Ed.D. Programs in Illinois

Online Ed.D. Programs in Illinois

Public schools tend to offer the cheapest online Ed.D. programs for Illinois residents. Both the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Governors State University offer low tuition rates; UIUC and NIU are willing to charge out-of-state residents the same rate as in-state residents. The following universities offer online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) programs in Illinois:

1. Bradley University
2. Concordia University-Chicago (CAEP-accredited)
3. Governors State University (CAEP-accredited)
4. Illinois State University (CAEP-accredited)
5. National Louis University (CAEP-accredited)
6. Northern Illinois University (CAEP-accredited)
7. Olivet Nazarene University
8. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
10. University of St. Francis

Public Illinois Universities

Education Leadership

UIUC is not CAEP-accredited, but its College of Education has invested a great deal of time and effort into doctoral programs. The 64-credit Online Doctor of Education in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership comes in multiple concentrations that allow you to match the degree to your educational aims (e.g. Learning Design & Leadership). According to the COE, the degree is 100% online and backed by UIUC’s experience with distance learning.

Prefer a CAEP-accredited school? GSU’s high-level, 60-credit Online Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership might suit. It’s available in multiple concentrations, including Higher Education Administration, Not-for-Profit/Social Entrepreneurship, and a hybrid option that will prepare you for the Superintendent Endorsement (P-12). GSU tends to attract older students, including single working mothers, who are in the mid-stage of their careers. It’s also a CPED member.

Another CAEP-accredited option is NIU, which now offers online Ed.D. programs in multiple fields, including curriculum & instruction. Elementary and high school professionals may wish to consider the Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, which gives preference to candidates who hold a professional educator license and have PreK-12 school district experience. It’s offered in a synchronous format, which means you will need to log into classes one night per week. NIU is a CPED member.

Special Education

Special education specialists should also investigate Illinois State University’s 100% Online Ed.D. in Special Education. ISU’s Department of Special Education is one of the largest special education teacher preparation programs in the USA and it has created a 66-credit doctorate of education with at least 22 hours of dedicated special education coursework, electives, and a dissertation. ISU is CAEP-accredited and a CPED member.

Private Illinois Universities

Education Leadership

You could also consider private Illinois universities with a strong history of education. For example, Concordia University-Chicago, which holds CAEP accreditation, began its existence as a college for teacher education. The university claims to graduate the state’s largest number of public school teachers among private Illinois colleges. The convenient, 61-credit Online Doctorate in Education in Leadership comes in scores of Ed.D. concentrations. Courses only last 8 weeks and learning is asynchronous—there are no set times for classes.

Higher Education

National Louis University has a long tradition in early childhood education—it helped found the National Kindergarten Movement and the PTA—and it holds CAEP accreditation. The 60-credit Online Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership is available in an online or hybrid executive format and it can be combined with an Ed.S. A number of students finish the specialist program in 1.5 years and then use the extra year to earn an Ed.D.

You can compare NLU’s higher education offering with Bradley University’s 48-credit Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership – Higher Education Administration and Leadership (HEAL). This program is 100% online with asynchronous classes. If you look at the curriculum, you’ll notice that it’s focused on applied learning. There’s a mandatory two-semester internship and a lengthy Action Research Project (i.e. a capstone).

Private Religious Illinois Universities

We’ve grouped the University of St. Francis (Catholic Franciscan) and Olivet Nazarene University (Nazarene) together because they are Christian schools that integrate their spiritual ethos into their education doctorates. These are wide-ranging programs with similar tuition rates that could be applied to any field of leadership (e.g. corporate settings, public organizations, healthcare, education, business, ministry, and military).

• For instance, in the description for OSU’s 60-credit Online Ed.D. in Ethical Leadership, you’ll see an emphasis on ethics, values, and change management. The integrated program includes networking and case studies. And this 100% online doctorate can be completed in as little as 32 months.
• At USF, the aim is very similar. The 60-credit, cohort-based Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership – Educational Stewardship, Leadership, and Learning Concentration attracts both educators and non-educators. Just bear in mind that it’s a longer program than OSU. It takes around 3.5 years to complete.

