2026 Best Occupational Therapy/Therapist Schools in Illinois
Occupational Therapy/Therapist programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools to find the best for occupational therapy/therapist students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Occupational Therapy/Therapist in Illinois
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the occupational therapy/therapist degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Occupational Therapy/Therapist
Midwestern University Downers Grove is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in occupational therapy/therapist. Midwestern University Downers Grove is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Downers Grove. About 46 occupational therapy/therapist degrees were awarded at Midwestern University Downers Grove in the most recent year. Occupational Therapy/therapist graduates of Midwestern University Downers Grove earn a median of $76,040 early in their careers.
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Students looking for a strong occupational therapy/therapist program will find one at North Central College, which ranked #2. North Central College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Naperville. About 64% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 42 occupational therapy/therapist students who graduated with this degree at North Central College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their occupational therapy/therapist degree from North Central College earn around $46,247 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,699.
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A rank of #3 makes University Of Illinois At Chicago one of the top schools for occupational therapy/therapist. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. About 62% of students finish within six years. University Of Illinois At Chicago awarded about 53 occupational therapy/therapist degrees in the most recent data year. Occupational Therapy/therapist graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $59,408 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $16,666 to complete this degree.
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Students looking for a strong occupational therapy/therapist program will find one at Rush University, which ranked #4. Rush University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Rush University awarded about 34 occupational therapy/therapist degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their occupational therapy/therapist degree from Rush University earn around $76,061 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $31,206.
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Students looking for a strong occupational therapy/therapist program will find one at Lewis University, which ranked #5. Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. About 67% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 24 occupational therapy/therapist students who graduated with this degree at Lewis University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the occupational therapy/therapist program make about $55,718 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $24,838 to complete this degree.
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Elmhurst College placed #6 among the best occupational therapy/therapist schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Elmhurst. About 70% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 24 occupational therapy/therapist students who graduated with this degree at Elmhurst College in the most recent data year. Occupational Therapy/therapist graduates of Elmhurst College earn a median of $65,792 early in their careers. Elmhurst College graduates carry a median of $22,400 in student loans.
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Governors State University came in at #7 for occupational therapy/therapist this year. Governors State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of University Park. Governors State University graduates 21% of students within six years. Governors State University awarded about 27 occupational therapy/therapist degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their occupational therapy/therapist degree from Governors State University earn around $69,605 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,990 to complete this degree.
See the full occupational therapy/therapist program report for Governors State University
Chicago State University came in at #8 for occupational therapy/therapist this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Chicago State University is a mid-sized public institution. Roughly 16% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 15 occupational therapy/therapist degrees were awarded at Chicago State University in the most recent year. Occupational Therapy/therapist graduates of Chicago State University earn a median of $67,878 early in their careers. Chicago State University graduates carry a median of $43,322 in student loans.
Read more about the occupational therapy/therapist program at Chicago State University
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 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.