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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Mechanical Engineering Technology Schools in Illinois

1 Colleges in the United States
88 Mechanical Engineering Technology Degrees Awarded
$77,809 Avg Early-Career Salary

Mechanical Engineering Technology is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for mechanical engineering technology students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Mechanical Engineering Technology in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall mechanical engineering technology education in Illinois.

Top Schools in Mechanical Engineering Technology

1

No school ranked higher than Northwestern University this year for mechanical engineering technology. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. The six-year graduation rate is 95%. Northwestern University awarded about 20 mechanical engineering technology degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the mechanical engineering technology program make about $93,115 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree. Read more about the mechanical engineering technology program at Northwestern University

2

A rank of #2 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the top schools for mechanical engineering technology. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduates 60% of students within six years. Southern Illinois University Carbondale awarded about 68 mechanical engineering technology degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, mechanical engineering technology degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Carbondale generally make around $62,503. Typical student debt for the program is $19,187. Read more about the mechanical engineering technology program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

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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 · 9 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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