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Illinois vs Mississippi: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Illinois offers a larger volume of scholarships and higher average awards, making it suitable for applicants seeking substantial financial aid. Mississippi, while having fewer opportunities, provides a higher average award size, appealing to those who may qualify for significant funding.

State vs State

State A

Illinois

State B

Mississippi

Quick comparison

MetricIllinoisMississippi
Active scholarships in catalog27234
Avg. award (where known)$1,958$3,193
Max indexed award$18,574$9,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

In 2026, Illinois presents a robust scholarship climate with a total of 280 grants available, averaging approximately $1,937 per award. Notable institutions such as Loyola University Chicago lead in grant distribution, providing numerous opportunities for students. In contrast, Mississippi offers a more limited selection with only 37 grants, but with a higher average award size of $2,990. This state features institutions like Mississippi State University, which contributes to the scholarship landscape.

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 272 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Illinois alongside about 34 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Mississippi using the same ingestion window, so deltas highlight catalog-wide signals rather than courthouse-grade guarantees. Residents, transfers, and commuter students weighing Illinois campuses against Mississippi 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 Illinois

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Mississippi

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Illinois

Illinois has a vibrant scholarship climate with numerous opportunities and a wide range of award sizes, making it favorable for many applicants.

Mississippi

Mississippi's scholarship environment is less competitive in terms of volume, but it offers higher average awards, which may benefit qualifying students.

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.

Mississippi

Median household income

$56,121

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$899

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

19.95/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$40,120

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 22.92 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

higher indicator band

ADI band

higher indicator band

SVI counties

82

ADI counties

82

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 82 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 82 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 Illinois?
The average scholarship amount in Illinois is approximately $1,937.
How many scholarships are available in Mississippi?
Mississippi has a total of 37 scholarships available.
Which university in Illinois offers the most scholarships?
Loyola University Chicago offers the most scholarships in Illinois, with a total of 611 grants.
What is the maximum scholarship amount in Mississippi?
The maximum scholarship amount in Mississippi is $9,000.

Sources and official pages

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

More guides around this State vs State comparison

Internal reading paths around scholarship search, application strategy, and essay preparation for students comparing Illinois and Mississippi.

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