UIUC Cost of Attendance 2026-27
About $36,296 a year in-state, or $57,258 out-of-state
Four years at UIUC cost about $151,800. Type in your 529 balance below and see how many years it pays for. Then take your plan as a free Google Sheet or PDF.
2026-27 is our estimate: the 2025-26 prices below, which UIUC reported to the U.S. Department of Education, plus 3%. These prices include books and personal costs, so they can be higher than the total on the school's own site.
What UIUC costs for one year
These are the prices each college reported to the U.S. Department of Education for the 2025-26 school year.
| One year, 2025-26 | UIUC, in-state | UIUC, out-of-state | 529 can pay? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $16,354 | $36,706 | Yes |
| Books and supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | Yes |
| Room and board | $15,184 | $15,184 | Up to this number |
| Other expenses (trips home, a car, clothes, and personal costs) | $2,500 | $2,500 | No |
| Price before discounts and aid | $35,238 | $55,590 | |
| Average discount at this college (2024-25) | −$21,184 | −$21,184 |
You will probably pay less than these prices
- ✓These are sticker prices. They leave out scholarships, grants, and discounts.
- ✓The average discount is a starting point. It is what first-year, full-time students at that college got off the price, on average. It adds up grants and scholarships from the federal government, the state, and the college. Loans do not count. It counts only students who got federal aid, and it comes from the U.S. Department of Education.
- ✓Ask each college what it offers. Your discount depends on family income, grades, and each college's own programs. Some colleges match the tuition of your home state.
Step 1: Add a college to compare (optional)
Pick a college first. Then your plan is ready.
Step 2: Add your 529 numbers
More options
The results show how much to save each month to pay for every year.
Your 529 statement shows it. We use it for the tax if you take leftover money out.
Our guess. Most plans move to safer funds as college gets close.
College Board prices grew 2.8% to 3.3% a year from 2015 to 2025.
The S&P 500 grew 11% a year from 2006 through 2025.
The Roth IRA moves start that year.
Step 3: See how many years your 529 pays for
Get your plan as a free Google Sheet
Change the monthly deposit in the sheet, and every year updates.
College costs are the 2025-26 numbers each college reported to the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard). Rates checked October 15, 2026. This is a plan, not tax advice.
Four years at UIUC: about $151,800
Prices go up about 3% a year, so each year costs more than the one before. Here is each year for a student who starts in 2026-27 and pays in-state tuition.
| School year | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $36,296 |
| 2027-28 | $37,385 |
| 2028-29 | $38,506 |
| 2029-30 | $39,662 |
| All 4 years | $151,849 |
What students pay after financial aid
First-year students who got federal aid paid about $21,184 less than the full price in 2024-25, on average. That counts grants and scholarships from the government and the school. Loans do not count.
Your own price depends on your family's income. UIUC's own net price calculator gives your own price.
What a 529 pays for at UIUC
A 529 can pay about $33,721 of the $36,296 a year. Room and board counts up to UIUC's own number, about $15,640 in 2026-27, with at least a half-time course load. This list comes from IRS Publication 970 (2025), chapter 7.
| Expense | Can the 529 pay? | Track receipts with Shoeboxed |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and required fees | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Required books and supplies | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Laptop and internet used mainly for school | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Dorm or rent | ✓Yes, up to the cap | ✓Yes |
| Utilities | ✓Yes, up to the cap | ✓Yes |
| Meal plan or groceries | ✓Yes, up to the cap | ✓Yes |
| Meals out | ✓Yes, up to the cap | ✓Yes |
| Beer or a bar tab | At your own risk | ✓Yes |
| Other people's food or bar tab | ✕No | ✕No |
| Clothes | ✕No | ✕No |
| Trips home (gas, flights, bus) | ✕No | ✕No |
| Car, parking, car insurance | ✕No | ✕No |
Real-life case study: see how this financial planner tracks his 529 receipts to maximize tax savings
Every dollar you take out of a 529 needs a receipt.
Your 529 plan reports what you take out to the IRS on Form 1099-Q. If the IRS asks, your receipts prove the money paid for school. Without them, you pay income tax plus a 10% penalty on the growth.
“At the end of the year, I use the Shoeboxed reporting (which is great) to see how much I should pull from the 529 to reimburse myself. (and I retain the reports in case the IRS wants to see backup)”
This Certified Financial Planner has a daughter in college. Here is how he runs it.
-
Step 1
His daughter pays
Rent, groceries, books, or a laptop
-
Step 2
She sends him the receipt
A photo or an email
-
Step 3
He files it in Shoeboxed
Shoeboxed reads the store, the date, and the total. He picks one of his 529 categories.
- Tuition
- Books
- Room and board
- Computer
-
Step 4
He pays her back
Only after the receipt comes in, so the receipts come in fast
-
Step 5
The report adds it up
At the end of the year, Shoeboxed totals each category
-
Step 6
He takes that much out of the 529
And keeps the report in case the IRS asks
He has 2 children, so he puts each child's initials in the category names. Then each report shows one child.
Shoeboxed has scanned and organized receipts since 2007, from our office in North Carolina. Try any plan for 30 days, and if it is not for you, we give your money back.
Questions parents ask about UIUC
About $36,296 for 2026-27 for in-state students. That is tuition and fees ($16,845), books ($1,236), room and board ($15,640), and other costs ($2,575). It is our estimate: the 2025-26 prices UIUC reported to the U.S. Department of Education, plus 3%.
Nearby similar schools cost of attendance
| School | Where | In-state, 2026-27 | Out-of-state, 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UIUC | Champaign, IL | $36,296 | $57,258 |
| UIC cost of attendance | Chicago, IL | $40,354 | $56,939 |
| Purdue cost of attendance | West Lafayette, IN | $27,957 | $47,323 |
| Northwestern cost of attendance | Evanston, IL | $100,881 | $100,881 |
| Loyola Chicago cost of attendance | Chicago, IL | $79,269 | $79,269 |
| University of Chicago cost of attendance | Chicago, IL | $101,967 | $101,967 |
Private colleges charge every student the same tuition, so both columns match.
How we estimate 2026-27: each 2025-26 price UIUC reported to the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard), plus 3%. College Board prices grew 2.8% to 3.3% a year from 2015 to 2025. The federal 2026-27 numbers come out in 2027.
Sources: IRS Publication 970 (2025), chapter 7, qualified tuition programs, 26 U.S. Code 529, qualified tuition programs, IRS news release IR-2025-111, 2026 IRA limit, College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2025, U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, NYU Stern, Damodaran historical returns on stocks.