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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best General Engineering Schools in Illinois

2 Colleges in the United States
373 General Engineering Degrees Awarded
$46,696 Avg Early-Career Salary

General Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 46 schools to find the best for general engineering students.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for General 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 general engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in General Engineering

1

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign tops our 2026 ranking of the best general engineering schools. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. About 85% of students finish within six years. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 46 general engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $57,461. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans. Get the full general engineering details for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

2
Harper College crest
Harper College
Palatine, IL

A rank of #2 makes Harper College one of the top schools for general engineering. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Palatine. About 52 general engineering degrees were awarded at Harper College in the most recent year. General Engineering graduates of Harper College earn a median of $44,523 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $10,963 to complete this degree. Read more about the general engineering program at Harper College

3
College Of Dupage crest
College Of Dupage
Glen Ellyn, IL

A rank of #3 makes College Of Dupage one of the top schools for general engineering. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn. There were roughly 20 general engineering students who graduated with this degree at College Of Dupage in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from College Of Dupage generally make around $43,025. Students borrow a median of $10,500 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in general engineering from College Of Dupage

4

University Of Illinois At Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in general engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the city of Chicago. About 62% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 10 general engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent data year. General Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $61,829 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $20,115. Read more about the general engineering program at University Of Illinois At Chicago

5

College Of Lake County came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best general engineering schools. College Of Lake County is a very large public school located in the suburb of Grayslake. There were roughly 31 general engineering students who graduated with this degree at College Of Lake County in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from College Of Lake County generally make around $50,314. Typical student debt for the program is $9,785. Read more about the general engineering program at College Of Lake County

6
Illinois Central College crest
Illinois Central College
East Peoria, IL

Illinois Central College came in at #6 for general engineering this year. Located in the suburb of East Peoria, Illinois Central College is a large public university. About 12 general engineering degrees were awarded at Illinois Central College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Illinois Central College generally make around $53,190. Typical student debt for the program is $12,222. Read more about the general engineering program at Illinois Central College

7
Mchenry County College crest
Mchenry County College
Crystal Lake, IL

Mchenry County College placed #7 among the best general engineering schools. Set in the rural area of Crystal Lake, Mchenry County College is a large public institution. There were roughly 17 general engineering students who graduated with this degree at Mchenry County College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Mchenry County College generally make around $24,177. Students borrow a median of $7,440 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in general engineering from Mchenry County College

8
Rock Valley College crest
Rock Valley College
Rockford, IL

Rock Valley College came in at #8 for general engineering this year. Set in the city of Rockford, Rock Valley College is a moderately-sized public institution. There were roughly 28 general engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rock Valley College in the most recent data year. General Engineering graduates of Rock Valley College earn a median of $41,080 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $9,236 to complete this degree. Read more about the general engineering program at Rock Valley College

9

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #9 spot for general engineering this year. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Bourbonnais. About 61% of students finish within six years. About 35 general engineering degrees were awarded at Olivet Nazarene University in the most recent year. Students who receive their general engineering degree from Olivet Nazarene University earn around $66,394 in the first couple years of their career. Olivet Nazarene University graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. See the full general engineering program report for Olivet Nazarene University

10

Lewis And Clark Community College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best general engineering schools. Set in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Lewis And Clark Community College awarded about 11 general engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general engineering degree from Lewis And Clark Community College earn around $41,313 in the first couple years of their career. Lewis And Clark Community College graduates carry a median of $9,602 in student loans. See the full general engineering program report for Lewis And Clark Community College

11

City Colleges Of Chicago Wilbur Wright College placed #11 among the best general engineering schools. This large public university is located in the city of Chicago. There were roughly 75 general engineering students who graduated with this degree at City Colleges Of Chicago Wilbur Wright College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general engineering degree from City Colleges Of Chicago Wilbur Wright College earn around $33,073 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $8,093 to complete this degree. See the full general engineering program report for City Colleges Of Chicago Wilbur Wright College

12

Elgin Community College earned the #12 position for general engineering this year. Located in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a large public university. There were roughly 36 general engineering students who graduated with this degree at Elgin Community College in the most recent data year. General Engineering graduates of Elgin Community College earn a median of $43,975 early in their careers. Elgin Community College graduates carry a median of $7,727 in student loans. Get the full general engineering details for Elgin Community College

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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 · 46 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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