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2026 Best Value Administration of Special Education Schools in Illinois

[Administration of Special Education](/majors/education/educational-administration/administration-of-special-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for administration of special education students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Administration of Special Education Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value Administration of Special Education Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in administration of special education, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Administration of Special Education Schools

1

Concordia University Chicago
River Forest, IL

$37,488 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,956 Avg Student Debt

$54,089 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Concordia University Chicago the best value for a degree in administration of special education in Illinois. Set in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $37,488. Administration Of Special Education graduates carry a median of $26,956 in student loans. Administration Of Special Education graduates of Concordia University Chicago earn a median of $91,059 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.

2

Illinois State University
Normal, IL

$14,410 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,896 Avg Student Debt

$62,117 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Illinois State University earned it the #2 place for administration of special education. Illinois State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,410, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,896 to complete the administration of special education program here. Administration Of Special Education graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of $89,114 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,896 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.