Chicago and its surrounding area provide students with plenty of options for obtaining a quality engineering education. The University of Illinois-Chicago's School of Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate programs in six fields. The college also plays host to a number of engineering-related activities throughout the year such as National Engineers Week and Engineering Career Day. Students can also pursue graduate and undergraduate degrees from Northwestern University, which has seven engineering programs ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s Top 10. A dual degree in engineering is an option at Loyola University of Chicago. The Illinois Institute of Technology boasts smaller engineering class sizes, two interdisciplinary institutes and eight research centers.

Students and job seekers can expect solid growth in engineering fields in the Chicago area through 2012. More than 2,500 jobs will be added from 2002 to 2012, an increase of 7.73 percent, according to projections from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Average annual job openings total 981 with 259 new jobs and 722 replacement jobs, according to IDES statistics.