41 Best colleges for Optical Engineering 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 Optical Engineering. A graph of 6.12M citations received by 140K academic papers made by 41 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: 42%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 64%

2. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Optical Engineering

#17 in the United States

#18 in North America

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

3. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#34 in the United States

#36 in North America

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

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#62 in the United States

#69 in North America

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

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#155 in the United States

#179 in North America

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

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: $14,387
Enrollment: 15,414

7. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Optical Engineering

#211 in the United States

#239 in North America

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

8. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#229 in the United States

#259 in North America

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

9. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Optical Engineering

#267 in the United States

#302 in North America

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

10. Illinois State University

Normal

For Optical Engineering

#270 in the United States

#305 in North America

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

11. Rush University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#304 in the United States

#343 in North America

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

12. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Optical Engineering

#336 in the United States

#380 in North America

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

13. DePaul University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#339 in the United States

#384 in North America

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

14. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Optical Engineering

#340 in the United States

#385 in North America

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 25:75

15. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#362 in the United States

#407 in North America

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

16. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#388 in the United States

#435 in North America

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

17. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#404 in the United States

#452 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 474
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: 84%
Net Price: $11,318
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $31,985

19. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Optical Engineering

#449 in the United States

#502 in North America

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

20. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#457 in the United States

#510 in North America

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

21. Bradley University

Peoria

For Optical Engineering

#468 in the United States

#521 in North America

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

22. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Optical Engineering

#470 in the United States

#523 in North America

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

23. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Optical Engineering

#506 in the United States

#560 in North America

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

24. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Optical Engineering

#521 in the United States

#575 in North America

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

25. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Optical Engineering

#559 in the United States

#613 in North America

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

26. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Optical Engineering

#620 in the United States

#676 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1292
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,225

27. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Optical Engineering

#658 in the United States

#715 in North America

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

28. North Central College

Naperville

For Optical Engineering

#682 in the United States

#740 in North America

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

29. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#683 in the United States

#741 in North America

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

30. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Optical Engineering

#732 in the United States

#794 in North America

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

31. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#735 in the United States

#797 in North America

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

32. Knox College

Galesburg

For Optical Engineering

#743 in the United States

#805 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $25,709

33. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#773 in the United States

#836 in North America

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

34. Governors State University

University Park

For Optical Engineering

#817 in the United States

#880 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $11,455
Enrollment: 4,397

35. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Optical Engineering

#858 in the United States

#923 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,714

36. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Optical Engineering

#938 in the United States

#1004 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $18,959

37. Monmouth College

Monmouth

For Optical Engineering

#949 in the United States

#1016 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $17,768

38. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Optical Engineering

#963 in the United States

#1030 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1125
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $24,629

39. Rockford University

Rockford

For Optical Engineering

#967 in the United States

#1034 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 960
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $23,642

40. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Optical Engineering

#990 in the United States

#1057 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Net Price: $23,139
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $22,911

41. Saint Augustine College

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#996 in the United States

#1063 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $8,310
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $14,748

Closest to Illinois states to learn Optical Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	23	23
Missouri	18	48
Iowa	11	46
Kentucky	12	85
Wisconsin	23	16
Tennessee	26	64
Ohio	40	27
Michigan	26	5
Arkansas	11	114
West Virginia	7	119
Minnesota	19	25
Mississippi	10	137
Kansas	9	99
Alabama	19	88
Virginia	30	52
Georgia	26	14
North Carolina	24	32
Oklahoma	11	97
Nebraska	7	83
South Carolina	15	81
Pennsylvania	68	18
South Dakota	7	246
District of Columbia	8	94
Louisiana	19	79
Maryland	21	11
New York	92	9
New Jersey	18	15
North Dakota	3	193
Connecticut	18	29
Texas	55	13
Vermont	4	148
Colorado	16	33
Massachusetts	50	2
Rhode Island	6	59
Florida	31	30
New Hampshire	8	95
New Mexico	6	70
Maine	7	183
Montana	3	147
Utah	7	36
Arizona	5	20
Idaho	4	166
Nevada	3	126
Oregon	15	84
Washington	17	10
California	80	1
Puerto Rico	9	264
Alaska	3	201
Hawaii	4	124