2027 Best Civil Engineering Schools in Illinois
Civil Engineering programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for civil engineering students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Civil Engineering in Illinois
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the civil engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Civil Engineering
No school ranked higher than Northwestern University this year for civil engineering. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. The six-year graduation rate is 95%. About 69 civil engineering degrees were awarded at Northwestern University in the most recent year. Graduates of the civil engineering program make about $78,551 in their early career. Northwestern University graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans.
Read more about the civil engineering program at Northwestern University
Students looking for a strong civil engineering program will find one at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #2. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates 85% of students within six years. About 343 civil engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent year. Students who receive their civil engineering degree from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn around $76,248 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $19,054 in student loans.
See the full civil engineering program report for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
University Of Illinois At Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in civil engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public institution. University Of Illinois At Chicago graduates 62% of students within six years. About 112 civil engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent year. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $74,843 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,382 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in civil engineering from University Of Illinois At Chicago
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in civil engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. About 55% of students finish within six years. About 87 civil engineering degrees were awarded at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $67,260. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates carry a median of $22,275 in student loans.
Read more about the civil engineering program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Bradley University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. There were roughly 48 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Bradley University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their civil engineering degree from Bradley University earn around $72,573 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the civil engineering program at Bradley University
Illinois Institute Of Technology ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best civil engineering schools. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Illinois Institute Of Technology graduates 75% of students within six years. About 55 civil engineering degrees were awarded at Illinois Institute Of Technology in the most recent year. Civil Engineering graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $75,829 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000.
Get the full civil engineering details for Illinois Institute Of Technology
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #7 spot for civil engineering this year. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduates 60% of students within six years. Southern Illinois University Carbondale awarded about 30 civil engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $65,269 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $19,781.
Read more about the civil engineering program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
More Civil Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.
- 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.
