2027 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois
[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general civil engineering students.
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2027 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general civil engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools
For return on investment in general civil engineering, no school beat University Of Illinois At Chicago this year. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,949, compared with $32,009 for out-of-state students. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,382 in student loans. General Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $74,843 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general civil engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,054 in student loans. Early-career general civil engineering graduates make about $76,248. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in general civil engineering will find it at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which ranked #3. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,781 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Carbondale generally make around $65,269. Set against $19,781 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general civil engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,092. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,275 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $67,260. That is a strong return on a $22,275 median debt. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville admits about 98% of applicants.
Illinois Institute Of Technology came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $52,202. General Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from Illinois Institute Of Technology generally make around $75,829. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
Bradley University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value general civil engineering schools. Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria. In-state tuition and fees average $42,160. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general civil engineering program here. General Civil Engineering graduates of Bradley University earn a median of $72,573 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Bradley University admits about 77% of applicants.
Northwestern University landed the #7 spot for general civil engineering value this year. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $16,616. General Civil Engineering graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $78,551 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
More General Civil Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
