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2025 Best Education Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois

13 Colleges in Illinois
654 Doctor's Degrees
$109,301 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a doctor's degree in education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #3 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for education students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 654 doctor's degrees in education to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Education School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Education Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois Your choice of education for getting your doctor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality education program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for education students working on their doctor's degree.

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The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Education Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Education in Illinois

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for education students seeking a a doctor's degree.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Doctorate in Education

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat Illinois State University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in education. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the suburb of Normal.More information about a doctorate in education from Illinois State University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Annual Graduates

Concordia University, Chicago is a good choice for students interested in a doctor's degree in education. Located in the large suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Concordia University, Chicago

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in education. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a doctorate in education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Annual Graduates

Northern Illinois University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a doctor's degree in education. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Northern Illinois University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
17 Annual Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a doctorate in education from Loyola University Chicago

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8 Annual Graduates

Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Peoria.More information about a doctorate in education from Bradley University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Annual Graduates

NLU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a doctorate in education from National Louis University

8
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Annual Graduates

Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Aurora.More information about a doctorate in education from Aurora University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Annual Graduates

University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Joliet.More information about a doctorate in education from University of St Francis

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in education from Western Illinois University

Best Education Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Education Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 29 377
Michigan 29 322
Ohio 29 305
Wisconsin 27 134

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Education Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Educational Administration 372
Curriculum & Instruction 69
General Education 58
Teacher Education Subject Specific 38
Other Education 35
Special Education 29
Student Counseling 26
Education Philosophy 13
Educational Assessment 8
Instructional Media Design 3

Majors Similar to Education

Related Major Annual Graduates
Library Science 3

Notes and References

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