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2022 Best Value Colleges for Early Childhood Education in Illinois (With Aid)

26 Ranked Colleges
790 Degrees Awarded
$18,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Early Childhood Education is the 34th most popular major in the country with 31,017 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 790 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in early childhood education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality early childhood education programs that also have a lower cost than 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 early childhood education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Early Childhood Education in Illinois (With Aid)

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 Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois child development students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at UIUC

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools 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. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for illinois child development 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%.

Full UIC Early Childhood Education Report

#3

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Augustine College landed the #3 spot on the list. Saint Augustine College is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

St. Augustine College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend St. Augustine College is $12,193 for illinois child development students with aid.

Full St. Augustine College Early Childhood Education Report

#4

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois child development students with aid list, GSU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,077 for Illinois Child development students with aid.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Governors State University

#5

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend National Louis University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. National Louis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 189 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

NLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend National Louis University is $14,957 for Illinois Child development students with aid.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at NLU

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Child development students with aid.

Full Northern Illinois University Early Childhood Education Report

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois child development students with aid list, SXU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,528 for Illinois Child development students with aid per year to attend SXU.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Saint Xavier University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 18 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois child development students with aid.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at SIUE

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

SIUC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Illinois Child development students with aid.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois child development students with aid.

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 Early Childhood Education at Illinois State

#11

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSU is $11,733 for Illinois Child development students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Chicago State University

With a ranking of #12, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,843 for illinois child development students with aid per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Northeastern Illinois University

#13

Rasmussen University - Illinois

Rockford, Illinois

Rasmussen University - Illinois landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Rockford, Illinois, and it awarded 101 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rasmussen University - Illinois, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,744 for Illinois Child development students with aid per year to attend Rasmussen University - Illinois.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Rasmussen University - Illinois

#14

Judson University

Elgin, Illinois

Judson University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Elgin, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2019-2020.

Judson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Judson University is $18,737 for illinois child development students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Judson

#15

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,512 for Illinois Child development students with aid per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Early Childhood Education Report

#16

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois child development students with aid list, Millikin has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for illinois child development students with aid per year to attend Millikin University.

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.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Millikin

#17

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2019-2020.

Quincy U also took the #23 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Quincy U is $17,497 for Illinois Child development students with aid.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Quincy University

#18

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Park, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Park is $19,170 for illinois child development 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 Early Childhood Education Report

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois Child development students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Early Childhood Education at Elmhurst

#20

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 3 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for illinois child development 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 Early Childhood Education at Olivet Nazarene

#21

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,634 for Illinois Child development students with aid per year to attend Bradley University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Bradley University Early Childhood Education Report

#22

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Rockford University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rockford, Illinois. It awarded 5 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois child development students with aid list, Rockford has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $22,197 for Illinois Child development students with aid per year to attend Rockford 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.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Rockford

#23

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,749 for Illinois Child development students with aid per year to attend Roosevelt University.

Full Roosevelt University Early Childhood Education Report

#24

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $31,099 for Illinois Child development students with aid.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Columbia

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois child development students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at DePaul

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Vgrigas.

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