1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Illinois Chicago](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/) 4. / 5. Cost & financial aid brief Cost & financial aid brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of Illinois Chicago Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid Updated October 21, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much does UIC cost after financial aid? UIC's income-band figures describe average annual costs after grants and scholarships. Compare the band closest to your household income with your own aid offer; families in the same band can receive different offers. For 2023–24, UIC reports an average annual net price of $10,921 for eligible students from families earning $48,000–$75,000, compared with $16,185 in the $75,000–$110,000 band. These figures include living costs after grants and scholarships and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients, with in-state tuition used for this public university. They show how the reported after-aid cost differs by family income; they are not tuition quotes or predictions of an individual aid offer. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a steeply progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $7,529; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $8,119; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $10,921; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $16,185; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $25,047. Pell Grant recipients make up 48.9% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $17,518. Average net price by family income **$0–30K** $7,529 **$30–48K** $8,119 **$48–75K** $10,921 **$75–110K** $16,185 **$110K+** $25,047 Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. Overall average annual net price: **$10,974**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes). Aid covers about 60% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, for a sticker-to-net gap of $16,547. The lowest-income band (under $30,000) averages $7,529. The highest band (above $110,000) averages $25,047, a spread of $17,518 that shows the largest discounts are concentrated on families with lower incomes. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported need-based aid figures for the 2024-25 academic year. Among the 4,345 full-time first-year students, 3,325 were determined to have financial need. For aided students with need, the average share of need met was 53%, with an average need-based grant of $18,699 and an average total package of $19,618. The university fully met need for 220 of those students. Separately, 179 first-year students without need received merit awards averaging $6,007. The published cost of attendance at University of Illinois Chicago is $27,521. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $7,529; for families earning $48,001–$75,000, it is $10,921; and for families earning over $110,000, it is $25,047. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $17,518. Azimuth ranks University of Illinois Chicago #130 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 60% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average offset of $16,547. The average net price across all aid recipients is $10,974. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $15,634, which puts UIC below by $4,660. The median federal student loan debt at completion is $16,704, with about 62.2% of federal aid recipients borrowing. The peer median debt for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076, leaving UIC below by $3,372. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $24,323. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment on the median federal debt is $190. ### How much scholarship and grant aid does UIC award? UIC's final 2024–25 aid figures show two different grant-recipient groups. Among full-time, first-time, first-year students, 2,923 received need-based scholarships or grants, averaging $18,699 per recipient. Another measure covers 179 students without financial need who received institutional non-need-based scholarships or grants; their average was $6,007. These figures show the size of reported awards within each group. They do not establish which award a prospective student will receive, and the older aid averages should not be subtracted from the 2026–27 published charges to produce a new net-price estimate. Use the income-band chart for the historical after-aid comparison and your actual offer for the grants available to you. Final 2024–25 financial aid · institution-reported figures | Measure | Reported value | | --- | --- | | Average need-based scholarship/grant | $18,699 | | Need-based grant recipients | 2,923 | | Average institutional non-need-based scholarship/grant | $6,007 | | Non-need-based grant recipients without financial need | 179 | | Average need-based aid package · includes more than grants | $19,618 | | Average financial need met · aid recipients with need | 53% | [\[1\] Source and notes](#cds-note-scholarships) [Explore UIC scholarships and financial aid](https://financialaid.uic.edu/) ## What does UIC charge beyond tuition? UIC lists base tuition of $11,652 for Illinois residents and $28,352 for out-of-state students in 2026–27, with $3,294 in required fees reported separately. That puts base tuition and required fees at $14,946 for an Illinois resident and $31,646 for an out-of-state student, before housing and other expenses. The program you choose can change that starting point: UIC reports that 67.70% of full-time undergraduates pay more than the listed base tuition and fees because charges vary by program. Use the base figures to orient your comparison, then check the rate for your intended program. For students living on campus, UIC lists another $17,100 for food and housing. Its expense estimates also include $1,400 for books and supplies, $1,526 for transportation and $4,500 for other expenses. A commuter's budget and an on-campus student's budget can therefore have different components even when their tuition rate is the same. The table separates published charges from estimated expenses so you can identify which figures apply to your housing arrangement and which need to be replaced with your own budget. 2026–27 published charges and expense estimates · institution-reported figures | Measure | Reported value | | --- | --- | | In-state tuition · annual | $11,652 | | Out-of-state tuition · annual | $28,352 | | Pay more than the listed tuition/fees · program variation | 67.70% | | Required fees · annual | $3,294 | | On-campus food and housing · annual | $17,100 | | Books and supplies · estimate | $1,400 | | Transportation · estimate | $1,526 | | Other expenses · estimate | $4,500 | [\[2\] Source and notes](#cds-note-published-costs) [Check UIC’s financial-aid and cost information](https://financialaid.uic.edu/) ## Student loans: what does repayment look like? Borrowers who complete a degree at University of Illinois Chicago leave with a median of $16,704 in federal student loans. That median is $3,372 below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). 