Best Engineering Schools Near Belvidere, IL (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Belvidere, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $4,560 to $13,901 per year for indexed programs. Belvidere has a population of about 24,510. Median household income is $62,462 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rockford, IL metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $146,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Belvidere

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer engineering programs near Belvidere, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Belvidere city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Belvidere. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 22.7 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 47.4 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

DeVry University-Illinois

Lisle, IL 49.3 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,987
Avg net price $30,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

North Central College

Naperville, IL 49.7 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 51.4 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,446
Avg net price $22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 60.4 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,099
Avg net price $17,028/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

North Park University

Chicago, IL 62.3 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,572
Avg net price $16,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 62.3 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois engineering page.

Engineering Wages Near Belvidere

Belvidere is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer $94,850 Rockford, IL $102,874
Electrical Engineer $112,350 Rockford, IL $121,855
Mechanical Engineer $99,150 Rockford, IL $107,538
Chemical Engineer $121,560 IL statewide $131,844
Aerospace Engineer $108,940 IL statewide $118,156
Biomedical Engineer $89,520 IL statewide $97,093
Environmental Engineer $107,990 IL statewide $117,126
Architectural and Engineering Manager $146,930 Rockford, IL $159,360

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Belvidere at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,510 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,462 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 13.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Belvidere-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Belvidere, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Belvidere. The closest is Rasmussen University-Illinois in Rockford, IL (6.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kishwaukee College (21.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Belvidere?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Belvidere are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($146,930), Chemical Engineer ($121,560), Electrical Engineer ($112,350). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Loves Park instead of Belvidere?

Loves Park, IL is 8.8 miles from Belvidere and has its own set of local engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Belvidere an affordable place to study engineering?

Belvidere’s median household income of $62,462 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Belvidere while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in Belvidere

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Belvidere:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Engineering Schools in Illinois: Online Programs (2026)