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Most Popular Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

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2023 Most Popular Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

30 Colleges
$38,520 Avg Salary
$25,108 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Special Education Bachelor's Degree 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Teaching Degree Search has created the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 30 schools in Illinois to see which ones were the most popular bachelor's degree programs for teaching students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Special Education program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for special ed majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Our 2023 rankings named Illinois State University the most popular school in Illinois for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 89% of the special ed majors at the school.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debt load of $19,363. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $201.

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Northern Illinois University is a great place for special education students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public school with a large student population.

About 93% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 7% are male.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at NIU accumulate an average of around $22,819 in student debt.

Full Special Education at Northern Illinois University Report

#3

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL

Out of the 30 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Lewis University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Romeoville, Lewis is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Of the 32 students majoring in special ed at Lewis, 9% are male and 91% are female.

Full Special Education at Lewis University Report

The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular special education schools in Illinois. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Champaign.

Women make up 89% of the special ed majors at the school.

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

#5

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trinity Christian College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Trinity Christian is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Palos Heights.

Of the 27 students majoring in special ed at Trinity Christian, 15% are male and 85% are female.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Trinity Christian take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $35,227.

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#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL

Eastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree special education programs. EIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Charleston.

About 88% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 12% are male.

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Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public school with a large student population.

About 81% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 19% are male.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from SIUC carry an average student debt load of $28,021.

Read full report on Special Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#8

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL

Elmhurst University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree special education programs. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elmhurst.

About 80% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 20% are male.

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 24 students majoring in special ed at SIUE, 21% are male and 79% are female.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, special ed graduates from SIUE carry an average student debt load of $21,538.

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Northeastern Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Special Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

About 64% of the students majoring in special ed at the school are women while 36% are male.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, special ed majors at Northeastern Illinois University accumulate an average of around $22,971 in student debt.

Read More…

Best Special Education Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Special Education Colleges 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 28 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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