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Best Special Education Schools in Illinois

2023 Best Special Education Schools in Illinois

30 Colleges
$47,433 Avg Salary
$23,191 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,153 degrees and certificates were awarded to special education students who went to a Illinois college or university. This makes it the #32 most popular major in the state.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Special Education Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 30 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Special Education Schools in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best Special Education Colleges.

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Illinois State University the best school in Illinois for special education students. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at Illinois State take out is $20,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $201.

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The excellent programs at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at UIUC take out is $13,750.

Full Special Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

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#3

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL

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

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a great place for special education students. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.

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#5

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Lewis University is a great place for special education students. Lewis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Romeoville.

While working on their degree, special ed majors at Lewis accumulate an average of around $24,779 in student debt.

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#6

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL

Trinity Christian College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Special Education Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large suburb of Palos Heights, Trinity Christian is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, special ed majors at Trinity Christian accumulate an average of around $34,270 in student debt.

Full Special Education at Trinity Christian College Report

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#7

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL

Elmhurst University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Elmhurst, Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#8

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

Bradley University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best special education programs. Located in the midsize city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

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With a ranking of #9, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Special Education at Loyola University Chicago Report

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#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL

With a ranking of #10, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Special Ed majors at EIU take out an average of $21,377 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Best Special Education Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

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

Special Education is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.

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.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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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