Best Education Teacher, Postsecondary programs in Illinois, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language.
60 schools in Illinois run programs that feed this job, graduating 6,690 people a year. The job pays a median of $61,560 in Illinois across about 3,930 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Illinois that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
48 programs in Illinois that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Illinois (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Illinois page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 13.1202In Illinois → | 1,616 | 24.2% | 43 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 2 | CIP 13.1210In Illinois → | 1,347 | 20.1% | 29 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 3 | CIP 13.0301In Illinois → | 832 | 12.4% | 18 | $45,004 | $27,000 |
| 4 | Education, Generalmain feeder CIP 13.0101In Illinois → | 602 | 9.0% | 23 | $37,953 | $25,000 |
| 5 | CIP 13.1314In Illinois → | 320 | 4.8% | 17 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 6 | CIP 13.1315In Illinois → | 258 | 3.9% | 16 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 7 | CIP 13.1312In Illinois → | 243 | 3.6% | 22 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 8 | CIP 13.1203In Illinois → | 241 | 3.6% | 23 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 9 | CIP 13.1205In Illinois → | 224 | 3.3% | 18 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 10 | CIP 13.1302In Illinois → | 105 | 1.6% | 15 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 11 | CIP 13.1305In Illinois → | 105 | 1.6% | 12 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 12 | CIP 13.1307In Illinois → | 73 | 1.1% | 4 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 13 | CIP 13.1209In Illinois → | 68 | 1.0% | 3 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 14 | CIP 13.1311In Illinois → | 65 | 1.0% | 16 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 15 | CIP 13.1328In Illinois → | 65 | 1.0% | 6 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 16 | CIP 13.1015In Illinois → | 60 | 0.9% | 3 | $44,139 | $26,675 |
| 17 | CIP 13.0201In Illinois → | 52 | 0.8% | 7 | $56,738 | $19,664 |
| 18 | CIP 13.1320In Illinois → | 39 | 0.6% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 19 | CIP 13.1317In Illinois → | 37 | 0.6% | 8 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 20 | CIP 13.1330In Illinois → | 37 | 0.6% | 9 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 21 | CIP 13.1206In Illinois → | 35 | 0.5% | 4 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 22 | CIP 13.1316In Illinois → | 25 | 0.4% | 7 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 23 | CIP 13.1322In Illinois → | 24 | 0.4% | 8 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 24 | CIP 13.0607In Illinois → | 21 | 0.3% | 4 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 25 | Education, Othermain feeder CIP 13.9999In Illinois → | 20 | 0.3% | 6 | $34,646 | $25,855 |
| 26 | CIP 13.0699In Illinois → | 20 | 0.3% | 1 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 27 | CIP 13.1009In Illinois → | 20 | 0.3% | 1 | $44,139 | $26,675 |
| 28 | CIP 13.0603In Illinois → | 16 | 0.2% | 2 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 29 | CIP 13.0901In Illinois → | 14 | 0.2% | 2 | $33,915 | $17,000 |
| 30 | CIP 13.0601In Illinois → | 14 | 0.2% | 2 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 31 | CIP 13.1399In Illinois → | 11 | 0.2% | 3 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 32 | CIP 13.1306In Illinois → | 10 | 0.1% | 4 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 33 | CIP 13.1304In Illinois → | 9 | 0.1% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 34 | CIP 13.1007In Illinois → | 8 | 0.1% | 2 | $44,139 | $26,675 |
| 35 | CIP 13.1099In Illinois → | 8 | 0.1% | 2 | $44,139 | $26,675 |
| 36 | CIP 13.1303In Illinois → | 8 | 0.1% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 37 | CIP 13.1301In Illinois → | 7 | 0.1% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 38 | CIP 13.1319In Illinois → | 7 | 0.1% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 39 | CIP 13.1005In Illinois → | 6 | 0.1% | 1 | $44,139 | $26,675 |
| 40 | CIP 13.1309In Illinois → | 6 | 0.1% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 41 | CIP 13.1323In Illinois → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 42 | CIP 13.1011In Illinois → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $44,139 | $26,675 |
| 43 | CIP 13.1214In Illinois → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $41,127 | $25,500 |
| 44 | CIP 13.0202In Illinois → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $56,738 | $19,664 |
| 45 | CIP 13.1014In Illinois → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $44,139 | $26,675 |
| 46 | CIP 13.1324In Illinois → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 47 | CIP 13.1329In Illinois → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 48 | CIP 44.0502In Illinois → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
Top 25 schools in Illinois
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 32 of the 60 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Louis University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 906 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | $40,484 | 30% | $18,904 | 95% |
| 2 | Illinois State University Normal, IL Public · 18 feeder programs | 773 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $44,898 | 65% | — | 88% |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 12 feeder programs | 536 | Education, General | — | 85% | — | 42% |
| 4 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL Public · 9 feeder programs | 359 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $44,214 | 49% | — | 70% |
| 5 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 13 feeder programs | 301 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $60,917 | 62% | — | 77% |
| 6 | Concordia University - Chicago River Forest, IL Private not-for-profit · 16 feeder programs | 244 | Curriculum and Instruction | — | 36% | $17,620 | 93% |
| 7 | DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 20 feeder programs | 231 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $43,326 | 68% | $28,141 | 76% |
| 8 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 212 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | $41,130 | 67% | $17,632 | 71% |
| 9 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 178 | Curriculum and Instruction | — | 67% | $15,591 | 65% |
| 10 | McKendree University Lebanon, IL Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 174 | Education, General | — | 53% | $23,994 | 72% |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Carbondale, IL Public · 12 feeder programs | 167 | Trade and Industrial Teacher Education | $54,215 | 62% | — | 87% |
| 12 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL Public · 8 feeder programs | 164 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $40,544 | 45% | — | 71% |