Specialist Illinois Universities

Finally, you could investigate The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. It’s not CAEP-accredited, but it has chosen to take part in the CPED Initiative. The 60-credit Online Ed.D. in Educational Psychology and Technology is a specialized option. It’s a technology- and brain-focused doctorate in education that comes in multiple concentrations for different levels of leadership (e.g. Higher Education, K-12, and Instructional Design). Overall, the degree takes three years to complete on a part-time basis.

Note: Check out our overview of online Ed.D. programs, which includes listings for programs in other states and rankings of the nation’s best schools.

Doctoral Education Funding in Illinois

To save you time, we’ve assembled this section on institutional aid at Illinois universities, with links to relevant financial aid sections and scholarship opportunities for doctorate of education students. Keep in mind that the Office of Financial Aid or Graduate School can help with the FAFSA and provide ideas for external awards.

Aurora University

AU awards AU graduate grants to on-campus students who are enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program (check to see if doctoral students qualify). It also has an interest-free monthly payment plan.

Benedictine University

Benedictine offers a Not-for-Profit Scholarship to graduate students who are employees of a not-for-profit organization. This provides a discount of up to 25% on tuition.

Chicago State University

Chicago State’s section on Graduate Financial Aid lays out funding options for Ed.D. candidates. If you’re interested in a graduate assistantship, you’ll need to contact the Ed.D. Department Chairperson.

DePaul University

Start with the College of Education’s section on Graduate Aid. Doctoral students are eligible for graduate assistantships and a few scholarships (most of the awards are aimed at teachers). What’s more, eligible alumni of any U.S. Catholic college or university can receive a 10% discount for graduate and professional programs through Graduate Catholic Scholarships.

Governors State University

If you’re interested in the on-campus Ed.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, you may want to inquire about Graduate Assistantships for the Health and Student Counseling Center and Career Counseling.

Illinois State University

ISU’s College of Education offers an assortment of Education Scholarships and a number of Graduate Assistantships to both master’s and doctoral students. Assistantships include a tuition waiver.

• For the Ed.D. in Educational Administration & Foundations, see the degree section on Financial Assistance. Doctoral EAF majors are eligible for EAF Department Scholarships and tuition waivers through the Graduate School.
• For the Ed.D. in Teaching & Learning, see the degree section on Financial Assistance for info on departmental TCH tuition waivers.
• For the Ed.D. in Special Education, see the degree section on Financial Assistance for details about Special Education assistantships, departmental scholarships, and tuition waivers.

Lewis University

Lewis’s College of Education and Social Sciences offers Department of Education Graduate Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships.

Loyola University Chicago

Loyola’s Graduate School has a helpful section on Financial Assistance & Funding, with details about general fellowships, research funding, and assistantships. The other website to visit is the School of Education (SOE)’s section on Financial Assistance, which has details on SOE scholarship opportunities for graduate students. In addition, Loyola offers installment payment plans.

National Louis University

NLU runs a Graduate Assistantship Program and offers tuition discounts to employees of certain corporate partners (e.g. NLEI). You can also see if you qualify for scholarships such as:

• The Alumni Scholarship for NLU alumni (and Kendall alumni with a bachelor’s degree), which results in a 15% discount off tuition.
• Graduate Scholarships, including a number of awards for education majors.

Ask the Ed.D. program coordinator about the Linda S. Tafel Endowment Fund for a doctoral student in Educational Leadership (preference is given to single mothers) and the Kathleen and Geoffrey Nixon Scholarship for students enrolled in a graduate education program. Scholarship amounts typically range from $500-$4,000.

