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2024 Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

9 Colleges in Illinois
1,861 Master's Degrees
$81,244 Avg Early-Career Salary
Engineering is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #6 most popular master's degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 9 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,861 master's degrees in engineering during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Engineering School for Your Master's Degree

Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The engineering master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality engineering program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for engineering students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Engineering Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Engineering in Illinois

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for engineering students seeking a a master's degree.

Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Engineering

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
378 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in engineering has to check out Northwestern University. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
655 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a master's degree in engineering. UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
281 Annual Graduates

Illinois Institute of Technology is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in engineering. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
273 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Chicago is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in engineering. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of Illinois at Chicago

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

Bradley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Peoria.More information about a master’s in engineering from Bradley University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Annual Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from Northern Illinois University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Annual Graduates

SIUC is a large public university located in the city of Carbondale.More information about a master’s in engineering from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Annual Graduates

SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Edwardsville.More information about a master’s in engineering from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

9
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Annual Graduates

DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in engineering from DePaul University

Best Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 33 1,123
Ohio 32 1,671
Michigan 31 2,518
Wisconsin 31 570

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Engineering Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 414
Civil Engineering 317
Mechanical Engineering 276
Industrial Engineering 132
Other Engineering 129
Computer Engineering 115
Biomedical Engineering 107
Chemical Engineering 82
Materials Engineering 54
Operations Research 52

Related Major Annual Graduates
Mathematics & Statistics 1,113
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 835
Engineering Technologies 407
Physical Sciences 288
Architecture & Related Services 182
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 153
Natural Resources & Conservation 109
Science Technologies / Technicians 10
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4

Notes and References

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