Radar · Education in Illinois
Best Education Companies in Illinois, United States
The 308 best Education companies in Illinois, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: 160 Driving Academy.
By Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories
308companies tracked
$255.1Mdisclosed funding
0unicorns
50have raised
FLIAR INTELLIGENCE · EDUCATION × ILLINOIS
Our analysis of 96 Education companies
$11.9b in tracked funding; 98% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
96companies analysed
98%cloud-native stacks
2025funding peak (by rounds)
2000median founding year
66median Fliar Index™
703kcombined LinkedIn audience
77%of audience held by top 3
5companies hiring publicly (12 mo)
Ranked: Best Education companies in Illinois
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Tech stack | Web popularity | SEO maturity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 160 Driving Academy Chain of truck driving coaching centers | $130M | 21 mo ago | 267 | Apple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365Windows Server+19 | Top 1M | rich | — | — |
| 2 | University of Illinois at Chicago University offering multiple courses and degrees across diversified streams 62Tech top 9%Funding top 29%Growth top 35%Talent bottom 49% All 8 signals ▾Techtop 9% Fundingtop 29% Growthtop 35% Talentbottom 49% Productbottom 41% Customersbottom 39% Globalbottom 32% Marketbottom 31% Tech: 230 technologies across 7/8 capability areas · Cloud: Akamai, Amazon Alb Funding: Raised $26.5M across 12 rounds · 12 rounds over 1 yrs (12.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $26M | 5 mo ago | 31 | WordPressMySQLMariaDB+36 | Top 500k | rich | — | — |
| 3 | Sxu Edu University provides undergraduate and graduate education, alumni engagement, and related support services | $16M | 8 mo ago | — | Omni CMSApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+28 | Top 1M | basic | — | — |
| 4 | JWCC Community college providing educational programs, workforce training, and student support services | $15M | 135 mo ago | 800 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+25 | Top 5M | rich | — | — |
| 5 | KCC Community college providing academic programs, workforce training, and continuing education | $11M | 169 mo ago | 870 | SentryApple iCloud MailMicrosoft ASP.NET+23 | Top 5M | rich | 10 patents Formulating epoxy resin systems for molding and liquid casting applications | — |
| 6 | Big Blue Provides swiming classes for kids | $9M | 46 mo ago | 106 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+32 | Top 1M | rich | — | 2 expansions |
| 7 | EOC Provider of community-based services and resources for individual and family support | $7M | 177 mo ago | 34 | NginxOpenRestyHSTS+1 | Top 50M | rich | — | 1 partnership |
| 8 | Educare West Provider of early childhood education and family support programs | $5M | 12 mo ago | — | — | — | — | — | 2 job openings |
| 9 | Sic College provides academic programs, workforce training, student support, and community engagement | $4M | 188 mo ago | 407 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+30 | Top 5M | rich | — | — |
| 10 | TeleTeachers Online platform offering e-learning services 29Funding top 38%Talent bottom 49%Market bottom 42%Global bottom 29% All 4 signals ▾Fundingtop 38% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 42% Globalbottom 29% Funding: Raised $4.3M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 6 yrs (0.5/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $4M | 8 mo ago | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Transeo College offering multiple courses and degrees across diversified streams | $4M | 56 mo ago | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Alton School District District provides education through elementary, middle, and high school programs | $3M | 12 mo ago | 39 | PHPBootstrapAlertifyJS+20 | Top 5M | basic | — | — |
| 13 | Nuhs Provider of educational programs and resources in the health sciences | $2M | 201 mo ago | 73 | WordPressTypeScriptPHP+39 | Top 5M | rich | — | — |
