2026 Best Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Illinois
Manufacturing 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 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for manufacturing engineering students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Manufacturing Engineering in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall manufacturing engineering education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Manufacturing Engineering
Our analysis ranked Northwestern University the best school in the country for a degree in manufacturing engineering. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Northwestern University graduates 95% of students within six years. Northwestern University awarded about 16 manufacturing engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $78,551 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $16,616.
Get the full manufacturing engineering details for Northwestern University
A rank of #2 makes Bradley University one of the top schools for manufacturing engineering. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Bradley University graduates 76% of students within six years. About 24 manufacturing engineering degrees were awarded at Bradley University in the most recent year. Graduates of the manufacturing engineering program make about $67,488 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the manufacturing engineering program at Bradley University
More Manufacturing Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 3 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.
