2027 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois
[Mechanical Engineering](/majors/engineering/me-mechanical-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for mechanical engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in mechanical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools
University Of Illinois At Chicago tops our 2027 list of the best value mechanical engineering schools in Illinois. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,949, compared with $32,009 for out-of-state students. Mechanical Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Mechanical Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $69,871 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earned it the #2 place for mechanical engineering. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, with out-of-state students paying around $40,096. Mechanical Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Early-career mechanical engineering graduates make about $92,881. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value mechanical engineering schools. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,334. Mechanical Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,250 in student loans. Early-career mechanical engineering graduates make about $69,454. That is a strong return on a $24,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Northern Illinois University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value mechanical engineering schools. Northern Illinois University is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,060. Typical student debt for mechanical engineering graduates is $25,000. Early-career mechanical engineering graduates make about $82,161. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 70%.
A rank of #5 makes Southern Illinois University Edwardsville one of the best values for mechanical 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. Students borrow a median of $23,110 to complete the mechanical engineering program here. Mechanical Engineering graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of $66,546 early in their careers. Set against $23,110 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 98%.
North Park University placed #6 among the best values for mechanical engineering. North Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $36,710. Mechanical Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,360 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mechanical engineering degree recipients from North Park University generally make around $51,611. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. North Park University admits about 68% of applicants.
Illinois Institute Of Technology placed #7 among the best values for mechanical engineering. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $52,202. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the mechanical engineering program here. Mechanical Engineering graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $74,291 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
North Central College placed #8 among the best values for mechanical engineering. North Central College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Naperville. Students from in state pay about $45,726 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,699 to complete the mechanical engineering program here. Mechanical Engineering graduates of North Central College earn a median of $46,247 early in their careers. Set against $25,699 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Central College admits about 77% of applicants.
Bradley University earned the #9 position for value in mechanical engineering this year. Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria. Students from in state pay about $42,160 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for mechanical engineering graduates is $27,000. Early-career mechanical engineering graduates make about $71,746. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Bradley University admits about 77% of applicants.
Northwestern University earned the #10 position for value in mechanical engineering this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Mechanical Engineering graduates carry a median of $15,334 in student loans. Early-career mechanical engineering graduates make about $79,616. That is a strong return on a $15,334 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
More Mechanical Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
