by our College Data Analytics Team
[Engineering Related Fields](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their engineering related fields graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose engineering related fields graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is Northwestern University, our #1 for engineering related fields graduate salaries in Illinois. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from Northwestern University typically earn about $219,145 annually.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying engineering related fields schools. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public institution. After graduating, engineering related fields degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign typically earn about $104,381 annually.
Northern Illinois University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in engineering related fields, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. Students who complete the engineering related fields program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,686.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries engineering related fields graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.