Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois

8 Colleges
$62,410 Avg Salary
$22,137 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Civil Engineering School for You

In 2020-2021, 816 degrees and certificates were awarded to civil engineering students who went to a Illinois college or university. This makes it the #50 most popular major in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Illinois to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Civil Engineering program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Civil Engineering Colleges.

Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the most popular school in Illinois for civil engineering students. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from UIUC carry an average student debt load of $18,641. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $485.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 8 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the # 2 spot on the list. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Chicago.

After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from UIC carry an average student debt load of $19,500.

Full Civil Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great place for civil engineering students. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at SIUE take out is $25,375. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $309, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report

#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

The excellent programs at Northwestern University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best civil engineering schools in Illinois. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Northwestern University

Out of the 8 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the # 5 spot on the list. SIUC is a large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.

While working on their degree, civil eng majors at SIUC accumulate an average of around $19,313 in student debt.

Full Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at Illinois Tech take out is $22,993.

Full Civil Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology Report

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

Bradley University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, civil eng graduates from Bradley take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Bradley University

Western Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Civil Engineering at Western Illinois University Report

Best Civil Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Civil Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 443
Ohio 746
Indiana 487
Wisconsin 410

One of 40 majors within the area of study, civil engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering 46,178
Electrical Engineering 28,844
Computer Engineering 17,987
Chemical Engineering 12,917
Biomedical Engineering 12,811

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Master Sgt. Roger Parsons.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.