Best colleges for Civil Engineering in Illinois
Ranked by graduate earnings
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Bradley University and Illinois Institute of Technology are the top bachelor's Civil Engineering programs in Illinois by graduate earnings. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $73,397, College Scorecard. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Chicago and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville award the most Civil Engineering degrees in Illinois: 343, 112 and 87 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 8 Illinois colleges offer Civil Engineering and award 749 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Civil Engineering program focuses on the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and water supply systems. This program is ideal for students interested in applying engineering…
Top 6 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign Public · Bachelor's degree | $73,397 | 343 | 85% | — | $19,054 |
| 2 | Bradley University Peoria Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $72,573 | 48 | 76% | $21,768 | $27,000 |
| 3 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $71,760 | 55 | 75% | $19,899 | $26,000 |
| 4 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Public · Bachelor's degree | $69,310 | 112 | 62% | — | $24,382 |
| 5 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville Public · Bachelor's degree | $67,260 | 87 | 57% | — | $22,275 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Carbondale Public · Bachelor's degree | $65,269 | 30 | 62% | — | $19,781 |
Colleges awarding the most Civil Engineering degrees in Illinois
Top 8 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign Public | 343 | $73,397 |
| 2 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Public | 112 | $69,310 |
| 3 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville Public | 87 | $67,260 |
| 4 | Northwestern University Evanston Private not-for-profit | 69 | Not reported |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago Private not-for-profit | 55 | $71,760 |
| 6 | Bradley University Peoria Private not-for-profit | 48 | $72,573 |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Carbondale Public | 30 | $65,269 |
| 8 | Western Illinois University Macomb Public | 5 | Not reported |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051).
Top skills
What Civil Engineers earn in Illinois
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Civil Engineering programs in Illinois.
Which Illinois colleges award the most Civil Engineering degrees?+
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (343 graduates a year), University of Illinois Chicago (112 graduates a year) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (87 graduates a year) award the most Civil Engineering degrees in Illinois, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 8 Illinois colleges offer Civil Engineering.
What is the best college for Civil Engineering in Illinois?+
By graduate earnings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads among bachelor's Civil Engineering programs in Illinois, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $73,397, College Scorecard. Bradley University and Illinois Institute of Technology follow. By degrees awarded, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the largest, with 343 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Civil Engineering program in Illinois has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tops the list at $73,397. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Civil Engineers earn in Illinois?+
The average annual wage for Civil Engineers in Illinois is $105,390 (median $99,760), across about 13,910 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Civil Engineering program?+
The Civil Engineering program focuses on the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and water supply systems. This program is ideal for students interested in applying engineering…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Civil Engineers?+
The national job outlook is about +5.0% growth with around 23,600 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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