2026 Best Athletic Training Schools in Illinois
Athletic Training degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 16 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best athletic training schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Athletic Training in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall athletic training education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Athletic Training
Aurora University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in athletic training. Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. About 60% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 19 athletic training students who graduated with this degree at Aurora University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their athletic training degree from Aurora University earn around $51,483 in the first couple years of their career. Aurora University graduates carry a median of $24,507 in student loans.
See the full athletic training program report for Aurora University
A rank of #2 makes City Colleges Of Chicago Malcolm X College one of the top schools for athletic training. Set in the city of Chicago, City Colleges Of Chicago Malcolm X College is a large public institution. About 28 athletic training degrees were awarded at City Colleges Of Chicago Malcolm X College in the most recent year. Athletic Training graduates of City Colleges Of Chicago Malcolm X College earn a median of $46,222 early in their careers. City Colleges Of Chicago Malcolm X College graduates carry a median of $12,924 in student loans.
Read more about the athletic training program at City Colleges Of Chicago Malcolm X College
More Athletic Training Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 16 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
