Quad

Cost & aid

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $25,530 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $1.2K more than the national median. The 74% who received grants paid $10,852 on average; the other 26% paid the full sticker price of $36,364 in-state / $51,386 out-of-state.

−8% after inflation since 2013–14Over time
Full price, in-state
$36,364 a year
tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid
Little need-based aid above $110K
aid thins out for families above that income
Merit aid
4.1% · avg $6K
of first-years without need got merit aid

Cost by family income

Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).

Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.

$0$10K$20K$30K$0$100K$200K$300K$400K+Full price $36KLittle need-based aid above $110KMerit: $30K
  • Published federal figures
  • With an average merit award: $30K · 4.1% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
Price per year by family income
Family incomePrice per year
$0–30K$8K a year
$30–48K$8K a year
$48–75K$11K a year
$75–110K$16K a year
$150KPublished data end at $110K
$200KPublished data end at $110K
$250KPublished data end at $110K
$300KPublished data end at $110K
$350KPublished data end at $110K
$400K and abovePublished data end at $110K
$150K a year

At $150K: Published data end at $110K

Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.

Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.

What can change this

  • Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
Average total cost per year, all first-years (est.)

$25,530

Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24

Full price, averaged across in-state & out-of-state$37,866
− Grants, averaged over every first-year−$12,336

74% got grants averaging $16,755; 26% got none.

= Average total cost$25,530
Tuition & fees$15.8KRoom & board$14.6KBooks & supplies$1.4KOther expenses$6K
Compared to all colleges$25,530
National median: $24,284About typical

Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.

Who pays what

Received grants · 74%$10,852 averagenet price (in-state students)
No grants · 26%$36.4K / $51.4Kfull price, in-state / out-of-state

Share of first-year students, 2023–24.

Sticker price by residency

RateTuition & feesFirst-years
In-state$14,338$36,36490%
Out-of-state$29,360$51,38610%

Full cost adds books, on-campus room & board, and other expenses ($22,026) to tuition and fees.

Next year (2026–27), reported by University of Illinois Chicago

$32,046 in-state · $48,746 out-of-state before aid

Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 11% in-state, up 11% out-of-state from 2023–24.

Show the full next-year estimate
  • Tuition, fees, food & housing$32,046
  • Books and supplies$1,400
  • Transportation$1,526
  • Other expenses$4,500
  • Total for a student living on campus$39,472

67.7% of full-time undergraduates at University of Illinois Chicago pay more than the published tuition because tuition varies by program.

Tuition guarantee Part of a Promise program
Median debt at graduation

$16.7K

≈ $177/month for 10 years

Payback estimate

1.5 yrs

of median salary to cover 4 years of net price

Undergrads with a federal loan22%
National median: 45%Below typical

About 1 in 5 undergrads borrows federally.

Median federal debt, by background

Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.

Pell Grant recipients$13,129
No Pell Grant$14,000
Family income under $30K$12,750
$30K–$75K$13,000
Over $75K$15,000

Three years into repayment

Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.

  • Paid in full18%
  • Paying it down27%
  • Payments paused33%
  • Not paying it down15%
  • Behind or in default6%
  • Forgiven or discharged0%

Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.

Who actually gets aid

33%of full price

Aid generosity

Moderate

Grants cover 33% of the $37,866 full price on average across all first-years (moderate), more than at 31% of colleges.

$12,336 in grants per first-year ÷ $37,866 full price.

Compared to every college33%
33%
← Limitedmore generous than 31% of 1,514Very generous →

Who gets grants and scholarships

Full-time first-year students (4,565), 2023–24

Received grants or scholarships, avg $16,755 No grants

About 1 in 4 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $36,364 in-state / $51,386 out-of-state.

Where the aid comes from

From the college70% · avg $5.6K
Pell Grants56% · avg $5.8K
State or local grants63%
Student loans19% · avg $8.1K

Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.

Aid by family income

By family income: only students who received federal aid, because income is only reported for them.

Aid by family income isn't reported.

From University of Illinois Chicago's Common Data Set

First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2024–25.

First-yearsAll full-time
Have financial need77%3,325 students71%14,307 students
Need met, on average53%54%
Need fully met7%6%
Average aid package$19,618$19,759
Average need-based grant$18,699$17,732
Average need-based loan$3,410$4,566
Merit aid without need4%average $6,0075%average $6,927
Athletic scholarships45average $27,524145average $26,652

6% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.

Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.

Applying for aid

For fall 2026 entrants.

To apply for aid: the FAFSA and a state aid form.
Need is calculated with the federal formula.

Priority date: February 15 · Deadline: none · Aid offers: about March 15 · Reply by: May 1

Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.

What the college's own scholarships consider

Academics✓not marked
Art✓not marked
Athletics✓not marked
ROTC✓not marked
Music or drama✓not marked

A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.

International students

173 international students received an average of $3,918 from the college in 2024–25.

Merit aid offered.

Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;University of Illinois Chicago Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;University of Illinois Chicago Common Data Set 2025–26, 2024–25;University of Illinois Chicago Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;University of Illinois Chicago Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)