The engineering field is, without a doubt, one of the highest-paying careers in the world currently.
According to Payscale’s College Salary Report of 2021, engineering degrees were ranked top 3 among the highest-paying jobs with a Bachelor’s degree.
So if you are looking to kickstart your career in this field, we have compiled a list of the best engineering schools in the Midwest ranked by US News of College Reports.
Best Engineering schools in the midwest | Latest Rankings
Here is a list of the most-ranked engineering schools in the Midwest, sourced from US News;
| Best Engineering School In The Midwest | US News Ranking |
| The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | #6 (tie) |
| The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | #6 (tie) |
| Purdue University – West Lafayette, Indiana | #10 |
| Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois | #15 |
| University of Wisconsin – Madison | #20 |
| University of Minnesota – Twin Cities | #24 |
| Ohio State University – Columbus | #27 |
| University of Notre Dame | #36 |
| Michigan State University | #45 |
| Michigan Technology University | #63 (tie) |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | #63 (tie) |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | 86 |
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The first on our list of the top Midwest engineering schools is the University of Illinois ranked sixth in undergraduate engineering programs by the US News.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was founded in 1867, it is a well-recognized public school with over 56,000 students enrolled, making it one of the largest universities in the country.
As an upcoming engineer, it might interest you to know that the University of Illinois is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers programs that lead to a Bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D.
The school is not very strict with admission, the acceptance rate is 63%, and the graduation rate is 83%.
The engineering tuition budget for the University of Illinois is as follows;
| Engineering Undergraduate Tuition | $17,138/year (in-state) | $35,110/year (out-of-state |
| Engineering Graduate Tuition | $18,998/Year (in-state) | $36,150/year (out-of-state) |
The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
The next on our list is the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, its engineering program was ranked by the US News as fourth overall in the nation in 2019.
As one of the top engineering universities in the midwest, the University of Michigan is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has a 26% acceptance rate with a 92% graduation rate.
The graduate program in nuclear engineering was also ranked number one in the country, together with the Industrial and Operations Engineering program and also the Materials Science and Engineering program ranked second place.
Getting admission into the University of Michigan engineering school is not quite easy, like we said earlier, students should have certain requirements like;
- A minimum GPA of 3.9
- Composite ACT score of 34 and median SAT score of 1420.
For student size, the school boasts over 48,000 students, and engineering students graduate with Bachelor’s, Master and a Ph.D.
The engineering tuition budget for the University of Michigan is as follows;
| Engineering Undergraduate Tuition | $1,065/credit (in-state) | 2,575/credit (out of state) |
| Engineering Graduate Tuition | $1,964/credit (in-state) | $3,349/credit (out of state) |
Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana
Purdue University located in Indiana is one of the top-ranked schools for engineering students in the midwest, it was named after John Purdue in 1869 and was established as a college of science, technology, and agriculture.
The Purdue University engineering school has been ranked by US News as the 10th best in the nation, it is quite large with a class size of over 49,000 students.
Purdue University offers the following engineering degrees;
- Bachelor’s
- Master’s
- PhD
The engineering tuition budget for Purdue University is as follows;
| Engineering Undergraduate Tuition | $12,042/year (in-state) | $30,844/year (out of state) |
| Engineering Graduate Tuition | $5,558/semester (in-state) | $14,959/semester (out of state) |
Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois
Founded in 1851, Northwestern University is a privately-owned institution and one of the most prestigious schools in the world.
It is also one of the best engineering schools in the midwest, offering programs that lead to a Bachelor’s, master’s, and a Ph.D. in engineering.
The engineering school has a very low acceptance rate of about 13% which shows how competitive it is to get enrolled, however, it is one of the most-ranked schools in the nation, ranked 15th by US News.
The engineering tuition budget for Northwestern University is as follows;
| Engineering Undergraduate Tuition | $20,092/quarter |
| Engineering Graduate Tuition | $19,009/quarter |
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Founded in 1857, the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering is one of the best engineering schools in the midwest with 13 academic departments.
This engineering school is one of the most competitive schools to get into even if it has a moderate acceptance rate of 54%, to have a chance of getting in, first-year applicants should have a high school GPA of 3.5.
As one of the most reputable engineering schools in the United States, the University of Wisconsin has been ranked by US News as the 20th best engineering school in the nation.
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a very known public research university that offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States.
Engineering is one of the known programs the University of Minnesota boasts of along with other programs like Social Sciences, Business, Marketing, etc. The school offers about 20 science and engineering majors for undergrads.
The University of Minnesota School of engineering has been ranked #4 in the nation by CollegeChoice.net and #24 by US News.
U of M is not too difficult to get into, the school has a 56.7% acceptance rate, however, applicants are required to meet the school’s requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores.
Other top Midwest Engineering Schools include;
- Ohio State University – Columbus
- University of Notre Dame
- Michigan State University
- Michigan Technology University
- Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Illinois Institute of Technology
Related Questions
What is the Salary Outlook for engineers?
Engineers are very much in demand currently, and employment opportunities are predicted to increase between 2016 and 2026, within this period about 140,000 new jobs will be created according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Civil engineers will enjoy the highest number of job openings, about 23% of the overall jobs.
Highest-paying engineering careers in the midwest:
| Job Profile | Annual Salary Range |
| Petroleum Engineer | $130,850 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $122,270 |
| Nuclear Engineer | $120,380 |
| Electronics Engineer | $101,780 |
| Mining and Geological Engineer | $97,090 |
What are the best Engineering Schools in the midwest for an Associate degree?
- Lewis and Clark Community College | Associate in Engineering Science
- Columbia College- Associate in Science in Pre- Engineering
- Saint Paul College | Associate of Science Engineering Broad Field
- Northwest State Community College | Associate of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Parkland College | Associate of Engineering Science
What are the best Engineering Schools in the midwest for a Bachelor’s degree?
- University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign | Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
- The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | Bachelor of Science in Climate and Meteorology
- Purdue University | Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering
- Northwestern University | Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering.
- Ohio State University | Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.
What are the best Engineering Schools in the midwest for a Master’s degree?
- Purdue University | Master of Science in Environmental and Ecological Engineering.
- Ohio State University | Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
- The University of Notre Dame | Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering
- Michigan Technological University | Master of Science in Mining Engineering.
- Illinois Institute of Technology | Master of Engineering Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, and Control
What are the best Engineering Schools in the midwest for a Ph.D.?
- Purdue University | Nuclear Engineering Ph.D.
- The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | Ph.D. in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering.
- University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign | Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering
- Northwestern University | Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering.
- The University of Notre Dame | Ph.D. in Bioengineering.
Also Read:
- Top 5 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in NC
- Top 15 Best Engineering Colleges in NC With Key Details
- 6 Best Universities In Canada for Electrical Engineering With Scholarships
