2026 Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools in Illinois
[Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor](/majors/education/teaching-french-foreign-language/english-as-a-second-or-foreign-language-esl-language-instructor/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools to find the best return on investment for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor students.
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2026 Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools
Our analysis ranked Harper College the best value for a degree in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,894 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,874. Teaching English As A Second Or Foreign Language/esl Language Instructor graduates carry a median of $10,963 in student loans. Early-career teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates make about $44,523. That is a strong return on a $10,963 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes College Of Lake County one of the best values for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. Located in the suburb of Grayslake, College Of Lake County is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,788, with out-of-state students paying around $14,400. Typical student debt for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates is $9,785. Soon after graduation, teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor degree recipients from College Of Lake County generally make around $50,314. Set against $9,785 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Northeastern Illinois University one of the best values for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $12,383 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,726. Teaching English As A Second Or Foreign Language/esl Language Instructor graduates carry a median of $17,600 in student loans. Early-career teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates make about $49,254. That is a strong return on a $17,600 median debt. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Dominican University earned it the #4 place for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. Dominican University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest. In-state tuition and fees average $38,828. Typical student debt for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates is $26,236. Early-career teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates make about $45,546. That is a strong return on a $26,236 median debt. Dominican University admits about 90% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Olivet Nazarene University one of the best values for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. Olivet Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,900. Teaching English As A Second Or Foreign Language/esl Language Instructor graduates carry a median of $26,797 in student loans. Soon after graduation, teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor degree recipients from Olivet Nazarene University generally make around $59,061. That is a strong return on a $26,797 median debt. Olivet Nazarene University admits about 56% of applicants.
Wheaton College Illinois landed the #6 spot for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor value this year. Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton. Students from in state pay about $45,546 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,292 to complete the teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor program here. Teaching English As A Second Or Foreign Language/esl Language Instructor graduates of Wheaton College Illinois earn a median of $43,654 early in their careers. Set against $23,292 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
