Best colleges for engineering in Illinois

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranks first in Illinois for engineering value (#4 nationally, value score 91.1): graduates earn $159,855 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,042 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 9 Illinois colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best engineering colleges in Illinois

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranks first in Illinois for engineering value (#4 nationally, value score 91.1): graduates earn $159,855 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,042 a year. 9 Illinois colleges qualify. At the median one, engineering graduates earn $87,384 and the average net price is $14,505 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 9 Illinois colleges qualify. At the median one, engineering graduates earn $87,384 and the average net price is $14,505 a year.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at University of Illinois at Chicago: $9,540 a year.
    Median earnings
    $87,384
    National: $91,742
    Median net price
    $14,505
    National: $17,499
    Median federal debt
    $21,792
    engineering graduates
    Public colleges
    5 of 9
    in this list

    9 colleges

    The Illinois ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Illinois 1

      University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

      Champaign, IL · Public · #4 nationally

      91.1Value
      Earnings
      $159,855
      Net price
      $13,042
      Federal debt
      $18,593
      Graduation rate
      86%
    2. Rank in Illinois 2

      Northwestern University-Illinois

      Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit · #66 nationally

      66.6Value
      Earnings
      $98,277
      Net price
      $34,420
      Federal debt
      $13,263
      Graduation rate
      96%
    3. Rank in Illinois 3

      University of Illinois at Chicago

      Chicago, IL · Public · #127 nationally

      53.5Value
      Earnings
      $87,384
      Net price
      $9,540
      Federal debt
      $15,680
      Graduation rate
      61%
    4. Rank in Illinois 4

      Bradley University

      Peoria, IL · Private nonprofit · #166 nationally

      48.9Value
      Earnings
      $95,896
      Net price
      $22,469
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      73%
    5. Rank in Illinois 5

      Northern Illinois University

      Dekalb, IL · Public · #216 nationally

      41.0Value
      Earnings
      $86,999
      Net price
      $14,505
      Federal debt
      $16,731
      Graduation rate
      48%
    6. Rank in Illinois 6

      Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

      Carbondale, IL · Public · #249 nationally

      35.5Value
      Earnings
      $86,238
      Net price
      $12,554
      Federal debt
      $24,000
      Graduation rate
      59%
    7. Rank in Illinois 7

      Illinois Institute of Technology

      Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit · #273 nationally

      31.8Value
      Earnings
      $87,789
      Net price
      $22,443
      Federal debt
      $23,875
      Graduation rate
      71%
    8. Rank in Illinois 8

      Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

      Edwardsville, IL · Public · #281 nationally

      30.0Value
      Earnings
      $81,428
      Net price
      $13,111
      Federal debt
      $21,792
      Graduation rate
      56%
    9. Rank in Illinois 9

      Olivet Nazarene University

      Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit · #318 nationally

      17.9Value
      Earnings
      $82,632
      Net price
      $19,978
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      60%

    Method: the same value score as the national engineering ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about engineering colleges in Illinois

    What are the best colleges for engineering in Illinois?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Illinois colleges for engineering are University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (value score 91.1), Northwestern University-Illinois (value score 66.6) and University of Illinois at Chicago (value score 53.5). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Illinois college has the highest earnings for engineering graduates?

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: its engineering graduates have median earnings of $159,855 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable engineering college in Illinois on this list?

    University of Illinois at Chicago has the lowest average net price of the ranked Illinois colleges, $9,540 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Illinois colleges are ranked for engineering?

    9 Illinois colleges have a engineering bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Illinois.