2026 Best Value Educational/Instructional Technology Schools in Illinois
[Educational/Instructional Technology](/majors/education/instructional-media-design/educational-instructional-technology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for educational/instructional technology students.
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2026 Best Value Educational/Instructional Technology Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the educational/instructional technology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Educational/Instructional Technology Schools
For return on investment in educational/instructional technology, no school beat Northern Illinois University this year. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,060 in tuition and fees. Educational/instructional Technology graduates carry a median of $25,209 in student loans. Soon after graduation, educational/instructional technology degree recipients from Northern Illinois University generally make around $68,913. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Illinois University earned it the #2 place for educational/instructional technology. Located in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $14,572 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,639 to complete the educational/instructional technology program here. Early-career educational/instructional technology graduates make about $60,911. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the best values for educational/instructional technology. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,334. Students borrow a median of $23,730 to complete the educational/instructional technology program here. Early-career educational/instructional technology graduates make about $46,566. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
A rank of #4 makes Concordia University Chicago one of the best values for educational/instructional technology. Concordia University Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $37,488. Typical student debt for educational/instructional technology graduates is $26,956. Soon after graduation, educational/instructional technology degree recipients from Concordia University Chicago generally make around $68,606. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.
A rank of #5 makes Aurora University one of the best values for educational/instructional technology. Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora. Students from in state pay about $29,170 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,507 to complete the educational/instructional technology program here. Educational/instructional Technology graduates of Aurora University earn a median of $63,938 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
