by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 36,792 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $45,679 and had an average of $24,977 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 1,153 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,433 and $23,191 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 558 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,317 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in special education. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in special education.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
The special ed 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 “Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois master’s degree special ed students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend National Louis University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 116 degrees to qualified masters’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
Out of the 28 schools in the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad 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 more about Special Education at University of Illinois at Chicago
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 45 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Out of the 28 schools in the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Aurora University landed the #5 spot on the list. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified masters’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Special Education at Concordia University, Chicago
Dominican University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #7. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate 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. The low undergrad 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%.
Illinois State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 21 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Special Education Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 20 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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
Lewis University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
With a ranking of #12, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 12 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Roosevelt University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Roosevelt is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
Trinity Christian College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Trinity Christian is a small school located in Palos Heights, Illinois that handed out 10 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.
Western Illinois University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 9 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
Greenville University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Greenville University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greenville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Special Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Chicago State University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified masters’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #20, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #20, Rockford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Rockford, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Governors State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified masters’s special ed students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Special Education at Governors State University
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 St Francis
Benedictine University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Benedictine U is located in Lisle, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Bradley University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 masters’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad 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%.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 16 masters’s special ed degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Northwestern University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Special Education at Northwestern University
With a ranking of #24, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Special Ed Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s special ed degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Special Education Report
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
