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Most Popular Engineering Schools in Illinois

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2023 Most Popular Engineering Schools in Illinois

60 Colleges
$68,398 Avg Salary
$22,915 Avg Student Debt

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 Most Popular 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 60 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 Engineering program at each school on the list.

Check out the engineering programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Illinois.

Our analysis found University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to be the most popular school for engineering students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, engineering graduates from UIUC carry an average student debt load of $19,526. 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

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Chicago is a great place for engineering students. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the large 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.

Full Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago Report

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

The excellent programs at Northwestern University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best engineering schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Engineering majors at Northwestern take out an average of $15,958 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Engineering at Northwestern University Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Illinois Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Engineering Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

Engineering majors at Illinois Tech take out an average of $24,766 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great place for engineering students. SIUE is a large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.

While working on their degree, engineering majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $23,094 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $270.

Read full report on Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Engineering Schools in Illinois ranking. NIU is a large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.

Engineering majors at NIU take out an average of $26,089 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $192.

Read full report on Engineering at Northern Illinois University

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

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

The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at Bradley take out is $26,971.

Read full report on Engineering at Bradley University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular engineering programs. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Carbondale.

On average, engineering graduates from SIUC take out $23,547 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#9

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular engineering programs. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Chicago

Loyola University Chicago came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Engineering Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

While working on their degree, engineering majors at Loyola Chicago accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.

Full Engineering at Loyola University Chicago Report

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional popular schools for Engineering students in the state of Illinois that almost earned our Most Popular Engineering Schools in Illinois award.

Rank College Location
11 Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL
11 DePaul University Chicago, IL

Best Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Engineering Colleges 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

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

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 26 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 Petty Officer 3rd Class Declan Barnes.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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