Best Online Engineering Programs in North Chicago, IL (2026)

North Chicago, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $3,822 to $12,833 per year for indexed programs. North Chicago has a population of about 30,772. Median household income is $56,815 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.1% 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 North Chicago

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

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

Engineering Wages Near North Chicago

North 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.

North Chicago at a Glance

Other North Chicago-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

• Waukegan, IL – 3.7 mi away (88,182 pop)
• Gurnee, IL – 5.5 mi away (30,957 pop)
• Libertyville, IL – 5.9 mi away (20,405 pop)
• Vernon Hills, IL – 7.7 mi away (26,328 pop)
• Mundelein, IL – 8.4 mi away (31,475 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near North Chicago, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near North Chicago. The closest is College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL (8.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northwestern University (20.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near North Chicago?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near North 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 Waukegan instead of North Chicago?

Waukegan, IL is 3.7 miles from North 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 North Chicago an affordable place to study engineering?

North Chicago’s median household income of $56,815 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in North 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

Other Programs Available in North Chicago

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

• Criminal Justice programs in North Chicago, IL
• Nursing programs in North Chicago, IL
• Business Administration programs in North Chicago, IL
• Computer Science programs in North Chicago, IL
• Psychology programs in North Chicago, IL
• Education programs in North Chicago, IL
• Technology programs in North Chicago, IL
• Liberal Arts programs in North Chicago, IL
• Healthcare programs in North Chicago, IL
• Cybersecurity programs in North Chicago, IL
• Accounting programs in North Chicago, IL
• Healthcare Administration programs in North Chicago, IL
• Social Work programs in North Chicago, IL
• Counseling programs in North Chicago, IL

Related from Our Editorial Library

• Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
• Best Online Colleges Ranking
• Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students

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.