Best School Psychology Programs in Illinois Rankings for 2026
NASP-approved EdS and specialist programs in Illinois, with the ISBE Professional Educator License (PEL) pathway, the ILTS School Psychologist test, internship requirements, tuition, and school psychologist salary data for 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Illinois school psychologists earn a median of $84,690, about 12% below the $95,990 national median (BLS, May 2025). But the top 10% clear $127,640, and the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro pays the most in the state at a $90,620 median.
- You practice in Illinois public schools with a Professional Educator License (PEL) carrying a School Psychologist endorsement, issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). To open a private practice and call yourself a psychologist, you need a separate doctoral-level Clinical Psychologist license from IDFPR. Two different credentials, two different agencies.
- Illinois has 8 NASP-approved school psychology programs, all listed on the NASP approval list: Illinois State, Loyola Chicago, National Louis, Eastern Illinois, Northern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville, Western Illinois, and The Chicago School. Illinois State, Loyola, and The Chicago School also run doctoral programs.
- Most Illinois programs are three-year EdS or specialist degrees of 60 to 68 credits, built around a 1,200-hour, full-school-year internship plus 250 practicum hours in a school. Public-university tuition runs roughly $400 to $500 per graduate credit, far cheaper than the private options.
- School psychology sits on the NASP shortage dashboard, and Illinois interns are often paid. National Louis reports internship stipends of roughly $9,000 to $20,000, so your training year can come with a paycheck instead of more debt.
Illinois is a big, two-speed market for school psychologists. The statewide median sits at $84,690, a little below the national figure, but that number folds together rural downstate districts and the high-paying Chicago suburbs. In the May 2025 BLS data, the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro leads the state at a $90,620 median, and the top 10% of Illinois school psychologists clear $127,640. Pay follows the certificated salary schedule that districts use for teachers, so your earnings climb on a predictable step-and-column timeline tied to experience and graduate credits.
Here is the part that trips people up. Illinois splits school psychology across two credentials. To work in Illinois public K-12 schools, where almost every school psychologist is employed, you need a Professional Educator License (PEL) with a School Psychologist endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education. If you want to open a private practice and use the title psychologist, that is a separate, doctoral-level Clinical Psychologist license from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Most school psychologists only ever hold the PEL.
The training path runs mostly through Illinois public universities. Illinois State, Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, and SIU Edwardsville all host NASP-approved specialist programs, and at roughly $400 to $500 per graduate credit they cost far less than the private Chicago options at Loyola, National Louis, and The Chicago School. Below you will find every NASP-approved program in Illinois, what the PEL endorsement and the ILTS School Psychologist test actually require, real salary numbers by metro, and how to pick the program that fits where you want to work.
Best School Psychology Programs in Illinois Rankings (NASP-Approved EdS & Specialist)
All 8 programs ranked in this guide, with tuition, format, and accreditation at a glance.
| # | School | In-State Tuition | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois State University: Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) | ~$423/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees | On-campus | |
| 2 | Loyola University Chicago: MEd/EdS in School Psychology | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus | |
| 3 | The Chicago School: EdS in School Psychology | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus | |
| 4 | Northern Illinois University: Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) | ~$480/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees | On-campus | |
| 5 | National Louis University: EdS in School Psychology | Private university (per-credit tuition; see program) | On-campus | |
| 6 | Western Illinois University: Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) | ~$390/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees | On-campus | |
| 7 | Eastern Illinois University: Specialist in School Psychology | ~$395/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees | On-campus | |
| 8 | SIU Edwardsville: Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) | ~$430/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees | On-campus |
Illinois State University: Specialist in School Psychology (SSP)
In-State
~$423/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees
Out-of-State
~$878/credit (graduate, nonresident) + fees
Length
