2024 Best Value Colleges for Early Childhood Education in Illinois
23
Ranked Colleges
1,067
Degrees Awarded
$18,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 32,920 people earned their degree in early childhood education, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States.
Across Illinois, there were 1,067 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in early childhood education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great early childhood education programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Early Childhood Education Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois child development students.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Early Childhood Education in 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 Child development Schools in Illinois. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 94 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,830 for Illinois Child development students.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Illinois State University
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 Child development Schools in Illinois. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 16 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Illinois Child development students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at UIUC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,590 for Illinois Child development students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Northeastern Illinois University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend National Louis University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois. National Louis University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 315 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.
NLU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $14,584 for illinois child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at National Louis University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Concordia University, Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois list. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,051 for illinois child development students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Concordia University, Chicago
Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 47 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $13,956 for Illinois Child development students.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Northern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #7. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 27 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUE also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for illinois child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Rasmussen University - Illinois came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. Rockford, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 117 students in 2020-2021.
Rasmussen University - Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rasmussen University - Illinois is $18,908 for illinois child development students.
Full Rasmussen University - Illinois Early Childhood Education Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
SIUC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,285 for illinois child development students per year to attend SIUC.
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.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Governors State University landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.
GSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $10,436 for illinois child development students per year to attend GSU.
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.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Governors State University
Saint Augustine College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 60 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Augustine College also took the #21 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Augustine College is $16,035 for Illinois Child development students.
The undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at St. Augustine College
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 33 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,214 for illinois child development students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at UIC
North Park University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. North Park is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Park, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Park is $18,282 for illinois child development students.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at North Park University
Chicago State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. CSU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois child development students list, CSU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chicago State University is $12,681 for illinois child development 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.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at CSU
Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #15. SXU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 13 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.
SXU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $13,024 for Illinois Child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Saint Xavier University
With a ranking of #16, DePaul University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.
DePaul also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $31,174 for illinois child development students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full DePaul Early Childhood Education Report
Bradley University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.
Bradley also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,196 for illinois child development students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Full Bradley University Early Childhood Education Report
Roosevelt University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois child development students list, Roosevelt has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $21,678 for illinois child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Roosevelt University
Rockford University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. Rockford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois child development students list, Rockford has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,103 for Illinois Child development students per year to attend Rockford.
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.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Rockford
Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #20. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,100 for Illinois Child development students per year to attend Elmhurst.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Early Childhood Education at Elmhurst
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $19,470 for Illinois Child development students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Olivet Nazarene Early Childhood Education Report
Millikin University landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $19,135 for illinois child development students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Millikin Early Childhood Education Report
Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.
Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $36,434 for illinois child development students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Loyola University Chicago
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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
- *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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