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Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

30 Colleges
$24,336 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$47,433 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, special education was ranked 4th in Illinois. In fact, 1,153 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which teaching program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Teaching Degree Search has created its Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 30 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value programs for special ed students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois

Check out the special ed programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

$13,968 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Illinois State University the best value school in Illinois for special education students. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $13,968 per year. While working on their degree, special ed majors at Illinois State accumulate an average of around $20,500 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $201.

Illinois State also claimed a spot on our Best Special Education Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Full Special Education at Illinois State University Report

#2

Governors State University

University Park, IL
$10,108 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois list. GSU is a small public school located in the rural area of University Park.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GSU are $10,108 per year.

Read More…

#3

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL
$37,440 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Olivet Nazarene University is a great value for special education students. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Olivet Nazarene are $37,440 per year.

Read More…

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL
$12,297 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois list. EIU is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Charleston.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at EIU are $12,297 per year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at EIU take out is $21,377.

Read full report on Special Education at Eastern Illinois University

#5

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, IL
$34,310 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Concordia University, Chicago. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of River Forest, Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Concordia University, Chicago are $34,310 a year.

Full Special Education at Concordia University, Chicago Report

$12,064 Average Tuition & Fees

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Northeastern Illinois University undergraduate students pay an average of $12,064 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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$11,496 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.

SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Special Ed majors at SIUE take out an average of $20,250 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Special Education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

$14,738 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public school with a large student population.

NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, special ed graduates from NIU take out $21,750 in student loans while working on their degree.

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$15,240 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value special education programs. Located in the city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUC are $15,240 a year.

SIUC also took the #3 spot in our Best Special Education Schools in Illinois rankings.

Full Special Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

$17,634 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois list. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Champaign.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIUC are $17,634 a year. While working on their degree, special ed majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $13,750 in student debt.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UIUC is ranked #5 for overall quality for special ed in Illinois.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Best Value Special Education Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value Special Education Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Ohio 1,329
Indiana 2,282
Michigan 607
Wisconsin 598

One of 14 majors within the teaching area of study, special education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Special Ed Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 24,497
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 3,111
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 1,789
Elementary Special Education 1,625
Other Special Education & Teaching 1,227
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 1,133
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 655
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 540
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 504
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 415
Education of the Deaf 363
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 226
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed 222
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs 181
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 134
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 122
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic & Other Physical Health Impairments 47
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
General Education 29,810
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to woodleywonderworks.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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