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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Illinois

2 Colleges in the United States
40 Manufacturing Engineering Degrees Awarded
$73,020 Avg Early-Career Salary

Manufacturing Engineering programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for manufacturing engineering students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Manufacturing Engineering in Illinois

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

Top Schools in Manufacturing Engineering

1

Our analysis ranked Northwestern University the best school in the country for a degree in manufacturing engineering. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Northwestern University graduates 95% of students within six years. Northwestern University awarded about 16 manufacturing engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $78,551 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $16,616. Get the full manufacturing engineering details for Northwestern University

2

A rank of #2 makes Bradley University one of the top schools for manufacturing engineering. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Bradley University graduates 76% of students within six years. About 24 manufacturing engineering degrees were awarded at Bradley University in the most recent year. Graduates of the manufacturing engineering program make about $67,488 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree. Read more about the manufacturing engineering program at Bradley University

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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 · 3 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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