Education is a priority in East Central Illinois. The region includes many excellent schools from elementary to graduate school levels with attractive student-teacher ratios. The quality of vocational and advanced educational facilities such as those found at Lake Land College and Eastern Illinois University is highly regarded.

Illinois is proving attractive to more and more firms pursuing research opportunities and partnerships with educational institutions. Eastern Illinois University and Lake Land College work closely with area businesses to foster research and training partnerships. The highly-respected University of Illinois of Urbana and Springfield, with its extensive research capabilities, is also nearby.