40 Best colleges for Optical Engineering 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 Optical Engineering. A graph of 5.89M citations received by 138K academic papers made by 40 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 Optical Engineering

#8 in the United States

#8 in North America

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

2. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Optical Engineering

#17 in the United States

#18 in North America

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

3. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#34 in the United States

#36 in North America

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

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#61 in the United States

#67 in North America

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

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#156 in the United States

#179 in North America

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

6. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Optical Engineering

#202 in the United States

#230 in North America

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

7. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Optical Engineering

#210 in the United States

#239 in North America

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

8. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#228 in the United States

#258 in North America

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

9. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Optical Engineering

#267 in the United States

#302 in North America

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

10. Illinois State University

Normal

For Optical Engineering

#271 in the United States

#306 in North America

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

11. Rush University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#304 in the United States

#343 in North America

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

12. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Optical Engineering

#334 in the United States

#378 in North America

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

13. DePaul University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#340 in the United States

#384 in North America

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

14. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Optical Engineering

#342 in the United States

#387 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 32:68

15. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#362 in the United States

#408 in North America

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

16. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#389 in the United States

#436 in North America

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

17. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#401 in the United States

#448 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 483
Male:Female: 26:74
Founded: 1872

18. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#433 in the United States

#483 in North America

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

19. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Optical Engineering

#451 in the United States

#504 in North America

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

20. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#455 in the United States

#508 in North America

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

21. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Optical Engineering

#470 in the United States

#523 in North America

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

22. Bradley University

Peoria

For Optical Engineering

#473 in the United States

#526 in North America

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

23. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Optical Engineering

#512 in the United States

#566 in North America

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

24. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Optical Engineering

#523 in the United States

#577 in North America

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

25. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Optical Engineering

#551 in the United States

#605 in North America

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

26. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Optical Engineering

#610 in the United States

#666 in North America

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

27. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Optical Engineering

#655 in the United States

#712 in North America

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

28. North Central College

Naperville

For Optical Engineering

#681 in the United States

#739 in North America

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

29. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#685 in the United States

#743 in North America

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

30. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Optical Engineering

#727 in the United States

#789 in North America

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

31. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#737 in the United States

#799 in North America

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

32. Knox College

Galesburg

For Optical Engineering

#744 in the United States

#806 in North America

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

33. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#770 in the United States

#832 in North America

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

34. Governors State University

University Park

For Optical Engineering

#810 in the United States

#873 in North America

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

35. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Optical Engineering

#856 in the United States

#921 in North America

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

36. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Optical Engineering

#936 in the United States

#1002 in North America

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

37. Monmouth College

Monmouth

For Optical Engineering

#937 in the United States

#1003 in North America

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

38. Rockford University

Rockford

For Optical Engineering

#956 in the United States

#1023 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 960
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $24,098

39. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Optical Engineering

#959 in the United States

#1026 in North America

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

40. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Optical Engineering

#984 in the United States

#1051 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $24,570
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $21,484

Closest to Illinois states to learn Optical Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	22	23
Missouri	18	48
Iowa	11	45
Kentucky	12	83
Wisconsin	23	16
Tennessee	25	65
Ohio	40	27
Michigan	26	5
Arkansas	11	114
West Virginia	7	118
Minnesota	19	25
Mississippi	9	137
Kansas	9	98
Alabama	19	88
Virginia	30	51
Georgia	26	15
North Carolina	24	33
Oklahoma	11	96
Nebraska	7	86
South Carolina	15	81
Pennsylvania	68	18
South Dakota	7	246
District of Columbia	8	94
Louisiana	19	78
Maryland	21	11
New York	92	9
New Jersey	18	14
North Dakota	3	195
Connecticut	18	29
Texas	55	13
Vermont	4	147
Colorado	16	32
Massachusetts	50	2
Rhode Island	6	59
Florida	31	30
New Hampshire	7	95
New Mexico	6	70
Maine	7	184
Montana	3	146
Utah	7	36
Arizona	5	20
Idaho	4	167
Oregon	15	85
Washington	17	10
California	79	1
Puerto Rico	9	264
Alaska	3	201
Hawaii	4	125