3 years (minimum 60 semester hours)
Field Hours
Practicum + a 9-month, 1,200-hour school internship
Concentrations
- One of the few Illinois programs accredited at the specialist level by NASP, not just approved
- Runs both an SSP specialist program and a separate doctoral program in school psychology
- Built on the NASP 2020 professional standards and approved by the Illinois State Board of Education
- Home of the Illinois School Psychology Internship Consortium (ISPIC), which places paid interns statewide
Loyola University Chicago: MEd/EdS in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
3 years (66 graduate semester hours)
Field Hours
School practicum (1 day/wk year 1, 2 days/wk year 2) + full-time internship (year 3)
Concentrations
- Awards a combined MEd plus EdS, a 66-credit specialist credential, in three years
- Located in downtown Chicago, inside the largest school psychology job market in the state
- Coursework maps directly to the ten NASP professional practice domains
- Also runs PhD and EdD doctoral tracks for students who want a research or faculty career
The Chicago School: EdS in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
3 years on-ground (68 graduate credits)
Field Hours
Year-1 practicum (160 hrs) + year-2 practicum (600 hrs) + 1,200-hour internship
Concentrations
- 68-credit EdS with field-experience requirements that exceed the NASP training standards
- Offers a three-year on-ground track or a four-year blended track for working students
- Field hours stack across all three years: a beginning practicum, a 600-hour practicum, then the internship
- Also runs a NASP-accredited PsyD in school psychology on the Chicago campus
Northern Illinois University: Specialist in School Psychology (SSP)
In-State
~$480/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees
Out-of-State
Resident rate + nonresident differential
Length
3 years (MA plus the SSP specialist degree)
Field Hours
Practica + a full-time, 1,200-hour internship (fall and spring of year 3)
Concentrations
- Students earn both an MA and the Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) degree
- Won a $5.1M federal grant in 2023 to train more school psychologists for area public schools
- Year-3 internship runs full-time, 1,200 hours, across the fall and spring semesters
- Sits in DeKalb, a quick drive from the Chicago suburbs and their high-paying districts
National Louis University: EdS in School Psychology
In-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Out-of-State
Private university (per-credit tuition; see program)
Length
3 years (EdS specialist degree)
Field Hours
Year-2 practicum + a 9-to-10-month, full-time internship (year 3)
Concentrations
- Internships come with pay: NLU reports intern stipends of roughly $9,000 to $20,000 locally
- Places students in well-regarded Chicago-area districts matched to their MTSS interests
- Graduates are eligible for ISBE licensure and the NCSP national certification
- Part of the National College of Education, a school built specifically around training educators
Western Illinois University: Specialist in School Psychology (SSP)
In-State
~$390/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees
Out-of-State
Resident rate + nonresident differential
Length
3 years (minimum 66 graduate semester hours)
Field Hours
Practica + a year-long, 1,200-hour internship (PSY 603)
Concentrations
- 66-credit SSP with full NASP accreditation locked in through February 2030
- Internship placements stretch across Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and occasionally as far as Alaska
- A direct pipeline into rural and downstate districts that struggle to recruit school psychologists
- Coursework meets the NASP standards for the NCSP national certification
Eastern Illinois University: Specialist in School Psychology
In-State
~$395/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees
Out-of-State
Resident rate + nonresident differential
Length
3 years (minimum 60 semester hours)
Field Hours
Coursework and practicum + a paid, full-time school internship (12 credits)
Concentrations
- You earn a master's degree on the way to the full specialist credential
- The year-long internship is paid, so part of your training year comes with a salary
- Fully approved by NASP and ISBE, and nationally recognized through NCATE
- A smaller, downstate program in Charleston with close faculty supervision
SIU Edwardsville: Specialist in School Psychology (SSP)
In-State
~$430/credit (graduate, IL resident) + fees
Out-of-State
Resident rate + nonresident differential
Length
3 years (MS plus ~32 specialist hours)
Field Hours
Practica (including the Attention and Behavior Clinic) + a 1,200-hour internship
Concentrations
- NASP-approved since 1999 and once ranked 7th in the nation for scholarly productivity
- Built on a combined MS in clinical child and school psychology, so you train in clinical and school settings
- Interns work in the campus Attention and Behavior Clinic plus Metro East school districts
- Serves the St. Louis-area Metro East, a strong job market just across the river
Illinois School Psychologist License Requirements (PEL Endorsement and ILTS)
The licensing board, exam pathway, and supervised hours you'll need to practice independently.
