Best Education Programs in Illinois (2026)
Education programs in Illinois prepare students for K-12 teaching, special education, and educational leadership. The schools below are ranked by program strength, certification pass rates (where available), and net price — important for a field where starting salaries are modest.
#1
VanderCook College of Music
Chicago, IL
Net Price
$19,780/yr
Median Earnings
$47,863
Grad Rate
59%
Education Share
100.0%
#2
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
Net Price
$29,167/yr
Median Earnings
$89,363
Grad Rate
96%
Education Share
0.6%
#3
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
Net Price
$14,355/yr
Median Earnings
$81,054
Grad Rate
85%
Education Share
3.0%
#4
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, IL
Net Price
$19,125/yr
Median Earnings
$55,700
Grad Rate
61%
Education Share
35.9%
#5
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL
Net Price
$26,975/yr
Median Earnings
$63,756
Grad Rate
86%
Education Share
4.6%
#6
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Net Price
$22,736/yr
Median Earnings
$62,971
Grad Rate
76%
Education Share
10.1%
#7
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, IL
Net Price
$28,199/yr
Median Earnings
$70,871
Grad Rate
78%
Education Share
2.6%
#8
Illinois State University
Normal, IL
Net Price
$19,398/yr
Median Earnings
$62,117
Grad Rate
65%
Education Share
18.1%
#9
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL
Net Price
$36,079/yr
Median Earnings
$71,530
Grad Rate
75%
Education Share
1.8%
#10
Bradley University
Peoria, IL
Net Price
$22,719/yr
Median Earnings
$66,852
Grad Rate
74%
Education Share
5.1%
#11
Blackburn College
Carlinville, IL
Net Price
$18,460/yr
Median Earnings
$46,802
Grad Rate
55%
Education Share
34.1%
#12
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL
Net Price
$17,028/yr
Median Earnings
$66,099
Grad Rate
65%
Education Share
9.1%
#13
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, IL
Net Price
$24,185/yr
Median Earnings
$61,462
Grad Rate
68%
Education Share
10.2%
#14
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Net Price
$30,902/yr
Median Earnings
$68,751
Grad Rate
69%
Education Share
2.9%
#15
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL
Net Price
$28,673/yr
Median Earnings
$61,825
Grad Rate
74%
Education Share
1.2%
#16
University of St Francis
Joliet, IL
Net Price
$13,006/yr
Median Earnings
$63,926
Grad Rate
66%
Education Share
5.6%
#17
North Central College
Naperville, IL
Net Price
$21,044/yr
Median Earnings
$60,123
Grad Rate
68%
Education Share
6.6%
#18
Knox College
Galesburg, IL
Net Price
$24,595/yr
Median Earnings
$54,820
Grad Rate
68%
Education Share
10.7%
#19
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL
Net Price
$10,974/yr
Median Earnings
$68,740
Grad Rate
61%
Education Share
3.5%
#20
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL
Net Price
$10,970/yr
Median Earnings
$58,656
Grad Rate
58%
Education Share
9.7%
#21
Monmouth College
Monmouth, IL
Net Price
$17,133/yr
Median Earnings
$51,110
Grad Rate
62%
Education Share
11.6%
#22
Millikin University
Decatur, IL
Net Price
$21,989/yr
Median Earnings
$51,262
Grad Rate
57%
Education Share
15.3%
#23
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
Net Price
$11,745/yr
Median Earnings
$60,327
Grad Rate
59%
Education Share
5.3%
#24
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL
Net Price
$20,729/yr
Median Earnings
$53,213
Grad Rate
61%
Education Share
9.2%
#25
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
Net Price
$13,297/yr
Median Earnings
$53,390
Grad Rate
59%
Education Share
9.6%
Why a Education degree?
Special Education has 1% unemployment and 98% of districts report difficulty filling roles. Teacher shortages are the most severe in 30+ years.
Common career paths: Elementary Teacher · Special Education Teacher · High School Teacher · School Counselor · Principal/Administrator
Typical starting salary range: $45,000–$65,000
Find your best fit, not just the highest rank
Our 2-minute quiz weights cost, earnings, graduation rate, and other priorities to your family — and matches you to schools that actually fit, not just the top of a list.
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