38 Best colleges for Optical Engineering in Illinois

Updated: February 29, 2024

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 4.49M citations received by 124K academic papers made by 38 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

#7 in the United States

#7 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 64%

2. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Optical Engineering

#18 in the United States

#19 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1530
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $22,095

3. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#32 in the United States

#33 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $36,991

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#60 in the United States

#66 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 81%

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#155 in the United States

#179 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1315
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $28,702

6. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Optical Engineering

#203 in the United States

#232 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1020
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

7. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Optical Engineering

#205 in the United States

#234 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $12,552
Enrollment: 15,649

8. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#233 in the United States

#263 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $37,511

9. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Optical Engineering

#272 in the United States

#308 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1043
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $16,296

10. Illinois State University

Normal

For Optical Engineering

#275 in the United States

#311 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

11. Rush University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#321 in the United States

#361 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,870
Male:Female: 22:78
Founded: 1972

12. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Optical Engineering

#329 in the United States

#372 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Average SAT: 1045
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 98%

13. DePaul University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#335 in the United States

#379 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $32,151

14. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#363 in the United States

#409 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 40
Male:Female: 77:23

15. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Optical Engineering

#365 in the United States

#411 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 30:70

16. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#383 in the United States

#430 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 1,940
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1912

17. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#388 in the United States

#435 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 481
Male:Female: 27:73
Founded: 1872

18. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#413 in the United States

#463 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Net Price: $11,302
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $29,886

19. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#435 in the United States

#485 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Net Price: $53,923
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $18,290

20. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Optical Engineering

#437 in the United States

#487 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $30,096

21. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Optical Engineering

#446 in the United States

#498 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1010
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $11,773

22. Bradley University

Peoria

For Optical Engineering

#464 in the United States

#517 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1165
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $24,053

23. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Optical Engineering

#466 in the United States

#519 in North America

Net Price: $20,319
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $12,832
Enrollment: 242

24. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Optical Engineering

#505 in the United States

#559 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $15,632
Enrollment: 7,643

25. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Optical Engineering

#513 in the United States

#567 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1104
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

26. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Optical Engineering

#599 in the United States

#655 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1247
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $27,839

27. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Optical Engineering

#657 in the United States

#713 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1340
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $29,961

28. North Central College

Naperville

For Optical Engineering

#700 in the United States

#757 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $25,285

29. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#710 in the United States

#770 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 960
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $22,117

30. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#714 in the United States

#774 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $15,891
Enrollment: 2,317

31. Knox College

Galesburg

For Optical Engineering

#720 in the United States

#780 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $26,882

32. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#779 in the United States

#841 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $15,143
Enrollment: 5,756

33. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Optical Engineering

#799 in the United States

#861 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Net Price: $21,575
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $14,112

34. Governors State University

University Park

For Optical Engineering

#848 in the United States

#913 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 945
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $11,987

35. Monmouth College

Monmouth

For Optical Engineering

#865 in the United States

#930 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $20,237

36. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Optical Engineering

#883 in the United States

#948 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,660

37. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Optical Engineering

#895 in the United States

#960 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $24,108

38. Saint Augustine College

Chicago

For Optical Engineering

#919 in the United States

#984 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $10,288
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $10,468

Closest to Illinois states to learn Optical Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	20	27
Missouri	18	49
Iowa	10	40
Kentucky	10	79
Wisconsin	22	17
Tennessee	24	66
Ohio	38	28
Michigan	23	5
Arkansas	9	112
West Virginia	6	121
Minnesota	19	23
Mississippi	8	135
Kansas	9	96
Alabama	19	87
Virginia	29	51
Georgia	25	14
North Carolina	24	34
Oklahoma	10	97
Nebraska	7	81
South Carolina	15	83
Pennsylvania	66	16
South Dakota	7	252
District of Columbia	8	95
Louisiana	18	78
Maryland	21	12
New York	92	8
New Jersey	18	15
North Dakota	3	197
Connecticut	16	29
Texas	53	13
Vermont	4	149
Colorado	15	31
Massachusetts	46	2
Rhode Island	5	61
Florida	31	30
New Hampshire	8	99
New Mexico	6	70
Maine	7	185
Montana	3	147
Utah	7	36
Arizona	5	21
Idaho	4	168
Oregon	15	88
Washington	16	10
California	77	1
Puerto Rico	9	260
Alaska	3	216
Hawaii	4	128