Best Engineering colleges in Illinois
Why a degree in engineering?
Let’s face it, you’re smart. You passed science and math classes with flying colors, and you are the “go-to” when it comes to computer help. You probably took apart a lot of things in your childhood just to see how they worked. Now here you are, ready to literally build the future.
How to prepare for an engineering degree
Engineering has a lot of positives. As suspected, student debt won’t be a concern since finding an engineering career with a starting salary less than $55,000 or an average salary less than $85,000 is more difficult than learning the RubixCube pattern. If money isn’t your driving factor, how about the 85% of engineers who are satisfied with their jobs*, despite longer workdays.
It’s the challenges every day that keep engineers and their ticking minds happy. So if you think you can hack it out with the best of them, brush the dust off that TI84 and get ready. It really is rocket science.
*Evaluation Enginering, EE-Evaluation Engineering’s 2013 salary survey, http://www.evaluationengineering.com/articles/201308/work-life-balance-key-to-job-satisfaction.phpBest Engineering colleges in Illinois for 2021
Freshmen get their feet wet immediately with Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience. After four weeks of Engineering 100, students spend the rest of the course on a customized project. Past participants have done everything from creating a Helix wind turbine prototype using a 3D printer to building a machine to spread condiments on bagels. Such hands-on experiences continue in courses such as Learning in Community in which teams of students work on projects proposed by nonprofit organizations. You might help design a more cost-efficient prosthetic arm or construct footbridges for underprivileged Chinese villages. A Wall Street Journal survey of employers lists University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign engineering graduates among the top five most prepared for the workforce. We’re not surprised. In fact, over Winter Break, students may choose to do a one-day job shadow. Students experience a day in the life of an engineer at places such as Caterpillar, the Federal Aviation Administration, Intel Corp, and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The university’s effort to maintain ties with local employers also pays off upon graduation. Students on average receive two or more job offers, and the starting salary for those with a BS in engineering from U of I is about 8 percent higher than the national average.
Illinois Institute of Technology offers 58 Engineering degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2019, 992 Engineering students graduated with students earning 510 Master's degrees, 428 Bachelor's degrees, and 54 Doctoral degrees.
Northwestern University offers 54 Engineering degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2019, 1,228 Engineering students graduated with students earning 620 Master's degrees, 458 Bachelor's degrees, 133 Doctoral degrees, and 17 Certificates.
University of Illinois at Chicago offers 41 Engineering degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2019, 1,326 Engineering students graduated with students earning 656 Bachelor's degrees, 592 Master's degrees, and 78 Doctoral degrees.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale offers 29 Engineering degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2019, 633 Engineering students graduated with students earning 517 Bachelor's degrees, 95 Master's degrees, and 21 Doctoral degrees.
Bradley University offers 16 Engineering degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2019, 242 Engineering students graduated with students earning 207 Bachelor's degrees, and 35 Master's degrees.
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville offers 13 Engineering degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2019, 387 Engineering students graduated with students earning 291 Bachelor's degrees, and 96 Master's degrees.
Northern Illinois University offers 9 Engineering degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a small suburb. In 2019, 535 Engineering students graduated with students earning 407 Bachelor's degrees, and 128 Master's degrees.
Eastern Illinois University offers 12 Engineering degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, four-year university in a faraway town. In 2019, 166 Engineering students graduated with students earning 78 Master's degrees, 63 Certificates, and 25 Bachelor's degrees.
Southwestern Illinois College offers 9 Engineering degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, two-year college in a large suburb. In 2019, 33 Engineering students graduated with students earning 18 Certificates, and 15 Associate's degrees.
List of all Engineering colleges in Illinois
| School | Average Tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | 22 : 1 | 51,605 | |
|
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | 16 : 1 | 6,515 | |
|
Northwestern University Evanston, IL | 15 : 1 | 22,448 | |
|
University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL | 19 : 1 | 32,324 | |
|
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | 18 : 1 | 11,695 | |
|
College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL | 87 : 1 | 23,903 | |
|
Bradley University Peoria, IL | 17 : 1 | 5,929 | |
|
Kankakee Community College Kankakee, IL | 39 : 1 | 2,601 | |
|
Lake Land College Mattoon, IL | 43 : 1 | 4,466 | |
|
Joliet Junior College Joliet, IL | 68 : 1 | 14,318 | |
|
Kaskaskia College Centralia, IL | 47 : 1 | 3,248 | |
|
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL | 21 : 1 | 13,061 | |
|
Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL | 88 : 1 | 8,665 | |
|
College of Lake County Grayslake, IL | 68 : 1 | 13,743 | |
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Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | 21 : 1 | 16,609 | |
|
Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey, IL | 63 : 1 | 6,413 | |
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Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills, IL | 68 : 1 | 13,032 | |
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Rock Valley College Rockford, IL | 48 : 1 | 6,092 | |
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William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL | 67 : 1 | 13,477 | |
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Illinois Central College East Peoria, IL | 51 : 1 | 8,749 | |