Thousands of college students are making their way to dorms across the city this fall, and they’re preparing to pay a pretty penny.
As the student debt crisis grips the country and continues to hinder college graduates financially, college costs at Chicago area colleges range from more than $22,000 to nearly $100,000 per year, and include price hikes of hundreds or thousands of dollars over last year, a Sun-Times review found.
At 10 of the largest colleges in the Chicago area, the Chicago Sun-Times found cost increases that ranged from a less than 1% increase for out-of-state students at Northeastern to a 8.7% hike for in-state students at University of Illinois Chicago compared to last year.
Most students don’t pay the full price to attend colleges, relying on financial aid and scholarships to fund their education. But even with different forms of aid, many students and their families are still on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars.
The average borrower in Illinois has $39,000 of student loan debt and will pay around $3,000 per year in interest alone, according to the Education Data Initiative and the Student Borrower Protection Center.
At the University of Illinois Chicago, finances are the driving force behind all kinds of decisions, said senior Margarita Arango, 21. When she was deciding where to attend college, “it was really just about what’s cheapest.” After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school for public policy, and her decision again will be dictated by scholarship money.
“My parents told me we don’t have enough money to save up for school, and even if we started right now, it wouldn’t make a dent,” Arango said.
Her UIC scholarship covers tuition and room and board, but she works on-campus jobs to cover fees, which she estimates have doubled from $2,000 to $4,000 since her freshman year.
“These fees are ridiculous. I don’t know what some of them mean,” Arango said. “A lot of it seems really arbitrary. Why am I paying $4 for a student-to-student fee? What does that even mean?”
When Illinois students grapple with the cost of tuition, books and housing, it can pull their focus away from their education, said Samer Hassan, who works with students through the policy and advocacy group Young Invincibles.
One student who Hassan worked with commuted to Chicago from Indiana to take advantage of cheaper housing costs, and another was able to buy food for the month because he received a scholarship to pay for textbooks.
“So many of them are worried because they can’t even afford the train costs to get to the university,” he said. “Rent is increasing. Transportation is increasing. Food cost is skyrocketing. And then on top of all of that, you have tuition, which is ballooning across the board.”
School administrators say they do what they can to keep college affordable for their students and prioritize funding them.
“We continue to monitor discretionary spending across the university to prioritize those services and resources that directly support students inside and outside the classroom,” Christian Anderson, a spokesperson for Loyola University Chicago, wrote in a statement.
Between inflation and fluctuating government support, tuition hikes are expected and happen annually at many schools. But schools also have a responsibility to mitigate cost burdens on students, especially those from historically marginalized backgrounds, Hassan said.
“Universities — especially private institutions, the ones that arguably have the most funding — have a duty to make sure their most vulnerable members of society, predominantly Black and brown students, have the support and not penalize them because they don’t come from high-income backgrounds,” Hassan said.
Here is a review of the costs for the 2025-26 school year:
Northwestern University
One of the city’s most prestigious universities also carries one of the highest price tags — not only in the Chicago area but across the country. Without financial aid, undergraduate students would pay roughly $96,236 for a year of full-time tuition, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and various mandatory fees. That’s up 1.4% from last year’s ticket price of around $94,878.
More than 50% of the school’s students receive a financial aid package from Northwestern, which provided $306 million in assistance last year, according to university spokesperson Amy Lee. Other efforts to reduce cost for students include a book borrowing system, winter gear donation program and campus food pantry.
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago in Hyde Park rivals Northwestern in both academics and price. The university’s 2025-26 tuition is around $71,325, up from $67,446 last year. With the addition of room and board, mandatory fees, course supplies and estimated other expenses, the university costs around $98,300 for undergraduate students to attend full time. That’s a 3.5% increase from last year’s price of around $94,970.
The average need-based grant and scholarship package for first-year students is around $67,000, said spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan. For first-generation students and families with a household income under $125,000, the university guarantees free tuition. The university covers tuition, fees, housing and meals for families with an income less than $60,000 annually.
Loyola University Chicago
This school year, Loyola University Chicago is charging incoming undergraduate students $77,710 for tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board. Last year, the cost of attendance was around $74,000.
