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2025 Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

8 Colleges in Illinois
1,498 Master's Degrees
$96,446 Avg Early-Career Salary
Engineering is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #6 most popular master's degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 8 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,498 master's degrees in engineering to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Engineering School for Your Master's Degree

Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The engineering master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality engineering program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for engineering students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Engineering Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Engineering in Illinois

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for engineering students seeking a a master's degree.

Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Engineering

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
301 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in engineering has to look into Northwestern University. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
504 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a master's degree in engineering. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
259 Annual Graduates

Illinois Institute of Technology is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in engineering. Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
195 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Chicago is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in engineering. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of Illinois at Chicago

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
24 Annual Graduates

Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Peoria.More information about a master’s in engineering from Bradley University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from Northern Illinois University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Annual Graduates

SIUE is a large public university located in the suburb of Edwardsville.More information about a master’s in engineering from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Best Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Engineering Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 33 1,123
Ohio 32 1,671
Michigan 31 2,518
Wisconsin 31 570

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Engineering Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 265
Mechanical Engineering 238
Civil Engineering 237
Other Engineering 130
Biomedical Engineering 106
Computer Engineering 106
Industrial Engineering 84
Chemical Engineering 63
Materials Engineering 57
Construction Engineering 35

Related Major Annual Graduates
Mathematics & Statistics 999
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 790
Engineering Technologies 383
Physical Sciences 323
Architecture & Related Services 168
Natural Resources & Conservation 160
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 154
Science Technologies / Technicians 11
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 6

Notes and References

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