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2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

52 Ranked Colleges
10,069 Degrees Awarded
$12,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 310,601 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 10,069 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,178 and $28,378 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 52 colleges that offer a degree in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Education Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 106 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $3,995 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Education at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,800 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Education at UChicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 528 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,464 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UIUC Education Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 315 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UIC Education Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 330 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,306 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SIUC Education Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 225 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $9,938 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at SIUE

#7

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 285 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also took the #12 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $11,229 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Saint Francis Education Report

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 335 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $11,316 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at Eastern Illinois University

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $8,323 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at UIS

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 945 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $14,999 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Illinois State

#11

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 528 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $15,861 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Education at Northern Illinois University

#12

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 95 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $11,962 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SXU Education Report

#13

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. University Park, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,046 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at Governors State University

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois. It awarded 251 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,845 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Aurora.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Aurora University

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 282 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,526 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read more about Education at WIU

#16

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Knox is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 20 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,186 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Knox.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Knox College

#17

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 222 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

Lewis also made our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis University is $13,377 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Lewis

#18

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 516 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,390 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Olivet Nazarene

#19

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,023 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,406 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at Concordia University, Chicago

#20

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 922 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend National Louis University is $14,403 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Education at National Louis University

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 351 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at Northeastern Illinois University

#22

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $19,152 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest College Education Report

#23

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 12 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $12,454 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Illinois College Education Report

#24

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 70 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also made our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,586 for Illinois Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Education at Dominican U

#25

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Augustine College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. St. Augustine College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 42 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k list, St. Augustine College has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,491 for illinois education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend St. Augustine College.

Read more about Education at St. Augustine College

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.

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