Best Engineering Colleges in Illinois (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 11 Engineering schools in Illinois by median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads the list with median earnings of $110,373 four years after completing.
Across the 8 schools with a published figure, earnings range from $110,373 to $82,632, with a median of $87,814.
The list includes 5 public and 6 private nonprofit institutions. University of Illinois Chicago ranks 17th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best on the page. University of Illinois Chicago posts the lowest average net price at $10,974.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Engineering Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $110,373 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reports $110,373 in median earnings for its Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer Engineering (318 graduates), Mechanical Engineering (265 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (177 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($159,855), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($111,783), Chemical Engineering ($104,317) | |||||
| 2 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | No published median | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University admits just 8% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 95%, the strongest on the page. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (72 graduates), Industrial Engineering (55 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (43 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Industrial Engineering ($138,720), Chemical Engineering ($111,040), Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($102,994) | |||||
| 3 | Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, IL | $97,158 | $36,079 | $28,992 | 81.6% |
| Loyola University Chicago ranks 3rd on this list with median earnings of $97,158 four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $36,079. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer Engineering (12 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (8 graduates) | |||||
| 4 | Bradley University · Peoria, IL | $92,787 | $22,719 | $17,269 | 76.8% |
| Bradley University shows a six-year completion rate of 76% and median earnings of $92,787 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (56 graduates), Civil Engineering (26 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (25 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($100,391), Mechanical Engineering ($95,896), Industrial Engineering ($89,362) | |||||
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology · Chicago, IL | No published median | $18,425 | $12,964 | 54.9% |
| Illinois Institute of Technology ranks 5th on this list and carries an average net price of $18,425, with an admission rate of 55%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (73 graduates), Biomedical/Medical Engineering (34 graduates), Civil Engineering (31 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($114,930), Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering ($110,956), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($98,743) | |||||
| 6 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $89,169 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
| University of Illinois Chicago holds the lowest average net price on the page at $10,974 and reports median earnings of $89,169 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (168 graduates), Civil Engineering (108 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (97 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Engineering ($102,691), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($92,002), Chemical Engineering ($87,407) | |||||
| 7 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | No published median | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
| Northern Illinois University ranks 7th on this list and reports a six-year completion rate of 49%, with an average net price of $13,391. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (115 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (35 graduates), Industrial Engineering (21 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($93,962), Mechanical Engineering ($86,999), Industrial Engineering ($82,584) | |||||
| 8 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $86,459 | $14,889 | $8,483 | 97.5% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville admits 98% of applicants and reports median earnings of $86,459 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (80 graduates), Civil Engineering (54 graduates), Industrial Engineering (49 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($99,325), Civil Engineering ($85,969), Mechanical Engineering ($81,428) | |||||
| 9 | Augustana College · Rock Island, IL | $85,993 | $22,736 | $15,787 | 62.7% |
| Augustana College posts median earnings of $85,993 four years after completing and an average net price of $15,787 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Engineering Physics (12 graduates) | |||||
| 10 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $84,693 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale reports a six-year completion rate of 62% and median earnings of $84,693 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (57 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (43 graduates), Civil Engineering (21 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Mechanical Engineering ($86,238), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($83,853), Civil Engineering ($81,888) | |||||
| 11 | Olivet Nazarene University · Bourbonnais, IL | $82,632 | $20,729 | $17,232 | 55.9% |
| Olivet Nazarene University ranks 11th on this list with median earnings of $82,632 four years after completing, and an admission rate of 56%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Engineering, General (51 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Engineering, General ($82,632) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Engineering earnings cohort in Illinois appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 8 schools with a published figure. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reports $110,373, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $27,741.
Job market context in Illinois
Engineering graduates in Illinois enter a labor market linked to occupations such as Industrial Engineers, Civil Engineers, and Mechanical Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $112,999, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $88,721. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 5.9% higher, with 9,710 openings a year, or about 247 openings a year for every hundred graduates, meaning 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, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures reported here.