Federal data
Highest earning master's special education programs in Illinois
Illinois special education programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public, 4-year | $73,322 | 60 |
| 2 | Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago | Public, 4-year | $69,073 | 38 |
| 3 | DePaul University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $67,561 | 50 |
| 4 | Concordia University-Chicago | River Forest | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $64,673 | 46 |
| 5 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public, 4-year | $60,274 | 70 |
| 6 | National Louis University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $57,644 | 39 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.