2026 Best Value Speech Pathology & Audiology Schools in Illinois
[Speech Pathology & Audiology](/majors/health-care-professions/communication-sciences/speech-pathology-and-audiology/) 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 5 schools to find the best return on investment for speech pathology & audiology students.
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2026 Best Value Speech Pathology & Audiology Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the speech pathology & audiology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Speech Pathology & Audiology Schools
Our analysis ranked Southern Illinois University Edwardsville the best value for a degree in speech pathology & audiology in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,092 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the speech pathology & audiology program here. Early-career speech pathology & audiology graduates make about $53,653. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville admits about 98% of applicants.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a great value for students pursuing a degree in speech pathology & audiology, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for speech pathology & audiology graduates is $21,117. Early-career speech pathology & audiology graduates make about $49,125. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
Lewis University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value speech pathology & audiology schools. Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Romeoville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,200. Students borrow a median of $24,838 to complete the speech pathology & audiology program here. Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates of Lewis University earn a median of $55,718 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,838 median debt. The acceptance rate is 71%.
A rank of #4 makes Illinois State University one of the best values for speech pathology & audiology. Illinois State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal. In-state tuition and fees average $14,410, with out-of-state students paying around $26,058. Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Early-career speech pathology & audiology graduates make about $54,477. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.
Northwestern University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value speech pathology & audiology schools. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Typical student debt for speech pathology & audiology graduates is $16,616. Speech Pathology & Audiology graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $72,396 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
