by our College Data Analytics Team
[Teacher Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for teacher education students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the teacher education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Saint Xavier University tops our 2027 list of the best value teacher education schools in Illinois. Saint Xavier University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,945. Students borrow a median of $29,854 to complete the teacher education program here. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $51,753. That is a strong return on a $29,854 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a great value for students pursuing a degree in teacher education, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $21,944 to complete the teacher education program here. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $39,496. That is a strong return on a $21,944 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value teacher education schools. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,092. Typical student debt for teacher education graduates is $26,250. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $38,830. Set against $26,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Elmhurst College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in teacher education, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Elmhurst, Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $42,955 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for teacher education graduates is $24,064. Teacher Education graduates of Elmhurst College earn a median of $48,105 early in their careers. Set against $24,064 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value teacher education schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the teacher education program here. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $55,390. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.