| 13 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL Public · 8 feeder programs | 163 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $41,582 | 47% | — | 65% |
| 14 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL Private not-for-profit · 14 feeder programs | 149 | Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching | $44,072 | 61% | $20,903 | 56% |
| 15 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL Public · 7 feeder programs | 148 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $41,938 | 22% | — | 75% |
| 16 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL Public · 5 feeder programs | 146 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $38,830 | 57% | — | 97% |
| 17 | Aurora University Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 127 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $44,282 | 60% | $18,431 | 81% |
| 18 | Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 11 feeder programs | 125 | Elementary Education and Teaching | $46,377 | 57% | $12,935 | 84% |
| 19 | Roosevelt University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 116 | Bilingual and Multilingual Education | — | 35% | $21,085 | 97% |
| 20 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 11 feeder programs | 113 | Secondary Education and Teaching | $55,652 | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 21 | City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College Chicago, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 99 | Education, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 22 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL Private not-for-profit · 11 feeder programs | 92 | Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | $48,105 | 70% | $20,794 | 74% |
| 23 | North Park University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 88 | Education, General | — | 58% | $18,494 | 69% |
| 24 | Greenville University Greenville, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 82 | Education, General | — | 40% | $20,472 | 97% |
| 25 | College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 81 | Early Childhood Education and Teaching | — | 25% | — | — |
All 60 schools in Illinois
Every school in Illinois with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Louis University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 906 | 7 |
| Illinois State University | Normal | Public | 773 | 18 |
| University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign | Champaign | Public | 536 | 12 |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public | 359 | 9 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public | 301 | 13 |
| Concordia University - Chicago | River Forest | Private not-for-profit | 244 | 16 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 231 | 20 |
| Lewis University | Romeoville | Private not-for-profit | 212 | 8 |
| University of St Francis | Joliet | Private not-for-profit | 178 | 9 |
| McKendree University | Lebanon | Private not-for-profit | 174 | 7 |
| Southern Illinois University - Carbondale | Carbondale | Public | 167 | 12 |
| Western Illinois University | Macomb | Public | 164 | 8 |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston | Public | 163 | 8 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | Private not-for-profit | 149 | 14 |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago | Public | 148 | 7 |
What education teachers, postsecondary earn in Illinois
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $75,350. Illinois pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: Illinois employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Illinois
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Education Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a Education Teacher, Postsecondary
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Illinois
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Education Teachers, Postsecondary25 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.0101Education, General
- 13.0201Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- 13.0202Multicultural Education
- 13.0203Indian/Native American Education
- 13.0299Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Other
- 13.0301Curriculum and Instruction
- 13.0601Educational Evaluation and Research
- 13.0603Educational Statistics and Research Methods
- 13.0604Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement
- 13.0607Learning Sciences
- 13.0699Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other
- 13.0901Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
- 13.1005Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances
- 13.1006Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
- 13.1007Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities
- 13.1008Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health Impairments
- 13.1009Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness
- 13.1011Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities
- 13.1012Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments
- 13.1013Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism
- 13.1014Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed
- 13.1015Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
- 13.1016Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries
- 13.1017Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs
- 13.1018Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs
Common questions
Answers for people weighing education teachers, postsecondary programs in Illinois.
What degree do you need to become an Education Teacher, Postsecondary?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Elementary Education and Teaching, which awarded 1,616 degrees in Illinois in 2024-25, 24.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Education Teacher, Postsecondary?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 48 programs to this occupation. The largest are Teacher Education and Professional Development, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Curriculum and Instruction, Education, plus 6 more. Together they graduate about 6,690 people a year in Illinois.
How much do education teachers, postsecondary earn in Illinois?+
The median is $61,560 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 18.3% below the U.S. median of $75,350. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for education teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +2.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 5,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Illinois?+
60 institutions in Illinois reported graduates from at least one of the 48 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do education teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Education Professor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1081.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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