2026 Best Value School Psychology Schools in Illinois
[School Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/school-psychology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong school psychology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for school psychology students.
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2026 Best Value School Psychology Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the school psychology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value School Psychology Schools
Governors State University tops our 2026 list of the best value school psychology schools in Illinois. Set in the suburb of University Park, Governors State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,004. Typical student debt for school psychology graduates is $24,990. Early-career school psychology graduates make about $52,581. That is a strong return on a $24,990 median debt. Governors State University admits about 48% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earned it the #2 place for school psychology. 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 $23,917 to complete the school psychology program here. School Psychology graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of $54,302 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,917 median debt. The acceptance rate is 98%.
A rank of #3 makes Eastern Illinois University one of the best values for school psychology. Eastern Illinois University is a large public school located in the town of Charleston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,377, compared with $15,859 for out-of-state students. School Psychology graduates carry a median of $24,293 in student loans. Soon after graduation, school psychology degree recipients from Eastern Illinois University generally make around $55,825. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Eastern Illinois University admits about 65% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at National Louis University earned it the #4 place for school psychology. Located in the city of Chicago, National Louis University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $13,245 in tuition and fees. School Psychology graduates carry a median of $29,242 in student loans. Early-career school psychology graduates make about $57,591. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Illinois State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in school psychology, landing the #5 spot this year. Illinois State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal. Students from in state pay about $14,410 in tuition and fees, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. School Psychology graduates carry a median of $21,896 in student loans. Early-career school psychology graduates make about $49,660. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.
Loyola University Chicago landed the #6 spot for school psychology value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,710. Students borrow a median of $23,521 to complete the school psychology program here. Soon after graduation, school psychology degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $67,469. That is a strong return on a $23,521 median debt. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.
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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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
