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# Best Industrial 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 [Industrial Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-industrial-engineering-programs/)

This page ranks the 30 Industrial Engineering programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. [Northwestern University](/school/northwestern-university/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $138,720 for its graduates four years after completing, followed by [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) at $117,930 and [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) at $110,711.

Across the listed schools, the median figure is $92,560, with a range from $63,005 to $138,720.

Public institutions account for 25 of the 30 programs, or 83% of the list. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Oakland University posts the lowest average net price at $9,120, while Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has the highest admission rate, admitting 98% of applicants.

## The ranked list

30 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $138,720 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
|  | [Northwestern University](/school/northwestern-university/majors/) reports [$138,720 in median earnings](/school/northwestern-university/outcomes/) of Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 8%. |
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $117,930 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
|  | [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list, with [median earnings of $117,930](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/outcomes/) four years after completing, and posts an average net price of $13,138. |
| 3 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $110,711 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
|  | Graduates of [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/)'s Industrial Engineering program earned a [median of $110,711](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/outcomes/) four years after completing, and the school admits 45% of applicants. |
| 4 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $107,031 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
|  | [Purdue University-Main Campus](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) shows [median federal debt of $18,357](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/cost/) among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside earnings of $107,031 four years after completing. |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $106,932 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) ranks 5th on this list and its Industrial Engineering graduates earned a [median of $106,932](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $103,143 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
|  | [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) reports [$103,143 in median earnings](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/) of Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $14,355. |
| 7 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $102,222 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
|  | [Oakland University](/school/oakland-university/majors/) ranks 7th on this list, with [median earnings of $102,222](/school/oakland-university/outcomes/) four years after completing, and holds the lowest average net price on the page at $9,120. |
| 8 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $101,990 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
|  | An [admission rate of 81%](/school/wayne-state-university/admissions/) coincides with median earnings of $101,990 four years after completing for [Wayne State University](/school/wayne-state-university/majors/)'s Industrial Engineering graduates. |
| 9 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $101,380 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
|  | [University of Missouri-Columbia](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/majors/) shows [median federal debt of $26,512](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/cost/) among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside earnings of $101,380 four years after completing. |
| 10 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $99,364 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
|  | [Ohio University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-university-main-campus/majors/) ranks 10th on this list and its Industrial Engineering graduates earned a [median of $99,364](/school/ohio-university-main-campus/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 11 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $97,732 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
|  | [University of Minnesota-Duluth](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/majors/) reports [$97,732 in median earnings](/school/university-of-minnesota-duluth/outcomes/) of Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $18,743. |
| 12 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $95,347 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
|  | With a [median of $95,347](/school/university-of-iowa/outcomes/) four years after completing, [University of Iowa](/school/university-of-iowa/majors/)'s Industrial Engineering graduates also see an admission rate of 84%. |
| 13 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $93,098 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
|  | [Kansas State University](/school/kansas-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $93,098](/school/kansas-state-university/outcomes/) for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $19,406. |
| 14 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $92,914 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
|  | [Iowa State University](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) [admits 89% of applicants](/school/iowa-state-university/admissions/) and its Industrial Engineering graduates earned a median of $92,914 four years after completing. |
| 15 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD | $92,815 | $20,183 | $15,348 | 79.9% |
|  | With a cohort of 27 graduates in the earnings cohort, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology posts median earnings of $92,815 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 16 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $92,306 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
|  | [Western Michigan University](/school/western-michigan-university/majors/) ranks 16th on this list, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $26,188](/school/western-michigan-university/outcomes/) in federal loans. |
| 17 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $92,241 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
|  | [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/) sits 107th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports [median earnings of $92,241](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/outcomes/) for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 18 | Bradley University · Peoria, IL | $89,362 | $22,719 | $17,269 | 76.8% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Peoria, [Bradley University](/school/bradley-university/majors/) shows an [average net price of $22,719](/school/bradley-university/cost/) and median earnings of $89,362 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $88,918 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Platteville](/school/university-of-wisconsin-platteville/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $27,275](/school/university-of-wisconsin-platteville/cost/) among Industrial Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $88,918 four years after completing. |
| 20 | Milwaukee School of Engineering · Milwaukee, WI | $87,279 | $22,453 | $11,607 | 58.9% |
|  | [Milwaukee School of Engineering](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/majors/) [admits 59% of applicants](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/admissions/) and its Industrial Engineering graduates earned a median of $87,279 four years after completing. |
| 21 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $86,340 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
|  | [Youngstown State University](/school/youngstown-state-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $12,767](/school/youngstown-state-university/cost/) and reports median earnings of $86,340 for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 22 | Kettering University · Flint, MI | $86,265 | $34,660 | $24,910 | 78.7% |
|  | [Kettering University](/school/kettering-university/majors/) ranks 22nd on this list, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $27,000](/school/kettering-university/outcomes/) in federal loans. |
| 23 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $86,202 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
|  | [University of Illinois Chicago](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/majors/) sits 17th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports [median earnings of $86,202](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/outcomes/) for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 24 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus · Fargo, ND | $84,016 | $15,543 | $9,370 | 95.0% |
|  | [North Dakota State University-Main Campus](/school/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/majors/) [admits 95% of applicants](/school/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus/admissions/) and its Industrial Engineering graduates earned a median of $84,016 four years after completing. |
| 25 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | $82,763 | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee](/school/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/majors/) reports [median earnings of $82,763](/school/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/outcomes/) for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $10,329 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 26 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $82,744 | $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 Industrial Engineering graduates earn a median of $82,744 four years after completing. |
| 27 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $82,584 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
|  | [Northern Illinois University](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/) ranks 27th on this list, and its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a [median of $82,584](/school/northern-illinois-university/outcomes/). |
| 28 | Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH | $72,958 | $20,787 | $15,280 | 86.3% |
|  | [Kent State University at Kent](/school/kent-state-university-at-kent/majors/) ranks 28th on this list, with [median earnings of $72,958](/school/kent-state-university-at-kent/outcomes/) for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $20,787. |
| 29 | Wichita State University · Wichita, KS | $63,005 | $13,194 | $9,734 | 94.0% |
|  | [Wichita State University](/school/wichita-state-university/majors/), a public university in Wichita, reports [median earnings of $63,005](/school/wichita-state-university/outcomes/) for its Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $9,734 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 30 | Saint Ambrose University · Davenport, IA | $63,005 | $24,691 | $22,037 | 77.3% |
|  | Saint Ambrose University ranks 30th on this list and holds an Azimuth composite rank of 765th among nonprofit four-year institutions. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Industrial Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 2 of the 30 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 range from Northwestern University at $138,720 to the bottom of the list at $63,005 spans $75,715, with a gap of $20,790 between Northwestern University and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

## Job market context in the Midwest

Industrial Engineering graduates in the Midwest enter occupations such as Industrial Engineers, where the median annual wage across those roles is $100,099. A quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $81,744, a figure closer to what graduates might see four years after completing. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 5.6% higher, with 17,030 projected openings a year and about 1,023 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, not these occupational market figures, and the two are not the same measure.

## Related rankings

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