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Illinois vs Maryland: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Illinois appears better suited to applicants who want a broader pool of scholarship opportunities, while Maryland may appeal more to applicants prioritizing a higher average award size. Applicants should compare both statewide volume and the specific institutions or foundations that are most active in each state.

State vs State

State A

Illinois

State B

Maryland

Quick comparison

MetricIllinoisMaryland
Active scholarships in catalog27249
Avg. award (where known)$1,958$2,922
Max indexed award$18,574$9,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

Illinois and Maryland present different scholarship climates for 2026. Illinois shows a larger overall opportunity pool, with 280 listed grants compared with 58 in Maryland. Maryland, however, has the higher average award size at 3,131.46, versus 1,936.81 in Illinois. For applicants, that means Illinois may feel broader and more choice-driven, while Maryland may feel narrower but potentially stronger on average award value.

In Illinois, the most active institutions in the available data are Loyola University Chicago with 611 grants, followed by Waubonsee Community College with 156 and Kankakee Community College Foundation with 122. In Maryland, the leading organizations in the available data are the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation with 4 grants, Jewish Social Service Agency of Metropolitan Washington with 3, and the Maryland Higher Education Commission with 2. Maximum listed award size is 18574 in Illinois and 15000 in Maryland.

Overall, applicants comparing these states should think about fit: Illinois offers more total scholarship volume, while Maryland offers a higher average award amount. The strongest search strategy is to review both statewide resources and the most active institutions or foundations in each state.

Top Scholarship Providers in Illinois

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Maryland

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Illinois

Illinois feels like a higher-volume scholarship market with more opportunities to search through, especially for applicants willing to target active institutions such as Loyola University Chicago and several community-college-linked foundations.

Maryland

Maryland feels more selective and smaller in total opportunity count, but potentially more rewarding per win because the average award size is higher in the available data.

Public reference data

Cost of living & wages

State-level affordability context to complement scholarship climate above - not ScholarshipTop grant totals.

Visual comparison

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.

Maryland

Median household income

$104,998

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,372

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

24.15/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$59,510

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 36.28 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

24

ADI counties

24

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 24 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 24 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

Which state has more scholarship opportunities in 2026?
Illinois has more listed scholarship opportunities in the provided data, with 280 grants compared with 58 in Maryland.
Which state has the higher average scholarship amount?
Maryland has the higher average award size in the provided data: 3131.4583333333335 versus 1936.8087649402391 for Illinois.
What are the strongest institutions to check first in Illinois?
Based on grant counts in the provided data, start with Loyola University Chicago, Waubonsee Community College, and Kankakee Community College Foundation.
What are the strongest institutions to check first in Maryland?
Based on grant counts in the provided data, start with the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation, Jewish Social Service Agency of Metropolitan Washington, and the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

Sources and official pages

Official and high-authority pages used to support this State vs State comparison.

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