ILLINOIS HAS FOUR OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE COLLEGES IN THE COUNTRY

AUG 12, 2014College can be an expensive investment, which makes looking for affordable colleges a smart decision for those looking to take the next step in their education journey.

Public schools are much more affordable than private schools are, but if someone is set on attending a private college, where are their best options for finding one that is affordable?

Money magazine recently came out with their ranking of 665 private colleges on their Best Colleges list, and from that list they picked out the 25 most affordable private colleges. That list includes four Illinois schools.

Money ranked the schools based on the average net price of a degree. More from Money on finding that cost:

NOTE: The estimated average net price of a degree takes into account all financial aid (need, merit, athletic), tuition inflation, and how long the typical student takes to graduate.

Below are the 25 most affordable colleges in the country, with the four Illinois schools in bold:

1. Berea College (Berea, Ky.)
2. Principia College (Elsah, Ill.)
3. College of the Ozarks (Point Lookout, Mo.)
4. Webb Institute (Glen Cove, N.Y.)
5. Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah)
6. Mississippi College (Clinton, Miss.)
7. Grove City College (Grove City, Pa.)
8. Rockhurst University (Kansas City, Mo.)
9. Presbyterian College (Clinton, S.C.)
10. Doane College-Crete (Crete, Neb.)
11. Westminster College (Fulton, Mo.)
12. Neumann University (Aston, Pa.)
13. Saint Vincent College (Latrobe, Pa.)
14. Monmouth College (Monmouth, Ill.)
15. Earlham College (Richmond, Ind.)
16. William Jewell College (Liberty, Mo.)
17. Cedarville University (Cedarville, Ohio)
18. Centre College (Danville, Ky.)
19. College of our Lady of the Elms (Chicopee, Mass.)
20. Saint Norbert College (De Pere, Wisc.)
21. Wabash College (Crawfordsville, Ind.)
22. Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.)
23. Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa)
24. Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, Ill.)
25. Messiah College (Mechanicsburg, Pa.)

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