Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering is a major within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The major involves technology found in all aspects of life, whether it's wires, devices, space, the human body, or other mediums. It has applications in electrical power, communications, information technology, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. This major may be for you if you enjoy tinkering and dream of making something new.
Career options include communications and wireless networks, electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing; lasers, biomedical sensing and probing, and acoustics; nanotechnology and quantum devices; networking and information security; operating systems and software; robotics and control systems; semiconductor materials and integrated circuits; and signal, image, and speech processing.
Highlights
- Our electrical engineering program is ranked #5 by U.S. News & World Report.
- 84% of students reported having an internship or co-op during their degree program.
- 94% of students reported securing their first choice destination upon graduation.
- The average starting salary for an electrical engineering graduate is $88,321 with an average signing bonus of $5,000.
Discover your power. Become a Grainger Engineer.
Your path to Grainger Engineering starts with connecting your passion and interests with the opportunities available in one of our 15 top-ranked major programs. Explore your options and gather the information you need to take the next step and apply.
We solve problems first.
What You'll Study
You will take courses that stress the fundamental electrical engineering concepts and basic laboratory techniques that encompass the common intellectual understanding of the field. As an electrical engineering student you gain first-hand experience in the activities of a professional electrical engineer. This means you are better able to make the important decision as to whether you have chosen the major best suited to you.
The rich set of ECE elective courses permits you to select from collections of courses in the seven areas of electrical and computer engineering: bioengineering, acoustics, and magnetic resonance engineering; circuits and signal processing; communication and control; computer engineering; electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing; microelectronics and quantum electronics; power and energy systems. Your involvement in the electrical engineering discipline increases during each year of the program.
Minor in Computer Science
The CS Minor is offered for students seeking significant knowledge of digital computing without the more complete treatment of a major in computer science. This minor may be taken by any student except majors in the Computer Science degree programs and in Computer Engineering.
Read Our Blog
- Undergraduate
- Entrepreneurship
- Alumni
How to Become an Entrepreneur with Illinois Grainger Engineering Student Emily Zhou
March 24, 2025
Wondering how you can create a student startup? Emily Zhou, founder of the Sound of Molecules and a student in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is here to share her story with you. Learn how her preparation, dedication and use of campus resources like the Technology Entrepreneurship Center (TEC) helped her pitch her idea to tech giant and Illinois Grainger Engineering alumnus Thomas Siebel.
- Undergraduate
- Research
How to get involved in undergraduate research
February 3, 2025
Find ways to get involved with research as a Grainger engineer! We reached out to several students at The Grainger College of Engineering to learn how they gained research experience and offer advice to new students.
- Undergraduate
How to build your schedule as a freshman in engineering
January 22, 2025
Find tips and tricks on creating your first schedule at The Grainger College of Engineering! We reached out to upperclassmen in computer science, industrial engineering and civil engineering for advice on how they approach course registration.
Post-Graduation Success
The electrical engineering curriculum prepares you to develop innovations that will define the future of our industry. Graduates pursue careers in communications and wireless network, electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing, lasers, biomedical sensing and probing, and acoustics, nanotechnology and quantum devices, networking and information security, operating systems and software, robotics and control systems, semiconductor materials and integrated circuits,signal, image, and speech processing.
The average salary between for electrical engineering graduates from 2022-2023 was reported as $88,321 with an average signing bonus of $5,000.
97%
employed or continuing education
58%
employed after graduation
39%
attending graduate school
$88,321
average starting annual income
Sample employer destinations: Texas Instruments, Northrop Grumman, Intel View All
Sample grad school destinations: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Stanford University, University of California, San Diego View All
*Post-graduate data was collected through the Illini Success initiative, which primarily relies on self-reported survey data sources. Statistics reported are from 2022-2023. Please note that total compensation may be greater than annual salary as other forms of compensation (e.g., signing bonus, commission, benefits) are not included. For more information on Illini Success data and methods, please visit the Illini Success website.
Upcoming Events
Plan Your Visit
Planning to visit the department? Please let us know of your plans, we‘ll make sure you get the most out of your visit.
Take a Tour
Want to see the Electrical and Computer Engineering Building?Complete the form below, or, to take a self-guided tour, pick up a tour booklet near the ECE Office of Advancement in the northeast corner of the building’s first floor.
Your future starts here.
Applying to The Grainger College of Engineering opens the door to your future as a successful engineer. Get started by scheduling a visit, requesting information, or submitting your application.