Environmental Engineering · Illinois

Environmental Engineering colleges in Illinois

CampusPin lists 98 U.S. colleges in Illinois that offer Environmental Engineering programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.

Environmental engineering applies chemistry and design to keep water, air, and soil clean, for students who want to build systems that control pollution and protect public health.

Schools in Illinois that offer Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering programs in Illinois: by the numbers

A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 98 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.

Schools listed

98

Public / private

30 / 20

Universities / 2-year

22 / 28

Cities represented

35

In-state tuition range

$3,180–$51,763

Median in-state tuition

$5,300

Lowest published in-state tuition

Elgin Community College

$3,180

Most selective

Methodist College

31% acceptance

Largest by enrollment

DeVry University-Illinois

29,175 students

Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.

What you'll study in a Environmental Engineering program

  • Water and wastewater treatment process design
  • Fluid mechanics and hydraulics for engineered systems
  • Environmental chemistry and microbiology of pollutants
  • Air quality engineering and emissions control
  • Contaminant fate, transport, and groundwater modeling
  • Solid and hazardous waste management and site remediation
  • Environmental laboratory methods and sampling techniques
  • Engineering design under environmental regulations and permitting
  • Capstone design project for a real or simulated client

Where a Environmental Engineering degree can lead

  • Environmental Engineer
  • Water Resources Engineer
  • Air Quality Engineer
  • Remediation Engineer
  • Environmental Consultant
  • Sustainability Engineer

Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 environmental engineers median $104,170).

Environmental engineering is about designing the physical systems that keep air, water, and land safe to use. Students learn to apply mathematics, chemistry, biology, and engineering principles to problems like treating drinking water and wastewater, controlling air emissions, cleaning up contaminated sites, and managing solid and hazardous waste. Coursework moves from foundational engineering science into applied design: you model how a contaminant moves through groundwater, size a treatment process so it meets a discharge limit, or evaluate whether an existing facility is performing as intended. This is what separates environmental engineering from environmental science, which centers on studying and measuring natural systems; environmental engineers are trained to design, build, and operationally evaluate the engineered solutions, and the program carries the heavier math, fluid mechanics, and design load that engineering practice demands.

The standard entry credential is a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering or a closely related engineering discipline, and most curricula combine lecture courses with laboratory work, computer modeling, and a senior capstone design project done for a real or realistic client. Many graduates who want to stamp public-facing designs or sign off on regulatory submittals pursue professional engineer licensure, which in the United States generally involves passing a fundamentals exam near graduation, gaining supervised experience, and later passing a discipline exam; specific accreditation of the degree program and state licensure requirements vary and should be verified directly. Graduates work in settings such as engineering and environmental consulting firms, municipal water and wastewater utilities, manufacturing and energy companies managing compliance, and federal, state, and local environmental and public-health agencies.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of environmental engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $104,170 and projects employment to grow about 3.9% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.

Environmental Engineering in other states

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Find more Environmental Engineering schools

Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 98+ Environmental Engineering programs in Illinois by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.

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