2027 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value civil engineering schools.
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2027 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in civil engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Civil Engineering Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Chicago, our #1 best value for civil engineering in Illinois. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,949, compared with $32,009 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $24,382. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $74,843 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,382 median debt. University Of Illinois At Chicago admits about 77% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for civil engineering. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,054 in student loans. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $76,248 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,054 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. 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. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $19,781. Civil Engineering graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $65,269 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,781 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earned it the #4 place for civil engineering. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. Students from in state pay about $12,092 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for civil engineering graduates is $22,275. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $67,260. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois Institute Of Technology came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $52,202. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the civil engineering program here. Civil Engineering graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $75,829 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Illinois Institute Of Technology admits about 55% of applicants.
Bradley University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value civil engineering schools. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $42,160. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the civil engineering program here. Early-career civil engineering graduates make about $72,573. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Northwestern University earned the #7 position for value in civil engineering this year. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Civil Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 8%.
More Civil Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, 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.
