2026 Best Value Other Engineering Schools in Illinois
[Other Engineering](/majors/engineering/other-engineering/engineering-other/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value other engineering schools.
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2026 Best Value Other Engineering Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Other Engineering Schools
Illinois Institute Of Technology tops our 2026 list of the best value other engineering schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $52,202. Typical student debt for other engineering graduates is $26,774. Other Engineering graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $71,315 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,774 median debt. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Students looking for strong value in other engineering will find it at Wheaton College Illinois, which ranked #2. Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,546. Other Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,292 in student loans. Other Engineering graduates of Wheaton College Illinois earn a median of $43,654 early in their careers. Set against $23,292 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Students looking for strong value in other engineering will find it at Northwestern University, which ranked #3. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Other Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans. Other Engineering graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $162,147 early in their careers. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
More Other Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