Licensing Board
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE): Professional Educator License, School Psychologist Endorsement
(217) 557-6763
Illinois runs school psychology through two separate credentials, and knowing which one you need saves a lot of confusion. The one almost everybody gets is the Professional Educator License (PEL) with a School Psychologist endorsement, issued by the Illinois State Board of Education. It authorizes you to work in Illinois public K-12 schools, doing psycho-educational assessment, counseling, crisis response, and intervention design. To earn it you finish an ISBE-approved specialist program: a master's degree or higher with a school psychology specialization, at least 250 practicum hours in a school or child study center, and a 1,200-hour internship that runs a full school year under a credentialed school psychologist. Your program then recommends you using ISBE form 80-02S.
You also have to clear the content-area test. Per the NASP Illinois credentialing page, that is the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) School Psychologist test (#237). Here is a useful shortcut: Illinois now accepts the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential to satisfy initial licensure, for both in-state and out-of-state applicants. The NCSP also covers your PEL renewal after the first five years, so most students earn it on the way out the door.
The second credential, the Licensed Clinical Psychologist, comes from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and lets you practice privately and use the title psychologist. You cannot get it with a specialist degree. Illinois only licenses psychologists at the doctoral level, so the LCP requires a doctorate, 3,500 hours of supervised experience, and a passing score on the EPPP. Most school psychologists never pursue it. You only need the LCP if you want a private practice outside the schools.
Professional Educator License, School Psychologist Endorsement
Practice as a school psychologist in Illinois public K-12 schools: assessment, counseling, crisis intervention, and intervention design
Hours
1,200
Duration
typically a 3-year program
Exam: ISBE-approved program completion (form 80-02S) + the ILTS School Psychologist test (#237); the NCSP satisfies initial licensure
Licensed Clinical Psychologist (private practice)
Independent practice of psychology outside public schools, including private assessment, therapy, and the use of the title psychologist
Hours
3,500
Duration
Associate
Exam: Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), passing 500/800, plus Illinois jurisprudence requirements (IDFPR)
Illinois does not hand out automatic reciprocity, but it has made the out-of-state route much easier. If you trained and worked as a school psychologist elsewhere, ISBE will issue a PEL with the School Psychologist endorsement when you hold a valid, comparable out-of-state license plus a master's degree or higher, and you can use the NCSP national certification to satisfy the requirement. If you do not have a comparable out-of-state license, you complete an ISBE-approved program (or its equivalent), document your practicum and 1,200-hour internship, and pass the ILTS School Psychologist test. Either way, budget time for the paperwork before your first Illinois school year starts.
School Psychologist Salary in Illinois
BLS state median wages by counseling specialty, with national comparison and top-paying metros.
Illinois pays school psychologists a little below the national average, but the spread is wide and the ceiling is high. The BLS May 2025 data puts the Illinois median at $84,690, against a national median of $95,990, a gap of about 12%. The bottom 10% of Illinois school psychologists earn around $62,620, and the top 10% clear $127,640. The state employs 3,590 school psychologists. Pay follows the certificated salary schedule, the same step-and-column scale that pays teachers, so your earnings climb with experience and graduate credits on a contract-set timeline rather than on what the market will bear.
One honest caveat. That statewide median hides a real Chicago-versus-downstate split. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro pays the most in the state at a $90,620 median, and the affluent suburban districts in DuPage, Lake, and the collar counties run higher still on their salary schedules. Downstate and rural districts pay less but also cost far less to live in. Illinois has a flat state income tax, so your take-home does not change with your bracket the way it would in a graduated-tax state. If you are choosing a program by where you want to live, the Chicago salary map matters as much as the headline number.
School Psychologists (BLS 19-3034)
National median: $95,990
Top metro: $90,620 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN)
School Psychologists, 90th percentile (BLS 19-3034)
National median: $95,990
Top metro: $90,620 (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN)
Illinois School Psychology Job Market and Shortage
Major employers, mental health shortage context, and loan repayment programs that erase debt for service.
