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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Electrical Engineering Schools in Illinois

8 Colleges in the United States
814 Electrical Engineering Degrees Awarded
$79,186 Avg Early-Career Salary

Electrical Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their electrical engineering programs.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for electrical engineering students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Electrical Engineering in Illinois

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the electrical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Electrical Engineering

1

Our analysis ranked Northwestern University the best school in the country for a degree in electrical engineering. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. About 95% of students finish within six years. Northwestern University awarded about 66 electrical engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, electrical engineering degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. Typical student debt for the program is $16,616. Get the full electrical engineering details for Northwestern University

2

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best electrical engineering schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Champaign. About 85% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 425 electrical engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, electrical engineering degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $99,772. Typical student debt for the program is $21,600. Read more about the electrical engineering program at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

3

University Of Illinois At Chicago came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best electrical engineering schools. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 62%. There were roughly 110 electrical engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent data year. Electrical Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $83,287 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,500 to complete this degree. See the full electrical engineering program report for University Of Illinois At Chicago

4

Students looking for a strong electrical engineering program will find one at Illinois Institute Of Technology, which ranked #4. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Illinois Institute Of Technology graduates 75% of students within six years. About 70 electrical engineering degrees were awarded at Illinois Institute Of Technology in the most recent year. Students who receive their electrical engineering degree from Illinois Institute Of Technology earn around $69,966 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete this degree. Read more about the electrical engineering program at Illinois Institute Of Technology

5

Northern Illinois University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best electrical engineering schools. This large public university is located in the suburb of Dekalb. Northern Illinois University graduates 49% of students within six years. Northern Illinois University awarded about 84 electrical engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Electrical Engineering graduates of Northern Illinois University earn a median of $74,442 early in their careers. Northern Illinois University graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. More information about a degree in electrical engineering from Northern Illinois University

6

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earned the #6 position for electrical engineering this year. Set in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public institution. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates 55% of students within six years. There were roughly 33 electrical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the most recent data year. Students who receive their electrical engineering degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn around $79,617 in the first couple years of their career. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates carry a median of $25,113 in student loans. More information about a degree in electrical engineering from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

7

Southern Illinois University Carbondale earned the #7 position for electrical engineering this year. 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 26 electrical engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their electrical engineering degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn around $68,670 in the first couple years of their career. Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduates carry a median of $19,750 in student loans. More information about a degree in electrical engineering from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 13 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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