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# Best Computer Engineering Programs in the Midwest (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-midwest/)

Regional list from [Computer Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-computer-engineering-programs/)

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](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) leads the list at $159,855, followed by [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) at $142,071 and [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) 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

44 schools in list order

| 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](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) reports [median earnings of $159,855](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/) 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%](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/admissions/), [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) 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](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) ranks 3rd on this list, with a [median of $123,731](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/cost/) coincides with median earnings of $121,462 for [Purdue University-Main Campus](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/)'s Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | Kettering University · Flint, MI | $120,531 | $34,660 | $24,910 | 78.7% |
|  | [Kettering University](/school/kettering-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Flint, reports [median earnings of $120,531](/school/kettering-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) who borrowed left with a [median of $20,484](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/) reports [median earnings of $119,781](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-dayton/majors/) posts an [average net price of $29,533](/school/university-of-dayton/cost/) 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](/school/illinois-institute-of-technology/majors/) reports [median earnings of $114,930](/school/illinois-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-kansas/majors/) shows [median earnings of $113,339](/school/university-of-kansas/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/majors/) shows an [average net price of $20,268](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/cost/) 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,](/school/university-of-michigan-dearborn/cost/) [University of Michigan-Dearborn](/school/university-of-michigan-dearborn/majors/) 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](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/majors/) ranks 13th on this list, with [median earnings of $109,164](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) 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](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/majors/) [admits 95% of applicants](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/admissions/) 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](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $105,753](/school/iowa-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $7,068](/school/michigan-state-university/cost/) 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](/school/university-of-nebraska-lincoln/majors/), which [ranks 272nd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-nebraska-lincoln/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 18 | Milwaukee School of Engineering · Milwaukee, WI | $103,360 | $22,453 | $11,607 | 58.9% |
|  | [Milwaukee School of Engineering](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/majors/) [ranks 391st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/) 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](/school/grand-valley-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $103,253](/school/grand-valley-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $19,250](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/cost/) 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](/school/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus/majors/) reports [$102,273 in median earnings](/school/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus/outcomes/) 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%](/school/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology/admissions/), [Missouri University of Science and Technology](/school/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology/majors/) 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](/school/wright-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports an [average net price of $11,952](/school/wright-state-university-main-campus/cost/) 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](/school/marquette-university/majors/) [ranks 450th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/marquette-university/) 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](/school/loyola-university-chicago/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Chicago, reports [median earnings of $97,158](/school/loyola-university-chicago/outcomes/) 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](/school/miami-university-oxford/majors/) [admits 75% of applicants](/school/miami-university-oxford/admissions/) 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%](/school/university-of-akron-main-campus/admissions/), [University of Akron Main Campus](/school/university-of-akron-main-campus/majors/) 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](/school/valparaiso-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $11,043](/school/valparaiso-university/cost/) 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](/school/indiana-university-indianapolis/majors/) [ranks 139th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/indiana-university-indianapolis/) 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](/school/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/majors/) [admits 91% of applicants](/school/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/admissions/), 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](/school/oakland-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $95,843](/school/oakland-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-wisconsin-platteville/majors/) reports [median earnings of $95,300](/school/university-of-wisconsin-platteville/outcomes/) 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](/school/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/majors/) [admits 98% of applicants](/school/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/admissions/), 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](/school/university-of-toledo/majors/) reports [median earnings of $93,816](/school/university-of-toledo/outcomes/) 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](/school/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports an [average net price of $18,396](/school/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus/cost/) 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](/school/michigan-technological-university/majors/) ranks 36th on this list and shows an [average net price of $2,045](/school/michigan-technological-university/cost/) 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](/school/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $92,878](/school/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/cleveland-state-university/majors/) [admits 91% of applicants](/school/cleveland-state-university/admissions/) 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](/school/northwestern-university/majors/) [ranks 85th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/northwestern-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 40 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $85,056 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
|  | [Southern Illinois University-Carbondale](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/) posts [median federal debt of $23,935](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/cost/) 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](/school/trine-university/majors/) left with a [median of $25,000](/school/trine-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-notre-dame/majors/) reports an [average net price of $7,244](/school/university-of-notre-dame/cost/) 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](/school/wichita-state-university/majors/) ranks 43rd on this list, with [median earnings of $76,203](/school/wichita-state-university/outcomes/) for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 44 | Cedarville University · Cedarville, OH | $73,635 | $24,468 | $18,987 | 65.3% |
|  | [Cedarville University](/school/cedarville-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $24,468](/school/cedarville-university/cost/) 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.

## Related rankings

-   [Computer Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-computer-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Computer Engineering Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-computer-engineering-programs-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Computer Engineering Programs in the South](/rankings/best-computer-engineering-programs-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Computer Engineering Programs in the West](/rankings/best-computer-engineering-programs-in-the-west/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-midwest/)