The real 4-year cost of Illinois State University in Illinois
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Illinois State University went from $9,814 to $16,816, an average of 3.1% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $16,8162026-2027 tuition plus mandatory fees at 15 credit hours per fall and spring semester; in-state $12,670 tuition + $4,146 fees, out-of-state $25,338 + $4,146.source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition drop or reset, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $9,814 | – | – |
| 2009 | $10,531 | – | – |
| 2010 | $10,194 | – | – |
| 2011 | $11,047 | – | – |
| 2012 | $11,744 | – | – |
| 2013 | $12,338 | – | – |
| 2014 | $12,802 | – | – |
| 2015 | $12,004 | – | – |
| 2016 | $12,013 | – | – |
| 2017 | $12,353 | – | – |
| 2018 | $12,582 | – | – |
| 2019 | $12,836 | – | – |
| 2020 | $13,115 | – | – |
| 2021 | $13,968 | – | – |
| 2022 | $13,941 | – | – |
| 2023 | $14,121 | – | – |
| 2026 | $16,816 | $16,816 | – |
| 2027 | – | $17,339 | $16,699–$17,979 |
| 2028 | – | $17,879 | $16,584–$19,223 |
| 2029 | – | $18,435 | $16,469–$20,553 |
| 2030 | – | $19,009 | $16,354–$21,974 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $16,816 |
| Year 2 | $17,339 |
| Year 3 | $17,879 |
| Year 4 | $18,435 |
| 4-year total | $70,470 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $30,470
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $43,023
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $12,902/ yr
- rising 2.6% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $53,636
School’s own published rateAverage housing plus the unlimited meal plan.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Illinois State University4-year schools with similar prices in Illinois
Closest to Illinois State University by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Adler University$16,740
- University of Illinois Chicago$16,720
- Rasmussen University-Illinois$15,768
- Methodist College$18,008
- Lincoln Christian University$15,400
- Moody Bible Institute$15,356
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$18,434
- Northwestern College$18,475
Use this data
Published figures for Illinois State University from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.