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Measure Illinois’ Performance Highlights/Comments
Disparities in the
Percent of Affordable
Private Four-Year
Institutions for
Dependent Low- and
Median-income
Students
! 77 percent of Illinois private
four-year institutions were
affordable for median-income
dependent students compared
with 19 percent for low-income
dependent students.
! Illinois ranked 3rd highest
nationally on the gap between
median- and low-income
students in this measure.
Percent of Affordable
Public Institutions for
Low-Income
Independent Students
! 73 percent of Illinois public
institutions were affordable
for low-income independent
students.
! Illinois ranked 19th nationally
on this measure.
Percent of Public and
Private Institutions
that are Generally
Accessible for
Dependent Students
! 63 percent of Illinois public
and private institutions are
accessible for low-income
dependent students and 87
percent for median-income
dependent students.
! Illinois ranked 22nd nationally
in overall accessibility for low-income
dependent students and
7th nationally for median-income
dependent students.
Percent of Public and
Private Institutions
that are Generally
Accessible for
Independent Students
! 41 percent of Illinois public
and private institutions are
accessible for low-income
independent students and 65
percent for median-income
independent students.
! Illinois ranked 22nd nationally
in overall accessibility for low-income
independent students
and 15th nationally for
median-income independent
students.
Percent of Public
Institutions that are
Accessible for Low-
Income Dependent
Students
! 98 percent of Illinois public
institutions are accessible for
low-income dependent
students.
! Illinois ranked 5th nationally
on this measure.
Percent of Public
Institutions that are
Accessible for Median-
Income Dependent
Students
! 98 percent of Illinois public
institutions are accessible for
median-income dependent
students.
! Illinois was tied for 15th
nationally on this measure
with two other states (14 other
states were accessible for 100
percent of their median-income
students)
Percent of Public
Institutions that are
Accessible for Low-
Income Independent
Students
! 73 percent of Illinois public
institutions are accessible for
low-income independent
students.
! Illinois ranked 19th nationally
on this measure.
Source: Compiled by BHE staff from revised version of Unequal Opportunity: Disparities in College Access Among
the 50 States, Lumina Foundation, issued January 23, 2002.
Individual profiles on accessibility and affordability were compiled for each state in this
study, including ratings for the state’s institutions. The data in the profile are consistent with the
information presented in the full report in that Illinois median-income dependent students are
shown to have a larger number of affordable options (both with and without borrowing) than do
low-income students. The results presented in the Illinois profile rated 31 percent of the state’s
admissible institutions (public and private in total) as “unaffordable” for dependent low-income
students. Table 2 below compares Illinois on that measure with other surrounding states in the
