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2023 Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

19 Ranked Colleges
506 Degrees Awarded
$28,200 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor's

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s” 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 506 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in early childhood education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent early childhood education programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the early childhood education program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying child development.

Top 19 Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

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 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, UIUC supports 52,679 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 More…

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3.Of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.

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3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s list. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE also took the #13 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SIUE]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/student-life/veterans/)

4
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s list. Loyola University Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago, 261 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Loyola University Chicago]](/colleges/loyola-university-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

5

Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #5 spot on the list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 11,366 students enrolled at SIUC, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

6
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2020-2021.

DePaul also took the #5 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul University, 528 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. In addition to receiving other benefits, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at DePaul University]](/colleges/depaul-university/student-life/veterans/)

7
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 139 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

NLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 7,402 students enrolled at NLU, 15 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,078. To help with additional expenses, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

8

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9.Of the 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University, 147 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,460. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

9
SXU crest
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s list. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 3,764 students enrolled at Saint Xavier University, 65 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 49 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,740. During this same period, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Saint Xavier University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SXU]](/colleges/saint-xavier-university/student-life/veterans/)

10

Northern Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

NIU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU, 480 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

11
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 3,421 students enrolled at Elmhurst, 77 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 57 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,985. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Elmhurst does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Read More…

12
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 23 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

GSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 4,650 students enrolled at Governors State University, 146 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 80 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,291. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full GSU Veteran Student Life Report

13
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking. Roosevelt University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Roosevelt also took the #12 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 95 of the 4,680 students enrolled at Roosevelt were GI Bill® students, of which 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,071. In addition to receiving other benefits, 20 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Roosevelt Veteran Student Life Report

14
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Bradley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Bradley University supports 5,855 students, and 96 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 61 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,498. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Bradley]](/colleges/bradley-university/student-life/veterans/)

15
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 57 of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene were GI Bill® students, of which 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. In addition to receiving other benefits, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Olivet Nazarene offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Read More…

16
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chicago State University is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

CSU also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19.Among the 2,644 students enrolled at CSU, 94 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,489. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 Chicago State University Veteran Student Life Report

17
Rockford crest
Rockford University
Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. Rockford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Rockford also took the #17 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Rockford supports 1,272 students, and 27 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 19 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,705. During this same period, 8 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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.

Full Rockford Veteran Student Life Report

18
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Millikin University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 1,982 students enrolled at Millikin, 24 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,013. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 More…

19
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Child development for a Bachelor’s list. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Concordia University, Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Concordia University, Chicago supports 6,491 students, and 134 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,085. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Concordia University, Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

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