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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

28 Ranked Colleges
448 Degrees Awarded
$15,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 33,249 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 39th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,879 and had an average of $28,500 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 950 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,833 and $25,780 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 448 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree in special education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality special education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the special education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Special Education Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UIUC Special Education Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #13 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $9,938 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Special Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#3

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 156 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,999 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Illinois State University

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, EIU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Special Education at EIU

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full NIU Special Education Report

With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Special Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#7

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $11,229 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at University of St Francis

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 12 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WIU.

Read full report on Special Education at Western Illinois University

#9

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Lewis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Romeoville, Illinois, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis also took the #3 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,377 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lewis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Lewis

#10

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Aurora University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Aurora has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $13,845 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Aurora University Special Education Report

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,513 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Special Education at Northeastern Illinois University

#12

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Dominican University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $17,586 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Dominican University Special Education Report

#13

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Elmhurst University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,837 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Elmhurst University

#14

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,232 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Bradley University

#15

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Olivet Nazarene

#16

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k list, Concordia University, Chicago has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,406 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Special Education at Concordia University, Chicago

#17

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Trinity Christian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Palos Heights, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian also took the #12 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,918 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Trinity Christian.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 5.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Trinity Christian Special Education Report

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $17,692 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Special Education at Millikin University

#19

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Quincy University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Quincy University is a small school located in Quincy, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Quincy U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Quincy University is $17,518 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Special Education at Quincy U

#20

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,403 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NLU.

Read full report on Special Education at National Louis University

#21

Greenville University

Greenville, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Greenville University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Greenville University is a small school located in Greenville, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Greenville also took the #22 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Greenville University is $19,258 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Special Education at Greenville

#22

Eureka College

Eureka, Illinois

Eureka College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Eureka College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Eureka, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eureka College is $17,924 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Eureka College Special Education Report

#23

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Rockford University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rockford University is located in Rockford, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Rockford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,380 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rockford University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Special Education at Rockford University

#24

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,330 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Roosevelt.

Read full report on Special Education at Roosevelt

#25

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Benedictine University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Benedictine University is a small school located in Lisle, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Benedictine U also took the #24 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,915 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Benedictine U.

Full Benedictine U Special Education Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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