Loyola University Chicago
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Education Programs in Zion, IL (2026)
Zion, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering education programs. Zion has a population of about 24,466. Median household income is $62,574 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $128,780 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Education Schools to Zion
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Zion. Distances are calculated from Zion city center.
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 Zion. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
DePaul University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Concordia University-Wisconsin
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Chicago State University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois education page.
Education Wages Near Zion
Zion 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Teacher | $98,970 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $95,531 |
| Elementary School Teacher | $78,390 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $75,666 |
| Middle School Teacher | $78,000 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $75,290 |
| Education Teacher, Postsecondary | $61,350 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,218 |
| Education Administrator, K-12 | $128,780 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $124,305 |
| Education Administrator, Postsecondary | $101,070 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $97,558 |
| Tutor | $38,100 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $36,776 |
| Educational and Career Counselor | $64,730 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $62,481 |
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.
Zion at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,466 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $62,574 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 16.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Education-related employment in Lake County | 6,122 workers, 311 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Zion-Area Cities With Education Programs
- Pleasant Prairie, WI – 5.0 mi away (20,734 pop)
- Waukegan, IL – 6.3 mi away (88,182 pop)
- Gurnee, IL – 7.6 mi away (30,957 pop)
- Kenosha, WI – 8.8 mi away (124,580 pop)
- North Chicago, IL – 9.9 mi away (29,951 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited education schools are near Zion, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Zion. The closest is Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, IL (33.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chicago State University (52.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying education roles near Zion?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Zion are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($128,780), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($101,070), Secondary School Teacher ($98,970). 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 Pleasant Prairie instead of Zion?
Pleasant Prairie, WI is 5.0 miles from Zion and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Zion an affordable place to study education?
Zion’s median household income of $62,574 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Zion 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 Education Programs
- Education accreditation: what to look for
- Education concentrations and specializations
- Is a Education degree worth it?
- Main Education degree guide
- Online Education programs in Illinois
- Education programs by state
Other Programs Available in Zion
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Zion:
- Criminal Justice programs in Zion, IL
- Nursing programs in Zion, IL
- Business Administration programs in Zion, IL
- Computer Science programs in Zion, IL
- Psychology programs in Zion, IL
- Engineering programs in Zion, IL
- Technology programs in Zion, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Zion, IL
- Healthcare programs in Zion, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Zion, IL
- Accounting programs in Zion, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Zion, IL
- Social Work programs in Zion, IL
- Counseling programs in Zion, IL
Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
Data verified: June 11, 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.