2026 Best Physical Education Schools in Illinois
Physical Education 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.
College Factual analyzed 17 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best physical education schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Physical Education 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 physical education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Physical Education
Leading the list is Illinois State University, our #1 school for physical education. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Normal. The six-year graduation rate is 64%. About 61 physical education degrees were awarded at Illinois State University in the most recent year. Physical Education graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of $37,059 early in their careers. Illinois State University graduates carry a median of $21,250 in student loans.
Read more about the physical education program at Illinois State University
Harper College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in physical education, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a very large public institution. About 12 physical education degrees were awarded at Harper College in the most recent year. Graduates of the physical education program make about $44,523 in their early career. Harper College graduates carry a median of $10,963 in student loans.
More information about a degree in physical education from Harper College
Northern Illinois University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in physical education, landing the #3 spot this year. This large public university is located in the suburb of Dekalb. Roughly 49% of students complete a degree within six years here. Northern Illinois University awarded about 58 physical education degrees in the most recent data year. Physical Education graduates of Northern Illinois University earn a median of $36,011 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $27,418 to complete this degree.
See the full physical education program report for Northern Illinois University
A rank of #4 makes Southern Illinois University Edwardsville one of the top schools for physical education. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. The six-year graduation rate is 55%. There were roughly 73 physical education students who graduated with this degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the most recent data year. Students who receive their physical education degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn around $34,811 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $23,237 to complete this degree.
See the full physical education program report for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
North Park University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in physical education, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Chicago, North Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. North Park University graduates 58% of students within six years. About 26 physical education degrees were awarded at North Park University in the most recent year. Graduates of the physical education program make about $30,165 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,495.
Get the full physical education details for North Park University
More Physical Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 17 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.
