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2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

42 Ranked Colleges
1,196 Degrees Awarded
$17,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,196 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in elementary education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great elementary education programs and cost less that 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Elementary Education in Illinois

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 255 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students per year to attend Illinois State.

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 Illinois State

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Elementary Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students per year to attend UIC.

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 Elementary Education at University of Illinois at Chicago

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

Read more about Elementary Education at EIU

#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students list, SIUE has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at SIUE

With a ranking of #6, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

Read more about Elementary Education at Northeastern Illinois University

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 61 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

Full NIU Elementary Education Report

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 43 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at WIU

#17 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#10

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $12,077 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students.

Read more about Elementary Education at Governors State University

#11

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

National Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. National Louis University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NLU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $14,957 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students.

Read full report on Elementary Education at National Louis University

#12

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students.

Full UIS Elementary Education Report

#13

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Chicago State University is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chicago State University is $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students.

The impressive 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.

Read full report on Elementary Education at CSU

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

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 Aurora

#15

Greenville University

Greenville, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Greenville University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Greenville, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Greenville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,689 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students per year to attend Greenville.

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 Greenville Elementary Education Report

#16

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

North Park University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. North Park is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 6 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park also took the #19 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students 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

#17

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Trinity Christian College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. Trinity Christian is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 28 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Christian, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Christian College is $21,904 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Trinity Christian

#18

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois

Judson University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Judson University is a small school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,737 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students per year to attend Judson 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 full report on Elementary Education at Judson University

#19

Eureka College

Eureka, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Eureka College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Eureka, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eureka College is $21,344 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

Read more about Elementary Education at Eureka College

#20

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Lewis University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Romeoville, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lewis, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis is $18,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

The low 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 more about Elementary Education at Lewis University

#21

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Bradley University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students per year to attend Bradley.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Bradley University Elementary Education Report

#22

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Saint Francis Elementary Education Report

#23

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Concordia University, Chicago

#24

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #24. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Elementary Education at Wheaton College Illinois

#25

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Quincy U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Quincy, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students per year to attend Quincy University.

Read more about Elementary Education at Quincy U

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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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