| 14 | Illinois Institute of Technology Provider of STEM-focused undergraduate and graduate educational programs and research | $2M | 5 mo ago | 6,725 | DrupalPHPVarnish+30 | Top 500k | rich | 91 patents Advanced energy storage materials, electrocatalysts, thin‑film deposition, and AI‑driven bio/ data analytics | — |
| 15 | Right At School Before and after school programs | $2M | 140 mo ago | 815 815 → 1,954 (+140%) | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+34 | Top 1M | rich | — | 3 partnerships · 1 award |
| 16 | INC Schools Network supporting and advocating for charter public schools | $2M | 189 mo ago | 37 | WordPressMySQLPHP+29 | Top 10M | rich | — | 1 award |
| 17 | College of American Pathologists University offering multiple courses and degrees across diversified streams | $2M | 153 mo ago | 706 706 → 1,301 (+84%) | Cart FunctionalityCraft CMSApple iCloud Mail+34 | Top 500k | rich | — | — |
| 18 | North Shore School District 112 Operator of elementary and middle schools providing educational programs | $2M | 6 mo ago | 555 | Apple iCloud MailGoogle WorkspaceCodeMirror+29 | Top 5M | basic | — | — |
| 19 | Eastwest Provider of post-secondary education and vocational training programs for adult learners | $1M | 188 mo ago | — | WordPress Block EditorBeaver BuilderWordPress+24 | Top 5M | rich | — | — |
| 20 | Central Queens Academy Charter School Operator of tuition-free public charter schools integrating academics and support services | $1M | 15 mo ago | 74 | Squarespace CommerceSquarespaceTypeScript+15 | Top 10M | rich | — | 1 partnership |
| 21 | CASEL Provider of academic, social, and emotional based learning programs | $1M | 68 mo ago | 79 | WordPressMySQLPHP+24 | Top 1M | rich | — | — |
| 22 | Discovery Partners Institute Provider of educational programs for K-12 students and professionals | $1M | 69 mo ago | 189 | — | — | — | — | 1 internship |
| 23 | Namastecharterschool Exact Match Operator of a K-8 public charter school | $597K | 190 mo ago | 69 | BreakdanceWordPressMySQL+29 | Top 10M | rich | — | — |
| 24 | Sd170 Home | Chicago Heights School District 170 | $566K | 204 mo ago | 254 | Node.jsVarnishGSAP+11 | Top 5M | basic | — | — |
| 25 | Greenville University University offering multiple courses and degrees across diversified streams | $300K | 15 mo ago | 177 | Apple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365Java+27 | Top 5M | rich | — | — |
| 26 | Warrencountyesc Provider of educational support services for students and school districts | $279K | 204 mo ago | 159 | WordPressMySQLPHP+21 | Top 5M | rich | — | 5 job openings |
| 27 | Lebanon CUSD Instructs 5th grade students on a daily basis in Social Science, Science, Reading, Math, Grammar/Writing… | $264K | 12 mo ago | 169 | Node.jsYouTubeVarnish+12 | Top 10M | basic | — | — |
| 28 | Blackburn Institute offering multiple courses across diversified streams | $240K | 177 mo ago | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | Top 5M | rich | — | — |
| 29 | Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Operator of programs supporting youth development through educational and recreational activities | $221K | 181 mo ago | — | Squarespace CommerceCart FunctionalitySquarespace+26 | Top 10M | rich | — | — |
| 30 | Chicago Collegiate Non-profit organization focusing on children development | $215K | — | 42 | WordPress Block EditorElementorBeaver Builder+26 | Top 5M | rich | — | — |
| 31 | Marwen Provider of tuition-free visual arts and college access programs for youth | $213K | 173 mo ago | 110 | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+23 | Top 5M | rich | — | 1 internship · 1 award |
| 32 | Fonseca Martial Arts Provider of martial arts instruction for all ages and abilities in multiple locations | $150K | 117 mo ago | 13 | WordPressMySQLPHP+19 | Top 10M | rich | — | — |
| 33 | Silver Star Protection Provides consulting, training, security and risk management services | $150K | 128 mo ago | 20 | WordPress Block EditorElementorWordPress+30 | Top 10M | rich | — | 1 job opening |
| 34 | Perdoceo Education Online platform providing multi-disciplinary learning solutions | $132K | 116 mo ago | 4,350 | Orchard CoreWindows ServerMicrosoft ASP.NET+11 | Top 10M | basic | — | — |
