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Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois

2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois

8 Colleges
$71,610 Avg Salary
$22,426 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Mechanical Engineering School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,183 degrees and certificates were awarded to mechanical engineering students who went to a Illinois college or university. This makes it the #31 most popular major in the state.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Mechanical 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 offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges.

Top Illinois Schools in Mechanical Engineering

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for mechanical engineering students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.

On average, ME graduates from Northwestern take out $15,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois list. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Champaign.

After completing their degree, ME graduates from UIUC carry an average student debtload of $18,420. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $500.

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#3

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Bradley University is a great place for mechanical engineering students. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Peoria.

After completing their degree, ME graduates from Bradley carry an average student debtload of $26,978.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Bradley University Report

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Illinois Institute of Technology is a great place for mechanical engineering students. Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

ME majors at Illinois Tech take out an average of $24,750 in student loans while working on their egree.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois list. Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that ME majors at NIU take out is $26,871. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $192, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University Report

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University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, ME graduates from UIC carry an average student debtload of $20,390. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $207, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago Report

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Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

On average, ME graduates from SIUC take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #8 on this year’s Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.

ME majors at SIUE take out an average of $21,500 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $231.

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Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,498
Ohio 2,106
Indiana 1,336
Wisconsin 855

Mechanical Engineering is one of 40 different types of programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to ME

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 28,844
Civil Engineering 21,388
Computer Engineering 17,987
Chemical Engineering 12,917
Biomedical Engineering 12,811

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 Michel Villeneuve.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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