2026 Best Value Reading Teacher Education Schools in Illinois
[Reading Teacher Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/reading-teacher-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong reading teacher education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 23 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for reading teacher education students.
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2026 Best Value Reading Teacher Education Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the reading teacher education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Reading Teacher Education Schools
University Of Illinois At Chicago tops our 2026 list of the best value reading teacher education schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,949, with out-of-state students paying around $32,009. Typical student debt for reading teacher education graduates is $17,125. Reading Teacher Education graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $58,732 early in their careers. Set against $17,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in reading teacher education will find it at Western Illinois University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,572 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,639 to complete the reading teacher education program here. Early-career reading teacher education graduates make about $50,756. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Western Illinois University admits about 71% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in reading teacher education will find it at Saint Xavier University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Chicago, Saint Xavier University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,945. Typical student debt for reading teacher education graduates is $27,194. Reading Teacher Education graduates of Saint Xavier University earn a median of $51,753 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,194 median debt. Saint Xavier University admits about 84% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Northern Illinois University one of the best values for reading teacher education. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,060. Typical student debt for reading teacher education graduates is $26,746. Early-career reading teacher education graduates make about $51,839. That is a strong return on a $26,746 median debt. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value reading teacher education schools. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,383, compared with $22,726 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,250 to complete the reading teacher education program here. Reading Teacher Education graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn a median of $77,040 early in their careers. Set against $25,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value reading teacher education schools. Eastern Illinois University is a large public school located in the town of Charleston. In-state tuition and fees average $13,377, compared with $15,859 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $28,866 to complete the reading teacher education program here. Early-career reading teacher education graduates make about $43,603. Set against $28,866 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
National Louis University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value reading teacher education schools. Located in the city of Chicago, National Louis University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,245. Reading Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $29,242 in student loans. Early-career reading teacher education graduates make about $65,720. That is a strong return on a $29,242 median debt. National Louis University admits about 95% of applicants.
University Of St Francis placed #8 among the best values for reading teacher education. Set in the suburb of Joliet, University Of St Francis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $38,110 in tuition and fees. Reading Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $25,695 in student loans. Early-career reading teacher education graduates make about $59,586. Set against $25,695 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Concordia University Chicago placed #9 among the best values for reading teacher education. Concordia University Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,488. Reading Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Reading Teacher Education graduates of Concordia University Chicago earn a median of $51,796 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Concordia University Chicago admits about 93% of applicants.
Lewis University earned the #10 position for value in reading teacher education this year. Set in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,200. Typical student debt for reading teacher education graduates is $24,838. Soon after graduation, reading teacher education degree recipients from Lewis University generally make around $55,718. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Lewis University admits about 71% of applicants.
Aurora University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value reading teacher education schools. Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $29,170. Students borrow a median of $24,507 to complete the reading teacher education program here. Early-career reading teacher education graduates make about $51,483. That is a strong return on a $24,507 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois State University came in at #12 for value in reading teacher education this year. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,410, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Reading Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $24,149 in student loans. Reading Teacher Education graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of $50,102 early in their careers. Set against $24,149 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Olivet Nazarene University earned the #13 position for value in reading teacher education this year. Olivet Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais. In-state tuition and fees average $38,900. Typical student debt for reading teacher education graduates is $27,000. Early-career reading teacher education graduates make about $51,475. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Olivet Nazarene University admits about 56% of applicants.
Depaul University placed #14 among the best values for reading teacher education. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Students borrow a median of $26,910 to complete the reading teacher education program here. Early-career reading teacher education graduates make about $52,130. Set against $26,910 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.
More Reading Teacher Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