| 35 | Saic Provider of arts courses | $129K | 217 mo ago | 2,355 | DrupalMariaDBPHP+33 | Top 1M | rich | 2 patents Hardware security: IC authentication using power/energy side‑channel fingerprinting | — |
| 36 | Vertex Solutions Chain of education centers providing software programming training programs | $125K | 98 mo ago | 200 | Apple iCloud MailGoogle MapsVimeo+13 | Top 10M | rich | 85 patents AI-driven tax compliance automation and intelligent tax categorization solutions | — |
| 37 | Concordia University Provider of undergraduate, graduate, and online academic degree programs | $123K | 213 mo ago | 1,693 | WordPressMySQLPHP+33 | Top 1M | rich | — | — |
| 38 | Digeduc | $111K | 77 mo ago | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 39 | Ultimate Ninjas Operator of a kids gymnasium created to provide fitness courses to children | $100K | 108 mo ago | 20 | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+28 | Top 5M | rich | — | — |
Top 12 Education companies in Illinois
#1
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1965 · 31 employees$26.5Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1965 · 31 employees
University offering multiple courses and degrees across diversified streams
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 62how this company ranks against its industry peers
Tech
top 9%Funding
top 29%Growth
top 35%Talent
bottom 49%Product
bottom 41%Customers
bottom 39%Tech: 230 technologies across 7/8 capability areas · Cloud: Akamai, Amazon Alb · Devops: Envoy, Nginx
Funding: Raised $26.5M across 12 rounds · 12 rounds over 1 yrs (12.0/yr) · Last round Grant (prize money) (Dec 2025)
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Funding rounds
- Dec 2025Grant (prize money)$2.5M
- Dec 2025Grant (prize money)$390K
- Dec 2025Grant (prize money)$64.2K
- Dec 2025Grant (prize money)$1.5M
Founders & team
Investors
ED, National Science Foundation, HHS, NASA, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of State
Tech stack
AddtoanyAdobe AnalyticsAdobe Audience ManagerAdobe Experience Platform Identity ServiceAdobe Experience Platform LaunchAkamai
#2
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1993$16.1Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1993
University provides undergraduate and graduate education, alumni engagement, and related support services. It offers academic programs across various disciplines, fostering student success through resources and support. The university cultivates a community for alumni through events, networking, and opportunities for continued involvement. It facilitates giving programs to support university initiatives, scholarships, and student resources.
Funding rounds
- Sep 2025Grant (prize money)$4M
- 2023Grant (prize money)$106.9K
- 2020Grant (prize money)—
- 2019Grant (prize money)—
Investors
HRSA, ED, HHS
Tech stack
Adobe Audience ManagerApple Icloud MailAzureAzure Front DoorAzure MonitorBackbone.Js
#3
Funding Raised · Evanston, Illinois · founded 2012 · 267 employees$130Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Evanston, Illinois · founded 2012 · 267 employees
Chain of truck driving coaching centers
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 9k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Sep 2024Conventional Debt$30M
- Jul 2024Conventional Debt$100M
Founders & team
Investors
Lafayette Square, Upper90, Turning Rock Partners, Green Brook Capital Management
Tech stack
Amazon SesAmazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailAzureAzure Front DoorBootstrap
#4
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1890 · 6725 employees$2.5Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1890 · 6725 employees
Provider of STEM-focused undergraduate and graduate educational programs and research. It offers various degree options designed to prepare individuals for careers. The institution provides access to experiential opportunities, including research and internships. It maintains a commitment to diversity and inclusion in its educational environment.