There are not enough school psychologists in Illinois, and that is good news for your job prospects. NASP recommends one school psychologist for every 500 students, but the national ratio runs closer to 1,000 to 1, and Illinois shows up on the NASP state shortages dashboard like most of the country. The Illinois School Psychologists Association (ISPA) tracks the workforce and advocates on staffing, and Northern Illinois University won a $5.1 million federal grant in 2023 specifically to train more school psychologists for area public schools, a clear sign the state sees a gap.
Demand is driven by work that schools are legally required to do. Every special education eligibility decision rests on a psycho-educational assessment, and the push to expand school-based mental health since the pandemic has only added to the caseload. School psychologists work for public school districts, regional offices of education, and special education cooperatives. In the Chicago suburbs, well-funded districts compete for graduates and pay near the top of the state schedule. Downstate, programs like Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, and SIU Edwardsville feed rural and Metro East districts that have a hard time recruiting. Many Illinois internships are paid through the state internship program, with stipends that National Louis lists in the $9,000 to $20,000 range.
Loan Repayment & Scholarship Programs
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). School psychologists employed full-time by a public school district or regional office of education qualify for federal PSLF, which forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying payments. Eligibility is based on your employer, not your job title.
Low public-university tuition. At roughly $390 to $480 per graduate credit, the Illinois public-university programs (Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Illinois State, SIU Edwardsville) keep total borrowing low to begin with, which is the cheapest form of loan relief there is.
Paid internships. Illinois runs a state internship program, and several programs place students in paid internships. National Louis reports stipends of roughly $9,000 to $20,000, and Eastern Illinois's internship is paid, so part of your training year comes with a paycheck rather than more debt.
Teacher loan programs. Because the credential is a Professional Educator License, school psychologists may qualify for federal educator loan benefits and state teacher-shortage incentives. These change year to year, so check current eligibility with the districts you are targeting.
How to Choose the Best School Psychology Program in Illinois
Decision factors that actually matter, not generic checklist filler.
Almost every NASP-approved Illinois program leads to the same PEL endorsement, so the real decision is about location, cost, and degree level. Here is how the programs sort out.
If you want the cheapest path: the public universities win on cost. Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Illinois State, and SIU Edwardsville all run roughly $390 to $480 per graduate credit, a fraction of the private Chicago tuition.
If you want the Chicago job market: Loyola University Chicago, National Louis, and The Chicago School sit inside the metro that pays the most in the state. Northern Illinois in DeKalb is a short drive from the suburban districts too.
If you want a paid internship: National Louis reports stipends of $9,000 to $20,000, Eastern Illinois's internship is paid, and the statewide ISPIC consortium run out of Illinois State places paid interns across Illinois.
If you want a program accredited (not just approved) by NASP: Illinois State, National Louis, Western Illinois, and The Chicago School hold full NASP accreditation at the specialist level, the higher of the two NASP designations.
If you want to keep your options open for a doctorate: Illinois State, Loyola Chicago, and The Chicago School run doctoral programs in school psychology, so you can stay at the same institution if you decide to go further.
If you live downstate or in the Metro East: Eastern Illinois (Charleston), Western Illinois (Macomb), and SIU Edwardsville train students for rural and St. Louis-area districts that compete hard for graduates.
If you want a clinical edge: SIU Edwardsville builds its specialist degree on a clinical child and school psychology master's, with practica in an ADHD and autism clinic, useful if you want assessment depth beyond the standard school role.
Related Pages
School Psychologist Career Guide
What school psychologists actually do day to day
School Psychologist Salary
Salary data by state, experience, and setting
School Psychology Programs by State
Browse school psychology programs in every state
School Psychology Programs in Indiana
NASP-approved programs in neighboring Indiana
School Psychology Programs in Wisconsin
NASP-approved programs in neighboring Wisconsin
Sources
- NASP: Program Approval & Accreditation List (Illinois)
- NASP: Illinois School Psychology Credentialing Requirements
- Illinois State Board of Education: PEL School Support Personnel Endorsements
- Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS): School Psychologist Test #237
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: Clinical Psychology
- Illinois School Psychologists Association (ISPA)
- NASP: Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) Eligibility
- NASP: State Shortages Data Dashboard
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: School Psychologists (OEWS 19-3034)