Teaching & Education Degrees in Illinois

With everything from acres of rolling farmland to sprawling suburbs to active cities, Illinois offers residents many desirous features that Americans seek. Aspiring educators will be glad to know communities are also growing opportunities for those with teaching degrees in Illinois. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects for teachers will be plentiful in both urban and rural areas of the state. Earning teaching degrees in Illinois can provide entry into this growing field. More than 85,000 elementary-school teachers and 56,000 high-school teachers already work in the state, according to the BLS. Teaching programs in Illinois are diverse--depending on your preferences, you can choose coursework that leads to elementary, middle and high school teaching positions. You should find both on-campus options and programs that offer online teaching degrees in Illinois. Whatever forum you choose, teaching degrees in Illinois offer a wide range of liberal-arts classes, including foundations of teaching and best teaching practices. In most cases, you will receive hands-on classroom experience or be required to complete a specific number of weeks of supervised teaching in the classroom. According to May 2009 data from the BLS, elementary-education teachers employed in Illinois earned a mean wage of $58,510 and high school teachers earned a mean wage of $67,960. Teaching degrees in Illinois can lead to a variety of opportunities, but many graduates find work in elementary education or in high schools.