Funding rounds
- Dec 2025Grant (prize money)$2.5M
Investors
Europa, National Science Foundation, HHS, NASA, Military Health, OSTI
Tech stack
Acquia Cloud PlatformAdobe AnalyticsAdobe Audience ManagerAdobe Experience Platform Identity ServiceAdobe Experience Platform LaunchAmazon Alb
#5
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2019 · 28 employees$4.3Mraised▾
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2019 · 28 employees
Online platform offering e-learning services. It is a behavioral health platform offering teletherapy services to schools and organizations serving vulnerable students and youth.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 29how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 38%Talent
bottom 49%Market
bottom 42%Global
bottom 29%Funding: Raised $4.3M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 6 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Series A (Oct 2025)
Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated
Market: 28 employees
Audience (LinkedIn): 4k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Series A$1.3M
- Nov 2022Series A$1.5M
- Jul 2020Series A$2.8M
Founders & team
Investors
Seyen Capital
#6
Funding Raised · Highland Park, Illinois · founded 1993 · 555 employees$1.6Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Highland Park, Illinois · founded 1993 · 555 employees
Operator of elementary and middle schools providing educational programs. The district offers various academic resources, including dual language and early childhood programs. It also provides student services, such as health and mental health resources. The district supports extracurricular activities, transportation, and safety and security measures for students.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 3k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Nov 2025Grant (prize money)$93K
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$270.1K
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$270.1K
- Jan 2025Grant (prize money)$270.1K
Investors
ED
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailAudioeyeBootstrapCdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot Management
#7
Funding Raised · West Chicago, Illinois · founded 2012$5.2Mraised▾
Funding Raised · West Chicago, Illinois · founded 2012
Provider of early childhood education and family support programs. The organization delivers dual-language programs for young children. It also empowers parents through leadership programs and parent-child education. The organization refines and enhances employee skills through professional development.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 247 LinkedIn followers
Hiring: 2 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum +2 · hiring: Teaching Assistants, Aides
Funding rounds
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$5.2M
Investors
HHS
Tech stack
WeeblyMysqlPhpApache Http ServerRecaptchaJquery
#8
Funding Raised · Alton, Illinois · founded 2006 · 39 employees$3Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Alton, Illinois · founded 2006 · 39 employees
District provides education through elementary, middle, and high school programs. It offers academic instruction, extracurricular activities, and support services for students. The district manages various schools, each catering to specific age groups and educational needs. It focuses on student development through curriculum, resources, and programs. The district also provides resources for families, staff, and the community, including information on enrollment, calendars, and policies.
Funding rounds
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$19.9K
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$19.9K
- Jan 2012Grant (prize money)—
- Nov 2011Grant (prize money)—
Investors
ED, HHS
Tech stack
AlertifyjsBootstrapCdnjsCloudflareCore-JsDatadog
#9
Funding Raised · Elmhurst, Illinois · founded 2012 · 74 employees$1.2Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Elmhurst, Illinois · founded 2012 · 74 employees
Operator of tuition-free public charter schools integrating academics and support services. The institution readies scholars for high school and college level academics. The curriculum focuses on literacy and standards-based academics. The institution offers a rigorous program designed for a diverse student body. It provides advanced high-school level classes preparing scholars for future success.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 3k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 1 partnerships (incl. OPEN Impact Real Estate) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Feb 2025Grant (prize money)$1.2M
Investors
ED
Tech stack
AngularCore-JsFacebook PixelGodaddyGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font Api
#10
Funding Raised · Lebanon, Illinois · founded 1996 · 169 employees$264.4Kraised▾
Funding Raised · Lebanon, Illinois · founded 1996 · 169 employees
Instructs 5th grade students on a daily basis in Social Science, Science, Reading, Math, Grammar/Writing, Spelling, Health and Technology.
Funding rounds
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$50.2K
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$50.2K
- Oct 2014Grant (prize money)$17.6K
- May 2012Grant (prize money)—
Investors
ED
Tech stack
Core-JsGodaddyGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle WorkspaceGsap
#11
Funding Raised · Greenville, Illinois · founded 1892 · 177 employees$300Kraised▾
Funding Raised · Greenville, Illinois · founded 1892 · 177 employees
University offering multiple courses and degrees across diversified streams
Funding rounds
- Mar 2025Grant (prize money)$300K
Investors
Ojp
Tech stack
Adobe Audience ManagerAmazon S3Amazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailAppnexusAzure
#12
Acquired · Wilmette, Illinois · founded 2009 · 106 employees$9.4Mraised▾
Acquired · Wilmette, Illinois · founded 2009 · 106 employees
Provides swiming classes for kids
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 3k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 6 expansions announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Aug 2022Series A$3.7M
- Jun 2017Series A$5M
- Apr 2011Seed$700K
Founders & team
Tech stack
Amazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailAws Certificate ManagerCloudflare
Funding & investor landscape
$255.1Mtotal disclosed funding
46companies funded
172disclosed rounds
0rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Notable founders
Michael Amiridis
CEO · University of Illinois at Chicago
Steve Gold
Founder · 160 Driving Academy
Emily Smith
Founder & CEO · TeleTeachers
Chris DeJong
Founder & CEO · Big Blue
Daniel Goleman
Co-Founder · CASEL
Matt Bell
CEO · Discovery Partners Institute
Mark Rothschild
Founder & CEO · Right At School
Larry Lee
President · Blackburn
Fazal Dad
Principal & Chief Executive Officer · Blackburn
Beth Carrera Napleton
Founder & Director · Chicago Collegiate
John Fonseca
Owner And Head Instructor · Fonseca Martial Arts
Todd Nelson
CEO · Perdoceo Education
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 7,777,386 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Education coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
RESEARCH IN ILLINOIS · Consumer & Industrial
How research on Edtech in Illinois is moving
A read on the academic research around Edtech in Illinois — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 108 papers.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and peers lead Illinois edtech research, optimistically advancing adaptive learning, intelligent tutoring, and online/blended methods, with concern papers representing a notable but minority voice.
