2027 Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in Illinois

Engineering & Applied Physics is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their engineering & applied physics programs.

For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for engineering & applied physics students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in Illinois

Best Schools for Engineering & Applied Physics in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall engineering & applied physics education in Illinois.

Top Schools in Engineering & Applied Physics

1

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

90 Engineering & Applied Physics Degrees Awarded

$64,304 Median Starting Salary

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign tops our 2027 ranking of the best engineering & applied physics schools. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 90 engineering & applied physics students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Engineering & Applied Physics graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $64,304 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $20,136. See the full engineering & applied physics program report for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

2

University Of Chicago
Chicago, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

19 Engineering & Applied Physics Degrees Awarded

$81,002 Median Starting Salary

University Of Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in engineering & applied physics, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 96%. About 19 engineering & applied physics degrees were awarded at University Of Chicago in the most recent year. Graduates of the engineering & applied physics program make about $81,002 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $15,854 to complete this degree. Get the full engineering & applied physics details for University Of Chicago

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 2 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.