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Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

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

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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 30 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best value experiences for special ed students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for special ed majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

$13,968 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Illinois State University to be the best value school for special education students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $13,968 per year. 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.

Illinois State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Special Education Schools in Illinois list.

Read full report on Special Education at Illinois State University

#2

Governors State University

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

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Governors State University is a great value for special education students. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.

GSU undergraduate students pay an average of $10,108 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

#3

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL
$37,440 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Olivet Nazarene University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois list. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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 join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois list. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

EIU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Special Ed majors at EIU take out an average of $21,377 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Special Education at Eastern Illinois University Report

#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. Concordia University, Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Concordia University, Chicago are $34,310 per 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. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Chicago.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northeastern Illinois University are $12,064 a year.

Read full report on Special Education at Northeastern Illinois University

$14,738 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIU are $14,738 per year. While working on their degree, special ed majors at NIU accumulate an average of around $21,750 in student debt.

Full Special Education at Northern Illinois University Report

$11,496 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Special Education Schools in Illinois ranking. SIUE is a large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUE are $11,496 a year. After completing their degree, special ed graduates from SIUE carry an average student debtload of $20,250.

Read More…

$15,240 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s best value schools for special education students. SIUC is a large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.

SIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $15,240 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Special Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

$17,634 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for special education students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per year. The average amount in student loans that special ed majors at UIUC take out is $13,750.

UIUC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Special Education Schools in Illinois list.

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

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
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.

  • 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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