2025 Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois
29
Colleges in Illinois
1,762
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
Ranked #17 in popularity,
elementary education is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 29 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for elementary education students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,762 degrees in elementary education to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Elementary Education School
Your choice of elementary education school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for elementary education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Elementary Education Rankings by Degree Level
The elementary teaching school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Elementary Education Schools in Illinois.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
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.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for Elementary Education in Illinois
The schools below may not offer all types of elementary teaching degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top Illinois Schools in Elementary Teaching
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
281
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
Illinois State University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in elementary education. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were about 281 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in elementary education from Illinois State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In IL
83
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a good option for students pursuing a degree in elementary education. UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 83 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in elementary education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
17th
Most Popular In IL
Loyola University Chicago is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in elementary education. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were about 30 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in elementary education from Loyola University Chicago
Concordia University, Chicago is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in elementary education. Located in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #125 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Concordia University, Chicago is a great university overall.
There were approximately 30 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Concordia University, Chicago in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in elementary education from Concordia University, Chicago
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In IL
155
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
NLU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #385 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NLU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 155 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at NLU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in elementary education from National Louis University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In IL
93
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #529 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NIU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 93 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
17th
Most Popular In IL
40
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
Bradley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Peoria. A Best Colleges rank of #519 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Bradley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 40 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in elementary education from Bradley University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In IL
95
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were about 95 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in elementary education from DePaul University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
26th
Most Popular In IL
40
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Chicago, SXU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 30th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 40 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at SXU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in elementary education from Saint Xavier University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In IL
59
Elementary Teaching Degrees Awarded
Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Aurora. A Best Colleges rank of #348 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Aurora is a great university overall.
There were approximately 59 elementary education students who graduated with this degree at Aurora in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in elementary education from Aurora University