108 papers · stance +0.28 · 13% breakthrough · 31% concern
top institutions
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign51
- University of Illinois Chicago14
- Illinois State University13
- Northern Illinois University7
- Illinois College5
leading researchers
Bill Cope · Heeyoung Han · Machajewski, Szymon · Mary Kalantzis · Tina Lekshmi Kanth · Adeniji, Samuel A
prism intelligence · tone & topics
96% positive · 4% critical tone
EducationArtificial IntelligenceBusinessHealthcareMachine LearningComputer Science
▲
Breakthroughs12 · 11%
▲ 0%→14% share
0 median citations100% since 2021mostly methods-led
Exploratory research in mathematics education is newly emerging — Value (mathematics), Educational technology, and Exploratory research each debuted at 3 papers, lifting breakthroughs from 0% to 14% field-share.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Value (mathematics)3
- Educational technology3
- Exploratory research3
- Experiential learning3
- Exploratory analysis2
Newly emergingValue (mathematics) 0→3 · Educational technology 0→3 · Exploratory research 0→3
Landmark Dynamic Portfolio Optimization with Data-Aware Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning and Adaptive Risk Control · 5 cites
◆
Advancements51 · 47%
▼ 56%→46% share
▼0.8× share momentum0 median citations75% since 2021mostly empirical
Educational technology advancements are intensifying — papers doubled from 4 to 8 while Perception and Teaching method newly entered with 5 and 4 papers respectively.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Educational technology4→8
- Context (archaeology)1→3
- Mathematics education3→5
Newly emergingPerception 0→5 · Teaching method 0→4 · Transformative learning 0→3
Landmark COMPARING STUDENT PERFORMANCE: ONLINE VERSUS BLENDED VERSUS FACE-TO-FACE · 235 cites
▼
Concerns28 · 26%
▲ 25%→27% share
▲1.1× share momentum0 median citations79% since 2021mostly empirical
Mathematics education concerns are rising sharply — papers quintupled from 1 to 5, with Transformative learning and Generative grammar newly flagged at 5 and 4 papers.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Mathematics education1→5
- Educational technology2→3
Newly emergingTransformative learning 0→5 · Generative grammar 0→4 · Accountability 0→3
Landmark Perspectives on the Integration of Technology and Assessment · 158 cites
Common questions
How many Education companies are there in Illinois, United States?
Radar tracks 308 indexable Education companies headquartered in Illinois, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Education companies in Illinois, United States?
The Education companies in Illinois, United States on this list have raised a combined $255.1M in disclosed equity funding across 46 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Education company in Illinois, United States?
160 Driving Academy is the highest-funded Education company in Illinois, United States, with $130M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Education companies in Illinois, United States are funded?
46 of the 308 Education companies in Illinois, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Education unicorns are there in Illinois, United States?
None of the Education companies in Illinois, United States on this list currently has a disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in Illinois, United States Education companies?
The most active investors in Illinois, United States Education companies on this list include ED, HHS, National Endowment for the Arts, National Science Foundation, Europa.
Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.