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2024 Best General Education Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
320 Master's Degrees
$49,882 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a master's degree in general education, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #12 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 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for general education students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 320 master's degrees in general education to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great General Education School for Your Master's Degree

Best General Education Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The education master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. 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 make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Education Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 General Education Master's Degree Schools in Illinois.


 

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study General Education in Illinois

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

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Education

1

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in general education. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the general education major at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get $6,216 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in general education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2
1 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in general education. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a master’s in general education from Northwestern University

3
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, IL
9 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat Elmhurst University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in general education. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Elmhurst.More information about a master’s in general education from Elmhurst University

4

It's difficult to beat North Park University if you want to pursue a master's degree in general education. Located in the large city of Chicago, North Park is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Those general education students who get their master's degree from North Park University earn $2,138 more than the standard education graduate.

More information about a master’s in general education from North Park University

5

Concordia University, Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of River Forest.

After graduation, education master's recipients usually earn about $48,808 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in general education from Concordia University, Chicago

6
10 Annual Graduates

WIU is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Macomb.More information about a master’s in general education from Western Illinois University

7

Located in the large suburb of Lebanon, McKendree is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the education program state that they receive average early career earnings of $44,175.

More information about a master’s in general education from McKendree University

8

NIU is a large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb.

Soon after graduating, education master's recipients usually make around $48,308 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in general education from Northern Illinois University

9
Rockford crest
Rockford University
Rockford, IL
2 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Rockford, Rockford is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in general education from Rockford University

10

SXU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in general education from Saint Xavier University

Best General Education Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 211 295
Ohio 207 327
Indiana 191 198
Wisconsin 173 236

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One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, General Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Education Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Education 320

Majors Similar to Education

Related Major Annual Graduates
Educational Administration 1,261
Teacher Education Grade Specific 1,064
Curriculum & Instruction 926
Teacher Education Subject Specific 710
Special Education 558
Student Counseling 305
Instructional Media Design 158
Teaching English or French 94
Multilingual Education 73
Education Philosophy 55

Notes and References

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