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Illinois spends twice the U.S. Average on higher education students. According to the State Higher Education Finance report, Illinois spends more than any other U.S. State. At the same time, enrollment has been decreasing due to, in part, declining populations. Another factor is cost. In-state tuition at public Illinois universities is the sixth most expensive in the country. Since 2009, tuition has increased over $6,000 per year on average. While the University of Illinois in Urbana and Chicago have seen enrollment increases, most other schools have decreased. Around 43% of funding goes to employee pension costs. That figure is up from 7% in 2009. Last year, total state higher education spending totaled $4.46 billion.