Colorado vs Illinois: Scholarship Climate 2026
Which climate fits best? Colorado offers a higher average award size and fewer grants, making it suitable for applicants seeking larger funding. Illinois has a greater number of grants available, ideal for those seeking more opportunities.
State A
Colorado
State B
Illinois
Quick comparison
| Metric | Colorado | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Active scholarships in catalog | 74 | 272 |
| Avg. award (where known) | $4,183 | $1,958 |
| Max indexed award | $64,000 | $18,574 |
Financial Aid Overview for 2026
In 2026, Colorado presents a scholarship climate characterized by an average award size of approximately $4,321, with a maximum award reaching $64,000. The state has a total of 62 grants available, with notable institutions like Morgan Community College Foundation leading in grant offerings.
In contrast, Illinois offers a more extensive scholarship landscape with 238 grants available, though the average award size is significantly lower at around $1,970, with a maximum of $18,574. Loyola University Chicago stands out as the top provider of scholarships in the state.
Final verdict explanation
ScholarshipTop publishes this supplemental “Final verdict explanation” whenever the primary matchup body for 2026 skews thinner than editorial depth standards. The comparison table summarizes about 74 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Colorado alongside about 272 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Illinois using the same ingestion window, so deltas highlight catalog-wide signals rather than courthouse-grade guarantees. Residents, transfers, and commuter students weighing Colorado campuses against Illinois footprints should corroborate every figure with authoritative financial aid disclosures, state higher-ed portals, endowed scholarship riders, reciprocal tuition agreements, Honors supplements, or graduation timelines before staking savings plans.
After reviewing the matchup metrics above, continue with Matches-style browsing, internationally inclusive corridors when visas matter, streamlined application corridors when time is scarce, followed by essay hubs and evergreen resource articles covering drafting workflows, budgeting, appeals, parental contribution conversations, and scholarship renewals tied to academic performance. ScholarshipTop provides these cues as scaffolding; students still validate final award letters directly with campuses and adjust strategy whenever policies evolve during 2026 and afterward.
Top Scholarship Providers in Colorado
Ranked by number of active scholarships
- 32 grants
- 8 grants
- 4 grants
- 3 grants
- 2 grants
Top Scholarship Providers in Illinois
Ranked by number of active scholarships
- 611 grants
- 156 grants
- 122 grants
- 21 grants
- 5 grants
Match workspace
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Scholarship climate by state
Colorado
Colorado's scholarship climate is competitive with fewer grants but higher average award amounts, appealing for applicants needing substantial funding.
Illinois
Illinois provides a broader range of scholarship opportunities, making it suitable for applicants who prefer multiple options despite lower average awards.
Public reference data
Cost of living & wages
State-level affordability context to complement scholarship climate above - not ScholarshipTop grant totals.
Visual comparison
Median household income
Census ACSFair market rent (2BR)
HUD monthly estimateLiving wage
Single adult, MIT modelBLS median wage
State occupational estimateColorado
Median household income
$94,510
Census ACS
Fair market rent (2BR)
$1,321
HUD monthly estimate
Living wage
23.86/hr
Single adult, MIT model
BLS median wage
$59,800
State occupational estimate
Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 41.18 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.
Public planning context
Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.
CDC SVI band
middle indicator band
ADI band
lower indicator band
SVI counties
64
ADI counties
63
- CDC SVI county data is available for 64 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
- ADI block-group data is available across 63 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.
Illinois
Median household income
$83,872
Census ACS
Fair market rent (2BR)
$1,002
HUD monthly estimate
Living wage
21.12/hr
Single adult, MIT model
BLS median wage
$51,960
State occupational estimate
Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 32.18 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.
Public planning context
Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.
CDC SVI band
middle indicator band
ADI band
middle indicator band
SVI counties
102
ADI counties
102
- CDC SVI county data is available for 102 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
- ADI block-group data is available across 102 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.
Sources: Census ACS, HUD FMR, MIT Living Wage, BLS OEWS, and public reference datasets where available. Rent figures may reflect metro or state averages.
Public safety context uses aggregate public data and is included only as planning context.
Reference only - not ScholarshipTop eligibility rules or guarantees.
Data availability varies by school, city, state, and source year.
FAQ
What is the average scholarship amount in Colorado?
How many scholarships are available in Illinois?
Which state has higher maximum scholarship awards?
What are the top universities offering scholarships in Colorado?
Which university in Illinois offers the most scholarships?
Sources and official pages
Official and high-authority pages used to support this State vs State comparison.
- Federal Student Aid (U.S. Department of Education) - government reference
- College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education) - government reference
- NCES College Navigator - government reference
- Colorado and Illinois scholarship search reference - high-authority reference
More guides around this State vs State comparison
Internal reading paths around scholarship search, application strategy, and essay preparation for students comparing Colorado and Illinois.
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