45 Best Mechanical 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 Mechanical Engineering. A graph of 3.07M citations received by 83K academic papers made by 45 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 Mechanical Engineering

#6 in the United States

#6 in North America

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

2. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Mechanical Engineering

#27 in the United States

#29 in North America

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

3. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#30 in the United States

#32 in North America

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

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#54 in the United States

#62 in North America

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

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#119 in the United States

#142 in North America

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

6. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Mechanical Engineering

#175 in the United States

#205 in North America

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

7. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#192 in the United States

#222 in North America

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

8. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Mechanical Engineering

#206 in the United States

#236 in North America

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

9. DePaul University

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#226 in the United States

#259 in North America

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

10. Illinois State University

Normal

For Mechanical Engineering

#230 in the United States

#263 in North America

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

11. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Mechanical Engineering

#249 in the United States

#284 in North America

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

12. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Mechanical Engineering

#267 in the United States

#304 in North America

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

13. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#272 in the United States

#309 in North America

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

14. Bradley University

Peoria

For Mechanical Engineering

#294 in the United States

#333 in North America

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

15. Rush University

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#327 in the United States

#368 in North America

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

16. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Mechanical Engineering

#350 in the United States

#392 in North America

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

17. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#409 in the United States

#456 in North America

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

18. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Mechanical Engineering

#436 in the United States

#484 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 32:68

19. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Mechanical Engineering

#447 in the United States

#496 in North America

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

20. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Mechanical Engineering

#453 in the United States

#503 in North America

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

21. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#455 in the United States

#506 in North America

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

22. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Mechanical Engineering

#481 in the United States

#533 in North America

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

23. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Mechanical Engineering

#519 in the United States

#572 in North America

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

24. North Central College

Naperville

For Mechanical Engineering

#525 in the United States

#579 in North America

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

25. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#543 in the United States

#597 in North America

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

26. Knox College

Galesburg

For Mechanical Engineering

#584 in the United States

#641 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1253
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $25,524

27. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#636 in the United States

#695 in North America

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

28. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Mechanical Engineering

#688 in the United States

#750 in North America

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

29. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Mechanical Engineering

#693 in the United States

#755 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $19,472

30. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#714 in the United States

#777 in North America

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

31. Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#746 in the United States

#810 in North America

Enrollment: 114
Male:Female: 44:56

32. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Mechanical Engineering

#790 in the United States

#856 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1268
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $29,894

33. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#825 in the United States

#892 in North America

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

34. Governors State University

University Park

For Mechanical Engineering

#845 in the United States

#912 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $11,315
Enrollment: 4,337

35. John Marshall Law School

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#857 in the United States

#924 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Founded: 1899

36. Greenville University

Greenville

For Mechanical Engineering

#879 in the United States

#947 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Average SAT: 1015
Average ACT: 19
Net Price: $21,442

37. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Mechanical Engineering

#884 in the United States

#952 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $22,760

38. Monmouth College

Monmouth

For Mechanical Engineering

#897 in the United States

#965 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $19,088

39. Dominican University

River Forest

For Mechanical Engineering

#908 in the United States

#978 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1037
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $16,969

40. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Mechanical Engineering

#936 in the United States

#1007 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,695

41. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Mechanical Engineering

#959 in the United States

#1030 in North America

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

42. National Louis University

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#965 in the United States

#1036 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $15,724
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,722

43. Columbia College Chicago

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#996 in the United States

#1067 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Net Price: $29,790
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $20,851

44. DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago

For Mechanical Engineering

#1002 in the United States

#1074 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1060
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $31,063

45. Aurora University

Aurora

For Mechanical Engineering

#1022 in the United States

#1096 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1032
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $19,220

Closest to Illinois states to learn Mechanical Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	24	11
Missouri	21	51
Iowa	10	40
Kentucky	15	58
Wisconsin	23	10
Tennessee	24	52
Ohio	38	14
Michigan	24	5
Arkansas	11	136
West Virginia	9	105
Minnesota	20	19
Mississippi	7	123
Kansas	9	101
Alabama	17	90
Virginia	28	32
Georgia	29	8
North Carolina	27	38
Oklahoma	11	93
Nebraska	7	81
South Carolina	16	74
Pennsylvania	72	12
South Dakota	6	304
District of Columbia	8	107
Louisiana	16	62
Maryland	22	13
New York	102	9
New Jersey	20	22
North Dakota	4	193
Connecticut	19	28
Texas	58	15
Vermont	4	150
Colorado	15	47
Massachusetts	48	1
Rhode Island	7	65
Florida	33	26
New Hampshire	8	108
New Mexico	5	98
Maine	8	191
Montana	3	187
Utah	7	44
Arizona	5	41
Idaho	4	163
Oregon	15	84
Washington	19	7
California	87	2
Puerto Rico	7	284
Alaska	3	219
Hawaii	4	127