Best Online Engineering Programs in Champaign, IL (2026)

Champaign, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $16,004 to $34,501 per year for indexed programs. Champaign has a population of about 88,822. Median household income is $57,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $148,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Champaign

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Champaign. Distances are calculated from Champaign city center.

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 Champaign. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Parkland College

Champaign, IL 1.5 miles from Champaign BOC Score40.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL 2.3 miles from Champaign BOC Score90.0
Published tuition$16,004 - $34,501
Online programsYes

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#3

Danville Area Community College

Danville, IL 36.0 miles from Champaign BOC Score41.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

Richland Community College

Decatur, IL 36.5 miles from Champaign BOC Score53.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL 44.2 miles from Champaign BOC Score56.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near Champaign

Champaign is part of the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area (BLS area code 16580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$98,910Champaign-Urbana, IL$106,699
Electrical Engineer$95,790Champaign-Urbana, IL$103,333
Mechanical Engineer$101,090Champaign-Urbana, IL$109,051
Chemical Engineer$121,560IL statewide$131,133
Aerospace Engineer$108,940IL statewide$117,519
Biomedical Engineer$89,520IL statewide$96,570
Environmental Engineer$107,990IL statewide$116,494
Architectural and Engineering Manager$148,250Champaign-Urbana, IL$159,924

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.


Champaign at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population88,822Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+53.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Champaign County758 workers, 72 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Champaign-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Champaign, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Champaign. The closest is Parkland College in Champaign, IL (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Eastern Illinois University (44.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Champaign?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Champaign are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($148,250), Chemical Engineer ($121,560), Aerospace Engineer ($108,940). 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 Urbana instead of Champaign?

Urbana, IL is 4.0 miles from Champaign 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 Champaign an affordable place to study engineering?

Champaign’s median household income of $57,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Champaign 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 Champaign

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.