2022 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
With 310,601 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 52 colleges that offered a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $48-$75k) in 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 $48-$75k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 106 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $6,452 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. 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%.
Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 48 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
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 $48-$75k list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 528 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $13,351 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 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 $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 315 students in 2019-2020.
UIC also made our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 330 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,985 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Eastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 335 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,560 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
University of St Francis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 285 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,220 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Northern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 528 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,346 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Education at Northern Illinois University
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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.
It costs about $11,857 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.
Read full report on Education at University of Illinois at Springfield
With a ranking of #10, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 225 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $13,705 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Saint Xavier University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SXU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 95 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $14,907 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Illinois State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 945 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,080 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois State.
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%.
Aurora University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 251 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.
Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $15,881 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 516 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $17,841 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
With a ranking of #15, Judson University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Judson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elgin, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Judson is $15,971 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
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.
Wheaton College Illinois landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 72 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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.
Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Augustana also took the #7 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $21,453 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #18, Lewis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lewis University 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 took the #17 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,489 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lewis.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Concordia University, Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 1,023 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,295 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Education at Concordia University, Chicago
With a ranking of #20, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Governors State University is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 74 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,872 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Governors State University.
With a ranking of #21, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $20,390 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
National Louis University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 922 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $16,888 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Saint Augustine College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. St. Augustine College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
St. Augustine College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Augustine College is $15,013 for Illinois Education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 282 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,912 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k.
Lake Forest College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 24 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,683 for illinois education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lake Forest College.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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- Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $48-$75k)
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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.
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