62.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $24,323. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 37% of bachelor's graduates had borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $21,696 per borrower. Of those graduates, 37% held federal loans averaging $16,266. A smaller group, 6%, held private loans averaging $37,462. Graduates of the University of Illinois Chicago earn about $20,143 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion reach $72,839, which sits in the 80th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios anchored on UIC's program mix show a typical outcome of $72,839, with a downside scenario of $51,262 and an upside scenario reaching $96,560. Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median federal student debt of $16,704, which is below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt yields an estimated monthly payment of $190. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $24,323. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $190. [Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes). ## Parent loans: what can the family afford? College Scorecard’s reported median Parent PLUS balance is $24,323; the parent section’s $309 monthly payment is a modeled estimate, not an observed payment for a typical family. Read it against the parent borrower’s own circumstances rather than the graduate’s income. UIC’s separate 2024–25 Common Data Set aid records report $18.91 million in parent-loan awards used to meet financial need and $5.81 million outside that category. Those are annual school-wide award totals, not balances or monthly payments, and they are not identified as exclusively Parent PLUS. The award totals and the Parent PLUS measure do not share the same population or units. [College Scorecard](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/) · [2024–25 Common Data Set aid records](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=32) · [Payment model assumptions](#cost-data-notes) [How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) **Median Parent PLUS debt** $24,323 **Estimated parent payment** $309/mo Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income | Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level | | --- | --- | --- | | $35,000 | No room | High pressure | | $50,000 | No room | High pressure | | $75,000 | 18.2% | High pressure | | $100,000 | 8.2% | Caution | | $150,000 | 3.9% | Safe | | $200,000 | 2.6% | Safe | The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=university-of-illinois-chicago#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes). ### What does UIC report about parent loan awards? Final 2024–25 annual awards · institution-reported figures | Measure | Reported value | | --- | --- | | Parent loan awards used to meet need | $18,912,737 | | Parent loan awards outside the need category | $5,814,966 | [\[3\] Source and notes](#cds-note-parent-awards) They do not reveal a typical parent's balance: the table supplies neither a parent borrower count nor a per-parent average, and it does not identify the awards as exclusively Parent PLUS. Read these award totals alongside the separately labeled Parent PLUS balance and payment illustration, with each measure's population and period kept visible. [What happens when parents borrow too?](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) ## Student and parent loans: the combined monthly commitment [College Azimuth’s analysis of parent borrowing](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) examines the pressure that can be missed when student loans are considered alone. The combined illustration here asks a narrower question: what share of a selected income, after the stated expense allowance, would be needed to cover both displayed payments? This is a hypothetical single-budget comparison. The selected income is one of the graduate’s served earnings choices, four years after graduating; it is not an observed household income or evidence of what a parent earns. The result does not reproduce the article’s pooled-income scenarios or establish that a family can afford the payments. Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $16,704 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $24,323 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $190/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $309/mo **Modeled student + parent payments** $499/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. #### Student payment as a share of available income At median graduate earnings of $72,839, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses: **4.7%** of income above the allowance · Excellent 1. Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario 2. Good 8–under 12% 3. Concerning 12–20% 4. High risk Over 20% How this estimate works The income spectrum compares the estimated student payment with the income left after the selected annual expense allowance. Changing the earnings scenario or allowance changes that comparison; parent payments are not included in this calculation. The earnings choices are planning scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles or predictions of an individual graduate’s pay. The allowance is an adjustable model input, not a verified budget for your household. Read the result as a comparison under those assumptions, not a guarantee that a payment is affordable. [Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/). #### If the graduate repaid both loans: combined payments against the graduate’s earnings Combined payments are the 10-year payments on the school’s median student debt and median Parent PLUS debt ($190 + $309 = $499 a month): a yardstick at 2026–27 rates, not a repayment plan. At median graduate earnings of $72,839, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses: **12.2%** of income above the allowance $5,988 annual combined payments ÷ ($72,839 income − $23,940 allowance). Gross-income share: 8.2%. How this estimate works The numerator is the displayed combined monthly student and parent payment multiplied by 12. The denominator is the selected annual income minus the adjustable annual expense allowance. Both charts use the same served earnings, four years after graduating, while answering different questions. Changing the selected income or allowance changes this hypothetical ratio. It is not a repayment plan, a family risk tier or a prediction for any one family. If the selected income does not exceed the allowance, there is no positive income above the allowance to use as the denominator. [Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/). Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=university-of-illinois-chicago#student-tool) ## How much do UIC students borrow in private loans? UIC reports that 159 graduates used private student loans within an eligible cohort of 2,541 bachelor’s graduates who began at UIC as first-time students. The university reports that share as 6%. This describes the eligible cohort, not all UIC graduates or current students. Among those private borrowers, mean cumulative private principal borrowed while attending UIC was $37,462. That is a borrower-only average, not an annual cost, a current balance or a median for everyone. Keep it separate from the federal student and parent-loan figures; adding unlike averages and medians would not describe an observed family’s debt. Private student loans · reported by UIC $37,462 Mean cumulative private principal per private borrower **Private borrowers** 159 **Eligible graduating cohort** 2,541 **Reported share of eligible graduates** 6% [\[4\] Source and notes · reported inconsistencies](#cds-note-private-borrowing) [Read about the wider family borrowing picture](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) Federal student and Parent PLUS borrowing figures do not capture all private education loans. A federal balance therefore should not be described as a family’s complete borrowing total. Annual loan awards in a Common Data Set, when available, answer a different question from accumulated borrower debt. Compare amounts only after identifying the loan type, reporting period and population; annual school-wide awards cannot be added to a median borrower balance. ## Data & methodology This UIC cost brief uses U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, UIC’s 2025–26 Common Data Set and separately identified repayment illustrations. The measures have different reporting periods and populations; the source notes identify which figures describe students, parent borrowers or eligible graduating cohorts. The UIC CDS source was checked on September 10, 2026. Its reported borrowing-table inconsistencies remain disclosed with the figures. Explanatory passages are saved, AI-assisted narrative blocks; they are not an additional data source or newly generated answers each time the page is viewed. Follow the linked source notes for the figures and the separate model assumptions. [U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/) · [UIC’s 2025–26 Common Data Set](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf) · [source notes](#cost-data-notes) Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. **Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/). The student chart and the combined-budget ratio use the same served earnings choices, four years after graduating. The ratio compares both displayed payments with one selected income after the expense allowance, as a hypothetical budget. Using the same earnings choices does not make the source records one household. Student and parent borrowing remain separate measures, and the selected income is not a verified parent or family income. These displays do not model current statutory repayment eligibility or guarantee affordability. A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone. Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations. **[\[1\]](#cds-ref-scholarships) How much scholarship and grant aid does UIC award?** Final 2024–25 financial aid. Full-time, first-time, first-year students; each average uses its own recipient group. The $19,618 average aid package applies to 3,140 students with need who received aid and can include loans and work. The non-need-based grant average excludes athletic awards and tuition benefits. Awards describe the reported year and recipient groups; your aid offer may differ. [CDS H2K, p. 33](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=33); [CDS H2E, p. 33](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=33); [CDS H2A O, p. 34](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=34); [CDS H2A N, p. 34](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=34); [CDS H2J, p. 33](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=33); [CDS H2I, p. 33](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=33). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-scholarships) **[\[2\]](#cds-ref-published-costs) What does UIC charge beyond tuition?** 2026–27 published charges and expense estimates. Full-time undergraduates; food and housing is the on-campus arrangement. Required fees are separate from tuition. Books, transportation and other expenses are estimates; UIC reports the same amounts for the three housing arrangements. Program and optional charges may add to the bill. These items are not an individualized net price or a complete all-in quote. [CDS G1, p. 29](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=29); [CDS G4, p. 30](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=30); [CDS G5, p. 30](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=30). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-published-costs) **[\[3\]](#cds-ref-parent-awards) What does UIC report about parent loan awards?** Final 2024–25 annual awards. Aid for that year’s degree-seeking undergraduates, including international students. H1 records annual amounts awarded/offered, which may differ from disbursements. It does not provide a parent borrower count or establish that these are exclusively Parent PLUS loans. The need categories describe how dollars meet need. The Parent PLUS balance and payment illustration elsewhere use separate Scorecard measures. [CDS H1, p. 32](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=32). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-parent-awards) **[\[4\]](#cds-ref-private-borrowing) How much do UIC students borrow in private loans?** 2025 bachelor’s graduates · degrees awarded July 2024–June 2025. Graduates who began at UIC as first-time students. Private-loan amounts cover borrowing at UIC among private borrowers. This is a mean among private borrowers, not annual borrowing or a median across all students. The cohort excludes transfer-ins, parent loans, borrowing at other institutions and students who did not complete a bachelor’s degree. Co-signed student loans are included. Keep this amount separate from the federal and Parent PLUS repayment illustrations. UIC’s borrowing table contains internal inconsistencies. Figures here are reproduced as the university reports them; the discrepancies do not identify which entries need correction. UIC reports 981 borrowers among 2,541 eligible graduates and an overall borrowing share of 37%; the count ratio is about 38.61%, which rounds to 39%. Multiplying reported counts by rounded mean balances gives an overall implied principal total $188,938 above the sum of loan-category implied totals, exceeding the $1,037.50 combined nearest-dollar rounding allowance. These are diagnostic calculations, not exact reported totals. The discrepancies do not identify which reported values are wrong. Private borrowing is reported as 159 borrowers, 6% of the eligible class, and $37,462 mean cumulative private principal per private borrower. [CDS H5E, p. 35](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=35); [CDS H4, p. 34](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=34). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-private-borrowing)