Northern Illinois University

Scholarships for NIU’s College of Education (COE) are listed in MyScholarships and administered by the NIU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. If you’re considering the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, check out the:

• Harold “Rip” Collins Scholarship
• Dr. Thomas R. Crowell, Jr. & Mrs. Judith F. Crowell Education Scholarship
• Dr. Keith R. Getschman Memorial Scholarship

If you’re eyeing the Ed.D. in Adult & Higher Education, have a look at the:

• Robert M. Smith Memorial Scholarship in Adult Learning
• John A. Niemi Memorial Scholarship for Travel
• Wesley I. Schmidt Scholarship

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

SIUE gives a fair amount of Financial Assistance to graduate students, including:

• Graduate Assistantships
• Research Grants for Research Doctoral Students
• Travel Grants
• Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
• Outstanding Thesis & Dissertation Awards

However, tuition waivers are not accepted for the Ed.D. program.

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

The Chicago School offers reduced doctoral tuition rates to certain categories of student, including alumni, K-12 school personnel, law enforcement officials, mental & behavioral health professionals, military & veterans, and supervisors who are currently affiliated with The Chicago School.

University of Illinois at Chicago

Doctoral students in UIC’s College of Education (COE) are eligible for tuition waivers, graduate awards, and a number of graduate fellowships. There are one or two COE graduate scholarships and assistantships that may be worth investigating.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

UIUC’s College of Education has a comprehensive section on Tuition & Financial Aid for graduate students. It has details on graduate assistantships, COE graduate scholarships and fellowships, and stand-alone tuition waivers. You can also use the Fellowship Finder to look for internal and external funding and consult the section on Graduate College Fellowship Competitions.

Doctoral students in education are eligible for some excellent awards, including the:

• Al S. Davis Leadership Award 
• Frederick A. Rodgers Award 
• William Chandler Bagley Scholarship
• Wanda Taeschner Babcock Fellowship 
• Letitia Walsh Fellowship

Online students are not eligible for graduate assistantships and tuition waivers. However, in-state and out-of-state students pay the same per credit tuition rate.

University of St Francis

Begin with USF’s section on Financial Assistance for Graduate Students. Although it doesn’t have much in the way of internal graduate scholarships, USF offers tuition discounts to graduate students employed at companies or agencies participating in its Corporate Educational Partners program.

Western Illinois University

WIU’s section on Paying for Graduate School has general information on funding avenues. The university offers Graduate Assistantships with a monthly stipend.

Note: If a university name is missing from the list, we didn’t find specific examples of Ed.D. funding beyond private & federal loans and external aid.

Educational Leadership Jobs in Illinois

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

One look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)’s data for K-12 education administrators and postsecondary education administrators will tell you everything you need to know about educational leadership jobs in Illinois.

• You’ll often see Illinois in the top 5 of states with the highest employment levels for both types of administrator.
• The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI metropolitan area employs the most postsecondary education administrators in the USA. And it is second only to New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA for K-12 employment.

You can compare these data with ISBE’s interactive graphs on Illinois Educator Supply and Demand. This tells you where the immediate staff shortages are. If you want to prepare for the job interview, ISBE also issues annual statistical reports on staff data (e.g. Number of Illinois Public School Teachers by Count​​y) as well as financial topics (e.g. Instructional Expenditures) and pupil statistics. The Illinois Report Card uses some of this info.

Educational Leadership Salaries

According to the BLS, wages for K-12 education administrators in Illinois are very strong, especially in the Chicago area. Administrators in this area are often earning $119,000+ per year (annual mean wage). Data on wages for postsecondary administrators follows the same pattern. Salaries are strong in the Chicago area, but weaker elsewhere.

If you need more detailed numbers for K-12 jobs, you can read the annual Salaries of Superintendents and Principals report issued by the Illinois School Board Journal and posted by the IASB. These convenient reports are based on ISBE data, but they also include discussion & interpretation.

National resources to consult include the AASA’s Superintendents Salary and Benefits Survey and Payscale’s cumulative data for all holders of the Doctor of Education (EdD) Degree. This allows you to compare average salary data by job title (e.g. High School Principal vs. Education Director).

