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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in Illinois

11 Ranked Colleges
3,865 Degrees Awarded
$19,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 6th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 200,458 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,888 and had an average of $23,564 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 6,518 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,008 and $25,246 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,865 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in Illinois

#1

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois
#2 in overall quality
$15,880 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 1,667 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, Illinois
#9 in overall quality
$14,423 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 206 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Read more about Engineering at SIUE

#3

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#6 in overall quality
$13,312 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 560 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#8 in overall quality
$18,259 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 238 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students.

Full Northern Illinois University Engineering Report

#5

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, Illinois
#10 in overall quality
$16,945 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Engineering at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#11 in overall quality
$16,210 Average Net Price

With a ranking of #6, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend WIU.

Read full report on Engineering at WIU

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#4 in overall quality
$25,634 Average Net Price

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #7. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 162 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Bradley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering at Bradley

#8

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#7 in overall quality
$20,195 Average Net Price

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Olivet Nazarene University

#9

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#3 in overall quality
$25,358 Average Net Price

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois bachelor’s degree engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Engineering Report

#10

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality
$22,831 Average Net Price

With a ranking of #10, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 317 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $22,831 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Engineering Report

#11

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality
$24,664 Average Net Price

Northwestern University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 362 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Engineering at Northwestern University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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