2026 Best Child Development & Psychology Schools in Illinois
Child Development & Psychology programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their child development & psychology programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for child development & psychology students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Child Development & Psychology in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall child development & psychology education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Child Development & Psychology
Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 school for child development & psychology. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. The six-year graduation rate is 95%. Northwestern University awarded about 42 child development & psychology degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. Northwestern University graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans.
See the full child development & psychology program report for Northwestern University
University Of Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in child development & psychology, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. About 96% of students finish within six years. University Of Chicago awarded about 89 child development & psychology degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the child development & psychology program make about $31,986 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $17,500.
Read more about the child development & psychology program at University Of Chicago
Students looking for a strong child development & psychology program will find one at Depaul University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Depaul University graduates 68% of students within six years. There were roughly 16 child development & psychology students who graduated with this degree at Depaul University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $55,226. Typical student debt for the program is $25,310.
Read more about the child development & psychology program at Depaul University
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in child development & psychology, landing the #4 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the city of Champaign. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. There were roughly 645 child development & psychology students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Students who receive their child development & psychology degree from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn around $33,384 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,050.
Read more about the child development & psychology program at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Illinois Institute Of Technology is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in child development & psychology, landing the #5 spot this year. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. Illinois Institute Of Technology awarded about 16 child development & psychology degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the child development & psychology program make about $71,315 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $26,774 to complete this degree.
See the full child development & psychology program report for Illinois Institute Of Technology
Lake Forest College landed the #6 spot for child development & psychology this year. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lake Forest. Lake Forest College graduates 78% of students within six years. About 37 child development & psychology degrees were awarded at Lake Forest College in the most recent year. Graduates of the child development & psychology program make about $41,168 in their early career. Lake Forest College graduates carry a median of $26,839 in student loans.
Get the full child development & psychology details for Lake Forest College
Knox College landed the #7 spot for child development & psychology this year. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Galesburg. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 15 child development & psychology degrees were awarded at Knox College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, child development & psychology degree recipients from Knox College generally make around $27,822. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in child development & psychology from Knox College
More Child Development & Psychology 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 · 11 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.
