30 Best Aerospace Engineering schools in Illinois

Updated: March 15, 2026

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 2.07M citations received by 53.9K 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: 42%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 64%

2. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Aerospace Engineering

#35 in the United States

#39 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $26,830

3. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#43 in the United States

#49 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $28,060

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#62 in the United States

#70 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1240
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 80%

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#112 in the United States

#130 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $24,796

6. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Aerospace Engineering

#200 in the United States

#231 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1030
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 98%

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: $14,387
Enrollment: 15,414

8. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Aerospace Engineering

#231 in the United States

#262 in North America

Net Price: $30,212
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $3,499
Enrollment: 263

9. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Aerospace Engineering

#237 in the United States

#268 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1032
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $17,375

10. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#240 in the United States

#271 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1265
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $39,147

11. Illinois State University

Normal

For Aerospace Engineering

#289 in the United States

#328 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1100
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

12. DePaul University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#296 in the United States

#335 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $34,135

13. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Aerospace Engineering

#304 in the United States

#345 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1070
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 95%

14. Rush University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#310 in the United States

#351 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,769
Male:Female: 21:79
Founded: 1972

15. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#353 in the United States

#397 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,021
Male:Female: 39:61
Founded: 1912

16. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#360 in the United States

#404 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 39
Male:Female: 76:24

17. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Aerospace Engineering

#366 in the United States

#410 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 985
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $12,960

18. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Aerospace Engineering

#385 in the United States

#430 in North America

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 25:75

19. Bradley University

Peoria

For Aerospace Engineering

#389 in the United States

#434 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $23,787
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $30,808

20. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#398 in the United States

#445 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $55,631
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $20,050

21. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Aerospace Engineering

#421 in the United States

#473 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $28,644

22. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#439 in the United States

#492 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Net Price: $11,318
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $31,985

23. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Aerospace Engineering

#501 in the United States

#554 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,356

24. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Aerospace Engineering

#555 in the United States

#608 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Receiving Aid: 55%
Average Aid: $14,994
Enrollment: 6,332

25. North Central College

Naperville

For Aerospace Engineering

#556 in the United States

#609 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1183
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $23,276

26. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Aerospace Engineering

#628 in the United States

#686 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1070
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

27. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#648 in the United States

#707 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1035
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $22,366

28. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#730 in the United States

#793 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $18,194
Enrollment: 2,238

29. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Aerospace Engineering

#736 in the United States

#799 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $12,876
Enrollment: 5,734

30. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Aerospace Engineering

#797 in the United States

#861 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Net Price: $18,460
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $19,456

Closest to Illinois states to learn Aerospace Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	20	15
Missouri	14	56
Iowa	6	39
Kentucky	8	78
Wisconsin	18	19
Tennessee	20	55
Ohio	31	20
Michigan	19	3
Arkansas	8	180
West Virginia	5	95
Minnesota	17	16
Mississippi	6	109
Kansas	8	77
Alabama	13	79
Virginia	23	23
Georgia	19	8
North Carolina	20	30
Oklahoma	8	61
Nebraska	7	88
South Carolina	11	84
Pennsylvania	52	9
South Dakota	6	220
District of Columbia	7	97
Louisiana	14	59
Maryland	16	11
New York	80	14
New Jersey	17	13
North Dakota	3	190
Connecticut	16	34
Texas	49	17
Vermont	3	128
Colorado	12	26
Massachusetts	39	2
Rhode Island	5	49
Florida	28	24
New Hampshire	6	118
New Mexico	3	98
Maine	8	182
Montana	3	161
Utah	6	50
Arizona	5	27
Idaho	4	147
Oregon	12	69
Washington	14	12
California	63	1
Puerto Rico	5	273
Alaska	3	163
Hawaii	3	117