Best Computer Engineering Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest
Regional list from Computer Engineering Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 44 Computer Engineering programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads the list at $159,855, followed by University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $142,071 and Ohio State University-Main Campus at $123,731.
Across the listed schools, the median earnings figure is $98,640, with a spread of $86,220 from the highest to the lowest reported value.
Public institutions account for 73% of the programs on the list. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best showing in the region. Oakland University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $9,120.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $159,855 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reports median earnings of $159,855 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $142,071 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| With an admission rate of 16%, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor shows median earnings of $142,071 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $123,731 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 3rd on this list, with a median of $123,731 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 61%. | |||||
| 4 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $121,462 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| An average net price of $14,600 coincides with median earnings of $121,462 for Purdue University-Main Campus's Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Kettering University · Flint, MI | $120,531 | $34,660 | $24,910 | 78.7% |
| Kettering University, a private nonprofit university in Flint, reports median earnings of $120,531 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $120,068 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| Graduates across all fields at University of Wisconsin-Madison who borrowed left with a median of $20,484 in federal loans, and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $120,068 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $119,781 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| Ranking 107th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities reports median earnings of $119,781 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of Dayton · Dayton, OH | $116,356 | $29,533 | $21,736 | 65.5% |
| University of Dayton posts an average net price of $29,533 and median federal debt of $26,090 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 9 | Illinois Institute of Technology · Chicago, IL | $114,930 | $18,425 | $12,964 | 54.9% |
| Illinois Institute of Technology reports median earnings of $114,930 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 55%. | |||||
| 10 | University of Kansas · Lawrence, KS | $113,339 | $18,059 | $12,544 | 93.5% |
| Admitting 93% of applicants, University of Kansas shows median earnings of $113,339 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $112,696 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| University of Missouri-Columbia shows an average net price of $20,268 and median federal debt of $19,500 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 12 | University of Michigan-Dearborn · Dearborn, MI | $111,740 | $9,492 | $7,211 | 55.6% |
| With an average net price of $9,492, University of Michigan-Dearborn reports median earnings of $111,740 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · Terre Haute, IN | $109,164 | $42,513 | $36,843 | 76.9% |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology ranks 13th on this list, with median earnings of $109,164 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $107,133 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
| Saint Cloud State University admits 95% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $24,215 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $105,753 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| Iowa State University reports median earnings of $105,753 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, above $98,640. | |||||
| 16 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $104,627 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University reports an average net price of $7,068 for families earning under $30,000 and an admission rate of 85%. | |||||
| 17 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE | $103,934 | $17,747 | $12,751 | 87.5% |
| Median federal debt of $20,240 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed is reported by University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which ranks 272nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 18 | Milwaukee School of Engineering · Milwaukee, WI | $103,360 | $22,453 | $11,607 | 58.9% |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering ranks 391st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $103,360 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $103,253 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
| Admitting 83% of applicants, Grand Valley State University reports median earnings of $103,253 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $102,691 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
| Ranking 20th on this list, University of Illinois Chicago reports median federal debt of $19,250 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 21 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $102,273 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus reports $102,273 in median earnings for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing and lists 59 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 22 | Missouri University of Science and Technology · Rolla, MO | $99,620 | $16,298 | $10,912 | 72.6% |
| With an admission rate of 73%, Missouri University of Science and Technology posts median earnings of $99,620 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Wright State University-Main Campus · Dayton, OH | $97,659 | $15,415 | $11,952 | 96.3% |
| Wright State University-Main Campus reports an average net price of $11,952 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $97,659 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI | $97,608 | $31,487 | $22,269 | 81.3% |
| Marquette University ranks 450th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median federal debt of $24,767 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 25 | Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, IL | $97,158 | $36,079 | $28,992 | 81.6% |
| Loyola University Chicago, a private nonprofit university in Chicago, reports median earnings of $97,158 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $36,079. | |||||
| 26 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $96,840 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Miami University-Oxford admits 75% of applicants and carries an average net price of $16,015 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 27 | University of Akron Main Campus · Akron, OH | $96,791 | $13,946 | $10,413 | 59.7% |
| With an admission rate of 60%, University of Akron Main Campus posts median earnings of $96,791 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | Valparaiso University · Valparaiso, IN | $96,079 | $18,578 | $11,043 | 89.4% |
| Valparaiso University reports an average net price of $11,043 for families earning under $30,000, and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $96,079 four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | Indiana University-Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $95,884 | $11,668 | $5,701 | 76.4% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis ranks 139th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $95,884 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | $95,849 | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee admits 91% of applicants, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $23,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 31 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $95,843 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
| Oakland University reports median earnings of $95,843 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $9,120. | |||||
| 32 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $95,300 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville reports median earnings of $95,300 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,009 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 33 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $94,494 | $14,889 | $8,483 | 97.5% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville admits 98% of applicants, and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $94,494 four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | University of Toledo · Toledo, OH | $93,816 | $17,249 | $13,524 | 92.0% |
| University of Toledo reports median earnings of $93,816 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $24,744 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 35 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH | $93,626 | $24,022 | $18,396 | 81.0% |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus reports an average net price of $18,396 for families earning under $30,000, and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $93,626 four years after completing. | |||||
| 36 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $93,557 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
| Michigan Technological University ranks 36th on this list and shows an average net price of $2,045 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 37 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus · Fargo, ND | $92,878 | $15,543 | $9,370 | 95.0% |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $92,878 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 22. | |||||
| 38 | Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH | $88,595 | $14,764 | $11,958 | 91.3% |
| Cleveland State University admits 91% of applicants and shows an average net price of $14,764. | |||||
| 39 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $85,918 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Evanston, Northwestern University ranks 85th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 40 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $85,056 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale posts median federal debt of $23,935 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside earnings of $85,056 four years after completing. | |||||
| 41 | Trine University · Angola, IN | $79,824 | $25,355 | $19,661 | 85.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Trine University left with a median of $25,000 in federal loans, and the school's Computer Engineering graduates earned a median of $79,824 four years after completing. | |||||
| 42 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | $79,598 | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
| University of Notre Dame reports an average net price of $7,244 for families earning under $30,000 and an 11% admission rate. | |||||
| 43 | Wichita State University · Wichita, KS | $76,203 | $13,194 | $9,734 | 94.0% |
| Wichita State University ranks 43rd on this list, with median earnings of $76,203 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 44 | Cedarville University · Cedarville, OH | $73,635 | $24,468 | $18,987 | 65.3% |
| Cedarville University reports an average net price of $24,468 and a cohort of 12 graduates in the earnings cohort for its Computer Engineering program. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 44 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and second-ranked University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is $17,784.
Job market context in the Midwest
Graduates of Computer Engineering programs in the Midwest enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $119,261, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $94,282. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 9.3% higher, with about 656 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the broader occupational wage figures, so the two measures are not directly comparable.