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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

23 Ranked Colleges
404 Degrees Awarded
$16,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 31,017 people earned their degree in early childhood education, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 790 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 404 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in early childhood education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent early childhood education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the early childhood education program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The child development 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 “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1 in overall quality

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 Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $5,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC Early Childhood Education Report

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, SIUE has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $8,055 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at SIUE

#3

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

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 Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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 Early Childhood Education at Illinois State University

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University Early Childhood Education Report

#5

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Xavier University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Saint Xavier University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Saint Xavier University

#6

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Governors State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $10,872 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at GSU

#9 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#8

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $16,903 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Early Childhood Education at Elmhurst

#9

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

National Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 132 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

NLU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for National Louis University is $14,178 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full National Louis University Early Childhood Education Report

#10

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Millikin University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,656 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millikin 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 Early Childhood Education at Millikin

#11

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bradley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $17,205 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Early Childhood Education at Bradley

#14 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Northeastern Illinois University

#13

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

North Park University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Park is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

North Park did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Park University is $17,808 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 North Park Early Childhood Education Report

#14

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Chicago, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,097 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Concordia University, Chicago

#15

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Quincy University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Quincy University is a small school located in Quincy, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Quincy U also took the #19 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,292 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Quincy U.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Quincy U

#16

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Olivet Nazarene University

#17

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Chicago State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 11 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,507 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSU.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full CSU Early Childhood Education Report

#18

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Judson University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Judson University is located in Elgin, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Judson, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Judson is $14,154 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Early Childhood Education at Judson

#19

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $27,120 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Columbia College Chicago Early Childhood Education Report

#20

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Roosevelt University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also took the #22 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $20,398 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Roosevelt Early Childhood Education Report

#21

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Loyola University Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $29,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Loyola University Chicago

#22

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 12 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $26,173 for illinois bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePaul University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at DePaul

#23

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Rockford University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rockford, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Rockford also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $21,868 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k 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 Early Childhood Education at Rockford 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Vgrigas.

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