Engineering Graduate Salaries in Illinois
Federal earnings data for every Illinois college offering Engineering, ranked by 10-year median graduate salary. Sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard — real tax-reported income, not surveys.
Engineering in Illinois. Engineering bachelor's degrees consistently top the federal earnings data for new graduates. ABET-accredited programs are the standard requirement for licensure and most engineering jobs.
Typical career paths: Mechanical Engineer, Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Biomedical Engineer, Environmental Engineer. Median starting salary range: $72,000–$110,000. School choice can swing graduate earnings by 30–60% — which is why we rank by federal data, not prestige.
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | $91,885 | $14,860 |
| 2 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | $89,363 | $29,167 |
| 3 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | $82,592 | $18,425 |
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $81,054 | $14,355 |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | $71,530 | $36,079 |
| 6 | DePaul University Chicago, IL | $68,751 | $30,902 |
| 7 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | $68,740 | $10,974 |
| 8 | Bradley University Peoria, IL | $66,852 | $22,719 |
| 9 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL | $66,099 | $17,028 |
| 10 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL | $63,756 | $26,975 |
| 11 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL | $63,446 | $22,313 |
| 12 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL | $62,971 | $22,736 |
| 13 | North Central College Naperville, IL | $60,123 | $21,044 |
| 14 | North Park University Chicago, IL | $59,572 | $16,948 |
| 15 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | $57,808 | $13,391 |
| 16 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL | $56,346 | $14,889 |
| 17 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL | $54,163 | $12,937 |
| 18 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | $53,390 | $13,297 |
| 19 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL | $53,213 | $20,729 |
| 20 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL | $51,989 | $12,786 |
| 21 | Monmouth College Monmouth, IL | $51,110 | $17,133 |
| 22 | Greenville University Greenville, IL | $46,827 | $19,533 |
| 23 | DeVry University-Illinois Lisle, IL | $45,987 | $30,770 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are 10-year median income for graduates of each institution (all majors, since program-level earnings are released only for select fields). Refreshed every 24 hours.
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Frequently asked questions
What do Engineering graduates earn in Illinois?
The median 10-year earnings for Engineering graduates from Illinois colleges is $62,971, with a range from $45,987 at lower-earning schools to $91,885 at top-earning schools. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Which Illinois school has the highest Engineering graduate salary?
University of Chicago ranks first among Illinois schools offering Engineering, with a 10-year median graduate salary of $91,885.
How is "graduate salary" measured?
These figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. They reflect actual federal tax-reported income of all graduates 10 years after enrollment — including those who pursued graduate school and those who took industry jobs. They are not survey-based.
Are these salaries adjusted for cost of living?
No. These are raw federal earnings figures. Illinois salaries should be considered in context of local cost of living. For example, $90,000 in California has different purchasing power than $90,000 in North Carolina.