Best Online Special Education Programs in East Peoria, IL (2026)

East Peoria, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs, with tuition ranging from $16,144 to $34,309 per year for indexed programs. East Peoria has a population of about 22,485. Median household income is $71,763 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Preschool at a median $62,580 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Special Education Schools to East Peoria

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer special education programs near East Peoria, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from East Peoria 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 East Peoria. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Oehrlein School of Cosmetology

East Peoria, IL 0.6 miles from East Peoria BOC Score 55.3
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $18,890
Avg net price $11,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Illinois Central College

East Peoria, IL 2.7 miles from East Peoria BOC Score 50.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,366
Avg net price $12,961/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Special Education Wages Near East Peoria

East Peoria is part of the Peoria, IL metro area (BLS area code 37900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School$61,200Peoria, IL$67,105
Special Education Teacher, Middle School$61,260Peoria, IL$67,171
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$58,460Peoria, IL$64,101
Special Education Teacher, Preschool$62,580IL statewide$68,618

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.


East Peoria at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population22,485Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,763Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other East Peoria-Area Cities With Special Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited special education schools are near East Peoria, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near East Peoria. The closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL (4.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Millikin University (64.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying special education roles near East Peoria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near East Peoria are: Special Education Teacher, Preschool ($62,580), Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($61,260), Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School ($61,200). 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 Peoria instead of East Peoria?

Peoria, IL is 6.6 miles from East Peoria and has its own set of local special education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is East Peoria an affordable place to study special education?

East Peoria’s median household income of $71,763 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Peoria 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 Special Education Programs

Other Programs Available in East Peoria

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for East Peoria:

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.