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 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | $104,255 | $34,420 |
| 2 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | $103,872 | $16,776 |
| 3 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | $90,804 | $22,443 |
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $87,599 | $13,042 |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | $78,431 | $36,340 |
| 6 | Bradley University Peoria, IL | $76,013 | $22,469 |
| 7 | DePaul University Chicago, IL | $75,602 | $27,308 |
| 8 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | $73,666 | $9,540 |
| 9 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL | $68,390 | $26,059 |
| 10 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL | $67,314 | $18,910 |
| 11 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL | $67,144 | $21,153 |
| 12 | North Central College Naperville, IL | $65,646 | $22,836 |
| 13 | North Park University Chicago, IL | $61,717 | $15,949 |
| 14 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | $61,351 | $14,505 |
| 15 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL | $59,436 | $13,111 |
| 16 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL | $59,389 | $17,318 |
| 17 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL | $58,865 | $19,978 |
| 18 | Millikin University Decatur, IL | $57,738 | $16,652 |
| 19 | Illinois College Jacksonville, IL | $57,546 | $18,763 |
| 20 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | $57,388 | $12,554 |
| 21 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL | $57,175 | $10,018 |
| 22 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL | $55,885 | $12,717 |
| 23 | Monmouth College Monmouth, IL | $54,098 | $17,612 |
| 24 | DeVry University-Illinois Lisle, IL | $51,716 | $35,665 |
| 25 | Greenville University Greenville, IL | $49,304 | $20,905 |
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 $61,717, with a range from $49,304 at lower-earning schools to $104,255 at top-earning schools. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Which Illinois school has the highest Engineering graduate salary?
Northwestern University ranks first among Illinois schools offering Engineering, with a 10-year median graduate salary of $104,255.
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.