Educational Leadership Job Boards

General job sites can get you started (e.g. Indeed, HigherEdJobs, SchoolSpring, etc.). But we also wanted to highlight a few IL-specific job boards that are devoted to educational leaders & administrators, including:

• The IASA Illinois Education Job Bank, which allows you to sort by position and grade level.
• Current Job Openings in the Illinois Network of Charter Schools.
• The District Job Board from the Illinois Education Association (IEA).
• Current Career Opportunities/Openings for principals at Chicago Public Schools.

Educational Leadership Organizations in Illinois

Educational Leadership Associations

• Chicago Principals and Administrators Association (CPAA): CPAA is an organization (not a union) that provides city administrators with resources, advocacy, and support.
• Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education (IAASE): IAASE is a non-profit organization that promotes educational opportunities for all students with an emphasis on students with disabilities. This includes areas of policy development, finance, and legislation.
• Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS): IARSS supports the role of Regional Superintendents of Schools and Assistant Regional Superintendents and of Regional Offices of Education in Illinois.
• Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA): The one to bookmark! IASA is the state-chartered association of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). It serves as an advocacy organization for school administrators and has nearly 2,000 members.
• Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB): IASB is a voluntary, non-profit organization of local boards of education. It’s committed to strengthening Illinois public schools through local citizen control.
• Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO): IASBO provides school business official members and stakeholders with a range of professional development activities, services, and advocacy efforts.
• Illinois Principals Association (IPA): IPA is a membership organization devoted to developing, supporting, and advocating for Illinois educational leaders. It provides members with professional development, networking opportunities, and state & federal advocacy services.

Educational Leadership Professional Groups

• Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS): CGCS is an organization of the nation’s largest urban school systems, including Chicago Public Schools.
• Illinois Council of Community College Administrators (ICCCA): ICCCA provides a resource network, a networking forum, and professional development services to IL community college administrators.
• Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance (Alliance): The Alliance is made up of the IASB, IASBO and the IPA. It allows all three organizations to lobby together and speak with a unified voice on educational issues.
• Illinois Vision 2030: This is a joint effort of the IASA, IASBO, IPA, IASB, SCSDD, and IARSS. The aim of the project is to develop a long-range blueprint for improving public education in Illinois.
• Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity (SCSDD): SCSDD is an educational organization composed of elementary and secondary superintendents and school districts of the Suburban Cook and Collar Counties.

Note: Remember that state and national educator organizations often have funds and scholarships available for continuing education (e.g. Ed.D.). Check the website and ask about opportunities.

Educational Leadership Events in Illinois

Educational Leadership Conferences

• IASA Annual Conference: IASA’s flagship event is held in Springfield and attracts more than 650 school administrators, including school superintendents, assistant superintendents, state agency staff, and college professors of educational administration.
• IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference: One of the nation’s largest state education conferences takes place over three days in November. The event is open to school board members, superintendents and secretaries, school administrators, school attorneys, state and regional educators and officials, university staff, exhibitors, and guests.
• ICCCA/ICCFA Joint Conference: This two-day event for commuity college administrators occurs in November.
• IPA Education Leaders Annual Conference: IPA’s yearly conference is held over three days in October. IPA also organizes a Women in Education Leading and Learning (WELL) Summit.
• New Superintendents Conference: This two-day complimentary event is sponsored by IASA. Topics include superintendent/school board relations, school law and administrative regulations, curriculum and instructional requirements, personnel and contract administration, and much more.
• Raising Student Achievement Conference: This is the IARSS’s annual conference. It usually takes place over two days in December.

Educational Leadership Training

• IARSS Professional Development: IARSS offers foundational services, a gifted education seminar, workshops, and online webinar/instralogues.
• IASA Professional Development: In addition to hosting multiple conferences & events, IASA organizes PD courses, an Aspiring Superintendent Academy, a School for Advanced Leadership, training sessions, and more.
• IPA Professional Development: IPA offers a wide range of PD services, including administrator academies, teacher evaluator training, mentoring & coaching, leadership networking, and more.