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2027 Best Value General Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Illinois

[General Manufacturing Engineering](/majors/engineering/manufacturing-engineering/general-manufacturing-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general manufacturing engineering education at a price that pays off.

For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 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

2027 Best Value General Manufacturing Engineering Schools in Illinois

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general manufacturing engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

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)

Our analysis ranked Bradley University the best value for a degree in general manufacturing engineering in Illinois. Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,160. Typical student debt for general manufacturing engineering graduates is $27,000. Early-career general manufacturing engineering graduates make about $67,488. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. 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)

A rank of #2 makes Northwestern University one of the best values for general manufacturing engineering. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete the general manufacturing engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general manufacturing engineering degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 8%.

View All General Manufacturing Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, 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 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.