Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Glen Ellyn, IL (2026)

Glen Ellyn, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Glen Ellyn has a population of about 28,270. Median household income is $133,346 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 68.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $70,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Glen Ellyn

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Glen Ellyn, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Glen Ellyn city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Glen Ellyn. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 6.4 miles from Glen Ellyn BOC Score 64.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,462
Avg net price $24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 12.6 miles from Glen Ellyn BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 13.2 miles from Glen Ellyn BOC Score 49.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,089
Avg net price $18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Judson University

Elgin, IL 17.8 miles from Glen Ellyn BOC Score 52.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 48%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,313
Avg net price $18,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 19.3 miles from Glen Ellyn BOC Score 35.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, IL 21.0 miles from Glen Ellyn BOC Score 66.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,656
Avg net price $10,970/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 21.2 miles from Glen Ellyn BOC Score 79.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

St. Augustine College

Chicago, IL 21.8 miles from Glen Ellyn
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois early childhood education page.


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Glen Ellyn

Glen Ellyn is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$43,050Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$41,554
Kindergarten Teacher$70,250Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$67,809
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$59,150Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$57,095
Teaching Assistant$37,840Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$36,525

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Glen Ellyn at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population28,270Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$133,346Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+68.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Glen Ellyn-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Glen Ellyn, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Glen Ellyn. The closest is Elmhurst University in Elmhurst, IL (6.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Judson University (17.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Glen Ellyn?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Glen Ellyn are: Kindergarten Teacher ($70,250), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($59,150), Preschool Teacher ($43,050). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wheaton instead of Glen Ellyn?

Wheaton, IL is 2.4 miles from Glen Ellyn and has its own set of local early childhood education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Glen Ellyn an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Glen Ellyn’s median household income of $133,346 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Glen Ellyn while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Early Childhood Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Glen Ellyn

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Glen Ellyn:

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.