30 Best Aerospace Engineering schools in Illinois

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Illinois ranked based on their research performance in Aerospace Engineering. A graph of 1.98M citations received by 52.9K academic papers made by 30 universities in Illinois was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Champaign

For Aerospace Engineering

#7 in the United States

#7 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1390
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 61%

2. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Aerospace Engineering

#35 in the United States

#38 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $23,341

3. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#42 in the United States

#48 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $27,979

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#61 in the United States

#69 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 80%

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#111 in the United States

#129 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1295
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $25,001

6. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Aerospace Engineering

#199 in the United States

#230 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

7. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Aerospace Engineering

#230 in the United States

#261 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $13,565
Enrollment: 15,504

8. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Aerospace Engineering

#232 in the United States

#263 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $20,319
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $12,832

9. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#237 in the United States

#268 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1250
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $37,592

10. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Aerospace Engineering

#239 in the United States

#270 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1081
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $17,255

11. Illinois State University

Normal

For Aerospace Engineering

#290 in the United States

#329 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

12. DePaul University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#294 in the United States

#333 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $32,129

13. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Aerospace Engineering

#305 in the United States

#345 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1030
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 93%

14. Rush University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#311 in the United States

#352 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,782
Male:Female: 22:78
Founded: 1972

15. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#357 in the United States

#401 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 1,949
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1912

16. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#363 in the United States

#407 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 38
Male:Female: 73:27

17. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Aerospace Engineering

#368 in the United States

#412 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1000
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $11,122

18. Bradley University

Peoria

For Aerospace Engineering

#386 in the United States

#431 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $24,703

19. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Aerospace Engineering

#391 in the United States

#436 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 32:68

20. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#395 in the United States

#441 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Net Price: $55,485
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $18,872

21. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Aerospace Engineering

#420 in the United States

#471 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $31,310

22. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#438 in the United States

#491 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Net Price: $11,943
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $30,290

23. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Aerospace Engineering

#552 in the United States

#605 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 54%
Average Aid: $15,620
Enrollment: 7,073

24. North Central College

Naperville

For Aerospace Engineering

#557 in the United States

#610 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1173
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,190

25. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Aerospace Engineering

#568 in the United States

#621 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,346

26. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Aerospace Engineering

#650 in the United States

#708 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

27. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#666 in the United States

#725 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 955
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $21,503

28. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#725 in the United States

#787 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $19,111
Enrollment: 2,324

29. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#740 in the United States

#802 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $12,560
Enrollment: 5,504

30. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Aerospace Engineering

#793 in the United States

#857 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Net Price: $21,349
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $15,613

Closest to Illinois states to learn Aerospace Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	20	15
Missouri	13	56
Iowa	6	39
Kentucky	8	78
Wisconsin	18	19
Tennessee	20	55
Ohio	31	20
Michigan	19	3
Arkansas	8	181
West Virginia	5	96
Minnesota	17	16
Mississippi	6	109
Kansas	8	77
Alabama	13	79
Virginia	22	23
Georgia	18	8
North Carolina	20	30
Oklahoma	8	60
Nebraska	7	90
South Carolina	11	84
Pennsylvania	51	9
South Dakota	6	221
District of Columbia	7	97
Louisiana	14	59
Maryland	16	12
New York	79	14
New Jersey	17	11
North Dakota	4	192
Connecticut	16	34
Texas	49	17
Vermont	3	127
Colorado	12	26
Massachusetts	39	2
Rhode Island	5	49
Florida	28	25
New Hampshire	6	116
New Mexico	3	95
Maine	8	182
Montana	3	160
Utah	6	50
Arizona	5	27
Idaho	4	149
Oregon	12	70
Washington	14	13
California	63	1
Puerto Rico	5	272
Alaska	3	161
Hawaii	3	117