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2022 Best Value Colleges for Elementary Education in Illinois (With Aid)

44 Ranked Colleges
1,523 Degrees Awarded
$16,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Elementary Education is the 19th most popular major in the country with 40,622 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 1,523 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 44 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in elementary education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality elementary education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the elementary education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Elementary Education in Illinois (With Aid)

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 Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 71 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,880 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 57 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

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 more about Elementary Education at University of Illinois at Chicago

#3

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Governors State University

#4

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 #4 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid.

Read more about Elementary Education at Eastern Illinois University

#5

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend National Louis University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 143 students in 2019-2020.

NLU also made our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $14,957 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid.

Full National Louis University Elementary Education Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 61 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois elementary teaching students with aid list, NIU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Northern Illinois University

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UIS

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois elementary teaching students with aid list, SIUE has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid.

Read more about Elementary Education at SIUE

#9

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Xavier University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 28 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SXU is $14,528 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

Read more about Elementary Education at Saint Xavier University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 38 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#11

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 255 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,895 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid per year to attend Illinois State.

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 Elementary Education at Illinois State University

#12

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago State University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chicago State University is $11,733 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Chicago State University Elementary Education Report

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read full report on Elementary Education at WIU

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 46 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Northeastern Illinois University

#15

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $17,538 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

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 Elementary Education at University of Saint Francis

#16

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Aurora also took the #15 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid per year to attend Aurora.

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 more about Elementary Education at Aurora

#17

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois

Judson University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Elgin, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,737 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid per year to attend Judson University.

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 Elementary Education at Judson University

#18

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Romeoville, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis University is $18,664 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Lewis University

#19

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 17 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Elementary Education Report

#20

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois elementary teaching students with aid list, Dominican U has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $19,268 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Elementary Education at Dominican University

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 20 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,331 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid per year to attend Millikin.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Millikin Elementary Education Report

#22

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Quincy University is $17,497 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Quincy U

#23

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Illinois College

#24

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 13 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Park, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,170 for Illinois Elementary Teaching students with aid per year to attend North Park.

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 full report on Elementary Education at North Park University

#25

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Monmouth College is located in Monmouth, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Monmouth is $17,061 for illinois elementary teaching students with aid.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Monmouth

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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