In-State | 14.76% (from $11,964 to $13,730) | $13,730 |
| Public, Out-of-State | -3.38% (from $20,243 to $19,559) | $19,559 |
| Private Colleges | 26.11% (from $25,677 to $32,380) | $32,380 |
Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by -3.38%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by -1.75% over the same period.
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 9.51% when living on campus and 11.54% when living off campus at Illinois Colleges.
In private Illinois Colleges, the COA has increase by 26.86% (on-campus) and 28.67% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $37,410 when a student lives on campus and $37,967 when living off campus at Illinois Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Illinois Colleges over the past 10 years.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $25,883 | $34,162 | $39,596 | $25,759 | $34,038 | $39,472 |
| 2016-17 | $26,463 2.24% | $34,266 0.30% | $40,793 3.02% | $26,093 1.30% | $33,896 -0.42% | $40,423 2.41% |
| 2017-18 | $26,959 1.87% | $34,659 1.15% | $41,579 1.93% | $26,555 1.77% | $34,255 1.06% | $41,175 1.86% |
| 2018-19 | $27,582 2.31% | $34,352 -0.89% | $41,674 0.23% | $26,840 1.07% | $33,610 -1.88% | $40,932 -0.59% |
| 2019-20 | $27,807 0.82% | $35,156 2.34% | $42,281 1.46% | $27,401 2.09% | $34,750 3.39% | $41,875 2.30% |
| 2020-21 | $28,201 1.42% | $33,988 -3.32% | $43,229 2.24% | $28,197 2.91% | $33,984 -2.20% | $43,225 3.22% |
| 2021-22 | $28,761 1.99% | $34,730 2.18% | $44,019 1.83% | $28,716 1.84% | $34,685 2.06% | $43,974 1.73% |
| 2022-23 | $29,407 2.25% | $35,663 2.69% | $45,942 4.37% | $29,457 2.58% | $35,713 2.96% | $45,992 4.59% |
| 2023-24 | $31,376 6.70% | $35,895 0.65% | $47,302 2.96% | $31,700 7.61% | $36,219 1.42% | $47,626 3.55% |
| 2024-25 | $31,581 0.65% | $37,410 4.22% | $50,231 6.19% | $32,138 1.38% | $37,967 4.83% | $50,788 6.64% |
For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Illinois Colleges is $17,140 for Illinois residents and $22,969 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $33,392.
For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $15,793 for Illinois residents and $22,328 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $23,252.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $11,964 | $20,243 | $25,677 | $11,176 | $19,557 | $18,725 |
| 2016-17 | $12,184 1.84% | $19,987 -1.26% | $26,514 3.26% | $11,501 2.91% | $19,810 1.29% | $19,824 5.87% |
| 2017-18 | $12,499 2.59% | $20,199 1.06% | $27,119 2.28% | $11,812 2.70% | $20,056 1.24% | $20,271 2.25% |
| 2018-19 | $12,712 1.70% | $19,482 -3.55% | $26,804 -1.16% | $12,003 1.62% | $18,466 -7.93% | $19,819 -2.23% |
| 2019-20 | $12,957 1.93% | $20,306 4.23% | $27,431 2.34% | $11,602 -3.34% | $18,159 -1.66% | $19,519 -1.51% |
| 2020-21 | $13,073 0.90% | $18,860 -7.12% | $28,101 2.44% | $11,772 1.47% | $18,148 -0.06% | $20,282 3.91% |
| 2021-22 | $13,308 1.80% | $19,277 2.21% | $28,566 1.65% | $11,930 1.34% | $18,541 2.17% | $20,378 0.47% |
| 2022-23 | $13,240 -0.51% | $19,496 1.14% | $29,775 4.23% | $12,482 4.63% | $19,101 3.02% | $19,559 -4.02% |
| 2023-24 | $14,430 8.99% | $18,949 -2.81% | $30,356 1.95% | $13,120 5.11% | $18,969 -0.69% | $19,936 1.93% |
| 2024-25 | $13,730 -4.85% | $19,559 3.22% | $32,380 6.67% | $12,679 -3.36% | $19,214 1.29% | $22,457 12.65% |
For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $1,210 for Illinois Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,257 |
| 2016-17 | $1,264 0.56% |
| 2017-18 | $1,291 2.14% |
| 2018-19 | $1,265 -2.01% |
| 2019-20 | $1,153 -8.85% |
| 2020-21 | $1,113 -3.47% |
| 2021-22 | $1,090 -2.07% |
| 2022-23 | $1,064 -2.39% |
| 2023-24 | $1,098 3.20% |
| 2024-25 | $1,210 10.20% |
For Illinois Colleges, the living have increased 24.38% when a student lives on campus facilities and 28.39% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $12,662 | $13,594 |
| 2016-17 | $13,015 2.82% | $13,849 1.48% |
| 2017-18 | $13,169 1.47% | $14,037 0.91% |
| 2018-19 | $13,605 4.34% | $14,645 -0.66% |
| 2019-20 | $13,697 0.77% | $14,805 3.88% |
| 2020-21 | $14,015 2.37% | $15,298 5.17% |
| 2021-22 | $14,363 2.83% | $15,576 3.49% |
| 2022-23 | $15,103 5.39% | $16,492 5.26% |
| 2023-24 | $15,848 3.43% | $17,230 6.47% |
| 2024-25 | $16,641 5.51% | $17,713 10.76% |