2026 Best Value Engineering Mechanics Schools in Illinois
[Engineering Mechanics](/majors/engineering/engineering-mechanics/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for engineering mechanics students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Engineering Mechanics Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in engineering mechanics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Engineering Mechanics Schools
For return on investment in engineering mechanics, no school beat University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign this year. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, with out-of-state students paying around $40,096. Engineering Mechanics graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans. Soon after graduation, engineering mechanics degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $57,461. That is a strong return on a $20,778 median debt. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
More Engineering Mechanics Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
