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.
Illinois Colleges Key COA Trends (2016-2025)
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Illinois colleges:
- On-Campus: The COA has risen by 9.51%.
- Off-Campus: The COA has risen by 11.54%.
- 2024-2025 Total COA: the average total COA is $37,410 when living on campus and $37,967 when living off campus.
Illinois Colleges Tuition & Fees Changes
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.
Living and Other Costs
Living Costs (Room & Board, Other Expenses):
- At Illinois colleges, living costs increased by 31.42% for on-campus and 37.17% for off-campus.
- The average living cost for 2024-2025 is $16,641 (on-campus) and $17,198 (off-campus).
Books & Supplies:
- Books and supplies costs have remained relatively stable (-3.74%), with the average cost for 2024-2025 being $1,210.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends
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.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends of Illinois Colleges
| 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% |
|---|
Tuition & Fees Changes
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.
Tuition & Fees Changes for Illinois Colleges
| 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% |
|---|
Books & Supplies Costs Changes
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.
Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Illinois Colleges
| 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% |
|---|
Living Costs Changes
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.
Living Costs Changes for Illinois Colleges
| 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% |
|---|