Best Online Engineering Programs in Chicago, IL (2026)

Chicago, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $12,000 to $29,360 per year for indexed programs. Chicago has a population of about 2,707,648. Median household income is $75,134 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $163,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Chicago

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

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

Engineering Wages Near Chicago

Chicago is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

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.

Chicago at a Glance

Other Chicago-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

• Cicero, IL – 3.8 mi away (82,992 pop)
• Berwyn, IL – 5.4 mi away (55,748 pop)
• Oak Park, IL – 6.4 mi away (51,774 pop)
• Burbank, IL – 7.7 mi away (28,886 pop)
• Maywood, IL – 8.6 mi away (23,756 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Chicago, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Chicago. The closest is Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL (3.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College (6.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Chicago?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Chicago are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($163,430), Aerospace Engineer ($134,510), Electrical Engineer ($113,520). 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 Cicero instead of Chicago?

Cicero, IL is 3.8 miles from Chicago 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 Chicago an affordable place to study engineering?

Chicago’s median household income of $75,134 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chicago 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

• Engineering accreditation: what to look for
• Engineering concentrations and specializations
• Is a Engineering degree worth it?
• Main Engineering degree guide
• Online Engineering programs in Illinois
• Engineering programs by state

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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.