Last Updated on August 4, 2023 by Sidharth PS
Do you want to become a special education teacher/instructor? If yes, this post will be of help to you. Here, I’ve compiled a list of best special education and teaching colleges in Illinois. Here, readers will find the following details – list of colleges, rating, fees, programs/majors, awards and degrees, admission requirements, tests and more. Come, let us check out the list of special education and teaching colleges now. Here it is –
Top affordable Special Education & Teaching Colleges in Illinois for 2022
Rank |
College |
Fees/Cost |
Type of Institute |
Degrees & Awards |
Address |
1 | College of Lake County | $4,003 | 2-year, Public | Less than one year certificate|One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree | 19351 W Washington St., Grayslake, Illinois 60030-1198 |
2 | Joliet Junior College | $4,558 | 2-year, Public | Less than one year certificate|One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree | 1215 Houbolt Rd, Joliet, Illinois 60431-8938 |
3 | City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College | $4,859 | 2-year, Public | Less than one year certificate|One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree | 1145 W Wilson Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60640-6063 |
4 | Oakton Community College | $6,341 | 2-year, Public | Less than one year certificate|One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree | 1600 E Golf Rd., Des Plaines, Illinois 60016-1268 |
5 | Kankakee Community College | $6,552 | 2-year, Public | Less than one year certificate|One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree | 100 College Drive, Kankakee, Illinois 60901 |
6 | South Suburban College | $6,650 | 2-year, Public | Less than one year certificate|One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree | 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois 60473-1200 |
7 | Chicago State University | $9,820 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60628-1598 |
8 | Governors State University | $11,498 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice|Doctor’s degree – other | 1 University Pky, University Park, Illinois 60484 |
9 | University of Illinois at Chicago | $12,322 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 601 S Morgan, Chicago, Illinois 60607 |
10 | Eastern Illinois University | $14,146 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate | 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, Illinois 61920 |
11 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $14,660 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 601 E John Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820-5711 |
12 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | $14,790 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice|Doctor’s degree – other | Il State Rte 157, Edwardsville, Illinois 62026-1259 |
13 | National Louis University | $14,848 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Associate’s degree|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship | 122 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60603 |
14 | Northeastern Illinois University | $14,941 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Master’s degree | 5500 N Saint Louis Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60625-4699 |
15 | Saint Xavier University | $14,975 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate | 3700 W 103rd St, Chicago, Illinois 60655 |
16 | Western Illinois University | $15,802 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship | 1 University Circle, Macomb, Illinois 61455 |
17 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $16,299 | 4-year, Public | One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, Illinois 62901-4512 |
18 | Concordia University-Chicago | $17,051 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Associate’s degree|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship | 7400 Augusta, River Forest, Illinois 60305-1499 |
19 | Quincy University | $17,423 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Associate’s degree|Bachelor’s degree|Master’s degree | 1800 College Ave, Quincy, Illinois 62301-2699 |
20 | University of St Francis | $17,687 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Less than one year certificate|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – other | 500 N Wilcox St, Joliet, Illinois 60435-6188 |
21 | Aurora University | $17,906 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship | 347 S Gladstone Ave, Aurora, Illinois 60506-4892 |
22 | Northern Illinois University | $18,346 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy., Dekalb, Illinois 60115-2828 |
23 | Hebrew Theological College | $18,580 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree | 7135 N Carpenter Rd, Skokie, Illinois 60077 |
24 | Judson University | $18,641 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Less than one year certificate|Associate’s degree|Two but less than 4 years certificate|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship | 1151 N State St, Elgin, Illinois 60123-1498 |
25 | Dominican University | $19,280 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship | 7900 W Division Street, River Forest, Illinois 60305 |
26 | Lewis University | $19,520 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – other | One University Parkway, Romeoville, Illinois 60446-2200 |
27 | Illinois State University | $20,093 | 4-year, Public | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | North and School Streets, Normal, Illinois 61790-1000 |
28 | Olivet Nazarene University | $21,043 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship | One University Avenue, Bourbonnais, Illinois 60914-2271 |
29 | Eureka College | $21,178 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree | 300 E. College Avenue, Eureka, Illinois 61530 |
30 | Greenville University | $21,268 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree|Master’s degree | 315 E. College Ave., Greenville, Illinois 62246 |
31 | Millikin University | $22,138 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Less than one year certificate|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 1184 W Main St, Decatur, Illinois 62522-2084 |
32 | Rockford University | $22,166 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree|Master’s degree | 5050 E State St, Rockford, Illinois 61108-2311 |
33 | Elmhurst University | $22,791 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Less than one year certificate|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree | 190 Prospect Ave, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-3296 |
34 | Trinity Christian College | $23,177 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate | 6601 W College Dr, Palos Heights, Illinois 60463-0929 |
35 | Roosevelt University | $24,036 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Associate’s degree|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 430 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60605-1394 |
36 | Benedictine University | $25,604 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Less than one year certificate|Associate’s degree|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship | 5700 College Rd, Lisle, Illinois 60532-0900 |
37 | Northwestern University | $26,196 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | One but less than two years certificate|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 633 Clark St, Evanston, Illinois 60208 |
38 | Bradley University | $26,791 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 1501 W BRADLEY AVE, Peoria, Illinois 61625-0001 |
39 | DePaul University | $32,022 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Less than one year certificate|One but less than two years certificate|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 1 E Jackson Blvd, Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
40 | Loyola University Chicago | $36,388 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Less than one year certificate|One but less than two years certificate|Associate’s degree|Two but less than 4 years certificate|Bachelor’s degree|Postbaccalaureate certificate|Master’s degree|Post-master’s certificate|Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship|Doctor’s degree – professional practice | 1032 W. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, Illinois 60660 |
In order to rank these colleges, I’ve used the ‘affordability’ factor. I’ve used the ‘net cost’ of education parameter to rank these colleges. Come, let us take a close look at prominent special education and teaching programs/majors. Here is the list –
Best Special Education & Teaching programs/majors
- Special education and teaching (General)
- Special education and teaching (Other)
- Education/Teaching of individuals in Early Childhood Special Education programs
- Education/Teaching of individuals in Elementary Special Education programs
- Education/Teaching of individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education programs
- Education/Teaching of individuals in Secondary Special Education programs
- Education/Teaching of individuals who are developmentally delayed
- Education/Teaching of individuals with autism
- Education/Teaching of individuals with emotional disturbances
- Education/Teaching of individuals with hearing impairments including deafness
- Education/Teaching of individuals with intellectual disabilities
- Education/Teaching of individuals with multiple disabilities
- Education/Teaching of individuals with orthopedic and other physical health impairments
- Education/Teaching of individuals with specific learning disabilities
- Education/Teaching of individuals with speech or language impairments
- Education/Teaching of individuals with traumatic brain injuries
- Education/Teaching of individuals with vision impairments including blindness
- Education/Teaching of the gifted and talented
These programs/majors span degrees/academic levels such as – Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, Doctor’s Degree, Postgraduate Certificate etc. Do you want to know more about the admission process? If yes, check out the next section. In the next section, we will take a close look at aspects such as – admission requirements and tests.
You may also check –
Best architecture colleges in Illinois
Special education schools in Illinois
Admission requirements and tests
These are some of the popular admission requirements –
- Secondary School GPA
- Secondary School Rank
- Secondary School Record
- Completion of college-preparatory Program
- Recommendations
- Admission Tests (SAT/ACT)
- TOEFL
Depending upon the college, the above requirements may be labeled as – required, recommended or considered but not required. In short, admission requirements may vary slightly from one college to another.
I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.
I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.