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2026 Best Value General Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Illinois

[General Manufacturing Engineering](/majors/engineering/manufacturing-engineering/general-manufacturing-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general manufacturing engineering education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for general manufacturing engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value General Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general manufacturing engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value General Manufacturing Engineering Schools

1

Bradley University
Peoria, IL

$42,160 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$66,852 Median Earnings (10yr)

Bradley University tops our 2026 list of the best value general manufacturing engineering schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $42,160 in tuition and fees. General Manufacturing Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career general manufacturing engineering graduates make about $67,488. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.

2

Northwestern University
Evanston, IL

$68,322 In-State Tuition & Fees

$16,616 Avg Student Debt

$89,363 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in general manufacturing engineering will find it at Northwestern University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general manufacturing engineering graduates is $16,616. Early-career general manufacturing engineering graduates make about $78,551. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. The acceptance rate is 8%.

View All General Manufacturing Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.