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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in Illinois (With Aid)

47 Ranked Colleges
3,458 Degrees Awarded
$16,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,458 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 47 colleges that offered 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in Illinois (With Aid)

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 190 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Education Report

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Education at UIC

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 253 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend SIUC.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Education Report

#4

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Governors State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Governors State University

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 121 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at EIU

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Saint Xavier University

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 166 students in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Full Northern Illinois University Education Report

With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

Read more about Education at UIS

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 103 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend SIUE.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Education Report

#10

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

National Louis University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. National Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 162 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NLU is $14,957 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

Read more about Education at NLU

#11

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 735 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend Illinois State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Education Report

#12

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chicago State University is $11,733 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Education at CSU

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Western Illinois University

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 15 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

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 St Francis Education Report

With a ranking of #15, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 71 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Northeastern Illinois University

#16

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Aurora also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora University Education Report

#17

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Lewis University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Romeoville, Illinois, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid per year to attend Lewis.

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 full report on Education at Lewis University

#18

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois

Judson University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Elgin, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Judson University is $18,737 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Education at Judson

#19

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, Dominican U has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid per year to attend Dominican University.

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.

Full Dominican U Education Report

#20

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,512 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Education students with aid per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read more about Education at Concordia University, Chicago

#21

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend Northwestern University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northwestern Education Report

#22

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid list, Millikin has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend Millikin.

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.

Full Millikin Education Report

#23

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

North Park University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. North Park is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full North Park Education Report

#24

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Quincy University is $17,497 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Quincy U

#25

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree education students with aid per year to attend Illinois College.

Read more about Education at Illinois 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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