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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education in Illinois

28 Ranked Colleges
448 Degrees Awarded
$19,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking.

Special Education is the 39th most popular major in the country with 33,249 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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” 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the special education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Special Education in Illinois

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. 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 list, Illinois State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Illinois State

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 #2 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

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 #3 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

Read full report on Special Education at Eastern Illinois University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 21 students 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 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.

Read more about Special Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#5

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Full Western Illinois University 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 list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

SIUC also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

Read more about Special Education at SIUC

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 34 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students list, NIU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Special Education at Northern Illinois University

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

Read more about Special Education at Northeastern Illinois University

#9

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, National Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois 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 $14,957 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend National Louis University.

Read more about Special Education at NLU

#10

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s special ed degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #16 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students per year to attend Aurora.

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 Special Education Report

#11

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Lewis University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Romeoville, Illinois, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lewis University is $18,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Lewis University Special Education Report

#12

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students list, Trinity Christian has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Christian College is $21,904 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Special Education at Trinity Christian College

#13

Greenville University

Greenville, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Greenville University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Greenville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

Greenville also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Greenville University is $20,689 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

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 full report on Special Education at Greenville

#14

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Judson University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Elgin, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students list, Judson has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Judson is $18,737 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

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 full report on Special Education at Judson University

#15

Eureka College

Eureka, Illinois

Eureka College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Eureka, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,344 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend Eureka College.

Read full report on Special Education at Eureka College

#16

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s special ed students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

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 full report on Special Education at University of Saint Francis

#17

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Bradley 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 also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Bradley University

#18

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Quincy University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Quincy U is located in Quincy, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Quincy U also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Quincy U is $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.

Full Quincy University Special Education Report

#19

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois 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. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students per year to attend Dominican U.

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 Dominican University

#20

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Benedictine University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Lisle, 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 5 students in 2019-2020.

Benedictine U also took the #24 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine University is $25,143 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.

Read full report on Special Education at Benedictine University

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s special ed degrees to qualified students.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #17 spot in our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Special Ed students.

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 full report on Special Education at Olivet Nazarene University

#22

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois 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 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 $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Special Education Report

#23

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Rockford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. Rockford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rockford also made our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $22,197 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students per year to attend Rockford.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Special Education at Rockford

#24

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Elmhurst, 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 13 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Special Education at Elmhurst University

#25

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 6 bachelors’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree special ed students.

Read more about Special Education at Roosevelt University

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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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