More selective than 90% of Illinois colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $29,764. College Scorecard.
Higher than 0% of Illinois colleges we cover and 3% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 5% of Illinois colleges we cover and 19% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
CSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 9,458 applicants, Chicago State University admitted 3,832 and 223 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
CSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Illinois residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What CSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Chicago State University took 4.8 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Illinois. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,073 | $44,004 | 6.3 years |
| $30–48k | $9,550 | $46,318 | 6.6 years |
| $48–75k | $11,334 | $54,970 | 7.9 years |
| $75–110k | $13,899 | $67,410 | 9.7 years |
| $110k+ | $28,427 | $137,871 | 19.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.8 years, the average time graduates took (7% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($42,778) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,981 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
CSU majors, earnings & careers
Chicago State University offers 29 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Science & Math · 4
- Education · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at CSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $92,024 | $51,937 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $59,296 | $53,774 |
| Criminal Justice | $57,691 | $32,974 |
| Business Administration | $53,181 | $42,394 |
| Sociology | $51,485 | $38,087 |
| Psychology | $47,168 | $39,075 |
| Biology | $46,898 | $39,223 |
Quick list of all 29 majors
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biology$46,898
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$53,181
- Chemistry—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice$57,691
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$59,296
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geography—
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- International / Global Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Music—
- Nursing$92,024
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$47,168
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Sociology$51,485
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Chicago
Overall prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,011. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (very high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cook County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cook County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare CSU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Illinois by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago State University | 43% | $12,335 | 15% | $42,778 | This school |
| Governors State University | 48% | $12,329 | 22% | $58,169 | |
| Northeastern Illinois University | 75% | $14,109 | 22% | $52,234 | |
| Eastern Illinois University | 65% | $12,786 | 47% | $51,989 | |
| Western Illinois University | 71% | $12,937 | 45% | $54,163 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Chicago State University would cost you $6 more per year than Governors State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Chicago State University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$1,900).
- Chicago State University gives aided families $5,531 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | CSU | GSU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $12,754 | $12,004 | +$750 |
| Books & supplies | $2,400 | $1,000 | +$1,400 |
| Housing & meals | $11,550 | $11,360 | +$190 |
| Personal & travel | $5,000 | $3,100 | +$1,900 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,940 | −$3,237 | +$1,297 |
| Sticker price | $29,764 | $24,227 | +$5,537 |
| Average grants | −$17,429 | −$11,898 | −$5,531 |
| You pay | $12,335 | $12,329 | +$6 |
“+” means CSU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about CSU
What is the CSU acceptance rate?
Chicago State University accepts 43% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,832 of 9,458 applicants were admitted.
How much does Chicago State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $29,764 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,335 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,073 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,427.
How much do CSU graduates earn?
Former Chicago State University students earn a median $42,778 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the CSU graduation rate?
15% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 57% return for their second year.
How long does a CSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Chicago State University costs about $54,970 after grants ($11,334 a year for 4.8 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $42,778 ten years after starting, $6,981 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 7.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Chicago State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/chicago-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).