2023 Best Engineering Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Engineering School for You
Out of the majors we analyze each year, engineering was ranked 6th in Illinois. In fact, 6,581 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Best Engineering Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Engineering Schools in Illinois
The following schools top our list of the Best Engineering Colleges.
Top Illinois Schools in Engineering
Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the best school in Illinois for engineering students. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, engineering graduates from Northwestern carry an average student debtload of $15,958.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great place for engineering students. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, engineering majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $19,526 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $498, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bradley University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Engineering Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their degree, engineering majors at Bradley accumulate an average of around $26,971 in student debt.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Illinois Institute of Technology is a great place for engineering students. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
On average, engineering graduates from Illinois Tech take out $24,766 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Engineering Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.
The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at NIU take out is $26,089. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $192.
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University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best engineering programs. UIC is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago.
On average, engineering graduates from UIC take out $21,050 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $217.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Engineering Schools in Illinois list. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.
On average, engineering graduates from SIUE take out $23,094 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $270.
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With a ranking of #8, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s best schools for engineering students. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.
The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at SIUC take out is $23,547.
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Loyola University Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for engineering students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Engineering majors at Loyola Chicago take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Engineering at Loyola University Chicago Report
Request InformationBest Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 5,383 |
| Michigan | 8,586 |
| Ohio | 8,648 |
| Wisconsin | 3,396 |
More Engineering Rankings in Illinois
Engineering Related Rankings by Major
Engineering Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Civil Engineering | 21,388 |
| Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 12,811 |
| General Engineering | 11,796 |
| Industrial Engineering | 9,072 |
| Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering | 8,001 |
| Systems Engineering | 3,904 |
| Materials Engineering | 3,415 |
| Other Engineering | 2,760 |
| Environmental Engineering | 2,759 |
| Operations Research | 1,698 |
| Agricultural Engineering | 1,472 |
| Engineering Science | 1,454 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering. | 1,378 |
| Petroleum Engineering | 1,256 |
| Robotics Engineering | 1,243 |
| Architectural Engineering | 1,012 |
| Engineering Physics | 994 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 947 |
| Construction Engineering | 878 |
| Nuclear Engineering | 864 |
| Marine Engineering | 445 |
| Biological Engineering | 410 |
| Polymer & Plastics Engineering | 360 |
| Geoscience Engineering | 325 |
| Mining Engineering | 314 |
| Textile Engineering | 310 |
| Ocean Engineering | 285 |
| Engineering Mechanics | 272 |
| Metallurgical Engineering | 179 |
| Energy Systems Engineering | 138 |
| Biochemical Engineering | 109 |
| Ceramic Engineering | 94 |
| Surveying Engineering | 73 |
| Electromechanical Engineering | 45 |
| Forest Engineering | 41 |
| Paper Science & Engineering | 27 |
| Engineering Chemistry | 13 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer & Information Sciences | 254,454 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 177,778 |
| Engineering Technologies | 85,188 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 52,396 |
| Physical Sciences | 50,306 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 9 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 Petty Officer 3rd Class Declan Barnes.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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