Nearly all of Loyola students — 98% — receive some sort of financial aid, and an emergency financial aid pool is available for students whose family circumstances have changed, according to spokesperson Christian Anderson. On average, students pay around $47,600 total after financial aid. The university is also monitoring potential changes to federal laws and the impacts of suspension or capping of federal student loan programs, Anderson said.
DePaul University
This year, DePaul University charges $46,776 for tuition and an extra $1,300 in mandatory fees. Housing costs range from $3,025 to $6,912 per quarter for students living on campus and a meal plan. In total, DePaul’s price tag reaches $72,174 for tuition, room and board, and books. That’s a 4.5% increase from last year’s total attendance price of around $69,027.
After scholarships and state and federal aid, out-of-pocket costs for first-year students is set to be around $23,700 on average, a DePaul spokesperson said in an email.
Columbia College Chicago
Students can expect a price tag of $61,228 for tuition, fees, and room and board when enrolling at Columbia College Chicago. That’s an increase of 6.5% from last year’s cost of attendance of around $57,500.
Around 97% of Columbia students receive financial aid or scholarships, some of which are offered by the college, spokesperson Lambrini Lukidis said in an email. The school also offers on-campus jobs, federal work study and connections to paid internships available to students.
University of Illinois Chicago
At the University of Illinois Chicago, like most public colleges and universities, tuition price depends on a student’s state of residence. In-state students will be responsible for roughly $11,424 in tuition, while out-of-state tuition costs $27,526 for the 2025-26 school year.
Last year, in-state students paid $11,178, while out-of-state students paid $26,724. With the addition of room and board and mandatory fees, the total cost of attendance reaches around $30,900 for in-state students and around $47,000 for out-of-state students.
Approximately 70% of undergraduate students receive some sort of financial aid and more than half of UIC full-time undergraduate students pay less than $3,000 per semester for tuition and fees, according to spokesperson Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez. For students from families earning less than $75,000 a year, the UIC Aspire program covers all tuition and mandatory fees for first-years and transfers. A $5,000 housing assistance grant is also available for students living on campus.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Aspiring artists attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago can expect an overall cost of $82,640 for tuition, room and board, supplies, fees and other expenses during the 2025-26 school year. Tuition is up 3.2% to $57,240 this year from $55,440 last year. Around 90% of students received some form of financial aid last year, according to spokesperson Rowan Beaird.
Illinois Institute of Technology
The Illinois Institute of Technology, located in Douglas, is estimated to cost students around $77,624 for tuition, room and board, supplies and mandatory fees before financial aid. That’s a 2.4% jump from last year’s cost of attendance of $75,738.
On average, students receive nearly $26,000 in merit-based scholarships and can receive up to $28,000 in need-based aid. Illinois Tech also offers programs for students to complete a undergraduate and graduate degree in as little as five years; accepts transfer credits and AP credits; and encourages alternate ways to access course material to mitigate textbook costs, spokesperson Petra Kelly said. Students can also get on-campus jobs and join Elevate, a program seeking to boost career readiness and provide professional clothes at no cost.
Northeastern Illinois University
In-state students at Northeastern Illinois University can expect to pay around $10,300 in tuition, while out-of-state students will pay nearly double at around $20,200 in tuition for the 2025-26 school year. Housing and mandatory fees brings the total cost for in-state students to around $23,550 and out-of-state students to around $33,400. Books and supplies, a meal plan and other expenses could add thousands of dollars to students’ budget.
Chicago State University
Chicago State University charges students by the credit hour for classes they take during their undergraduate career. For students looking to graduate in four years, the average number of credits per semester is 15, bringing the average tuition and fees for full-time students to around $14,190 per year. Room and board costs around $11,550. For tuition, fees and room and board, the total cost is around $25,740. During the 2024-25 school year, Chicago State charged students around $25,060.
The university is one of the most affordable in the Chicago area and 91% of degree-seeking undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid from the school or federal, state or local government, spokesperson Lauren Finch said. On average, students received around $16,200 toward their education.
