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Is Chicago State University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Chicago State, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Chicago State sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $48,395 helps, but median debt of $29,308 plus yearly net price of $7,273 creates a tighter path. For context, Chicago State's net price is about 25% below the typical 4-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$9,852
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $3,303 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $13,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$7,273
Median earnings 10 years out
$48,395
Median debt at graduation
$29,308
Graduation rate
15%
At Chicago State, a typical graduate carries about $29,308 in student debt and earns roughly $48,395 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $333 per month, or 8% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $17,602 more than the typical working high school graduate in Illinois ($30,793) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
68% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Chicago State is a public four year school in Chicago, IL. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, IL
Worth-It Score: 69/100
Median net price: $7,528
Public 4-year
Northeastern Illinois
Chicago, IL
Worth-It Score: 61/100
Median net price: $9,377
Public 4-year
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL
Worth-It Score: 75/100
Median net price: $9,540
Public 4-year
Western Illinois
Macomb, IL
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $10,018
Public 4-year
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
Worth-It Score: 71/100
Median net price: $12,554
Common questions about Chicago State
The median net price at Chicago State is $7,273 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in Illinois? See the most affordable public universities in Illinois →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Chicago State in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$10,441a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →