2022 Best Value Colleges for Special Education (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 33,249 people earned their degree in special education, making the major the 39th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, special education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,879 and had an average of $28,500 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 950 special education graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,833 and $25,780 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in special education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent special education programs, but they also 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 special education program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Special Education (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.
NIU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,425 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k list, UIC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $20,270 for Illinois Special Ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 39 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $21,998 for Illinois Special Ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Special Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 34 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $19,147 for Illinois Special Ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #5 spot on the list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,698 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 26 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also took the #15 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $18,928 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Special Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $17,845 for Illinois Special Ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Special Education at Governors State University
With a ranking of #8, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 189 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,379 for Illinois Special Ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Illinois State University.
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 full report on Special Education at Illinois State University
Lewis University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Lewis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Romeoville, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Lewis also took the #4 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lewis is $21,123 for Illinois Special Ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
University of St Francis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $20,629 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Read more about Special Education at University of St Francis
Saint Xavier University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $18,457 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Special Education at Saint Xavier University
National Louis University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 61 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
NLU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $21,269 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
Concordia University, Chicago ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 45 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
Concordia University, Chicago also took the #21 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,820 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Special Education at Concordia University, Chicago
Western Illinois University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 20 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k list, WIU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,181 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend WIU.
With a ranking of #15, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s special ed students in 2019-2020.
Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,609 for Illinois Special Ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Aurora University.
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%.
Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 18 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k list, Dominican U has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,979 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Dominican University.
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.
With a ranking of #17, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 1 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k list, Millikin has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $23,486 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 Special Education at Millikin University
With a ranking of #18, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 45 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern Illinois University also took the #24 spot in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $22,526 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Special Education at Northeastern Illinois University
Judson University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Elgin, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s special ed degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k list, Judson has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,758 for Illinois Special Ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Judson 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.
Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. Quincy U is a small school located in Quincy, Illinois that handed out 4 ’s special ed degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,515 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Quincy University.
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Olivet Nazarene University is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $21,306 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
With a ranking of #22, Greenville University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Greenville is located in Greenville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k list, Greenville has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $22,141 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Greenville 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.
With a ranking of #23, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,604 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Elmhurst University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Trinity Christian College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Trinity Christian College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Palos Heights, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Trinity Christian not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,655 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Trinity Christian College.
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. The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Special Education at Trinity Christian College
With a ranking of #25, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Special Ed Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s special ed degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k list, Bradley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Special Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $28,169 for illinois special ed students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to woodleywonderworks.
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