Behind the Numbers: What Illinois’ Quantum Talent Data Reveals

The Illinois EDC Economic Research Center recently collaborated with industry experts at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), and the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) on ISTC’s most recent Index Insights report, “Mapping Illinois’ Quantum Talent Pipeline: A Framework for Defining Quantum-Relevant Degrees and Certificates,” released May 21, 2026.

Alongside the report, we wanted to highlight additional findings that didn’t make the final cut but got us excited as we were doing the number crunching. It became clear that as Illinois’ footprint in quantum is growing, so too is the talent pipeline that is feeding it!

Outside of Illinois, we’re hopeful this work will serve as the framework for a comprehensive, national understanding of the quantum workforce, given that no such benchmark currently exists. This report provides a nation-leading definition for quantum-relevant educational programs, built from a thorough review of all 2,325 6-digit Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes published by the National Center for Education Statistics, developed in partnership with quantum industry experts and inspired by the White House’s AI Talent Report methodology. For a deeper dive on methods, check out the full report on the ISTC website.

We identified 171 CIP codes as quantum-relevant, meaning the program would provide the training and education necessary for someone to enter the quantum technology workforce now or in the near future. The degree programs we coded as quantum-relevant fell under 10 of the 2-digit CIP categories, including Computer and Information Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, Physical Sciences, and Precision Production.

Key Finding 1: Illinois’ Quantum Talent Pipeline is Growing

• Illinois outpaced the nation on quantum-relevant completions growth, and the gap is widening.
  • Illinois grew its quantum-relevant educational completions 60% from 2014 to 2024, compared to 57% nationally.
  • That’s a small but meaningful difference on its own, and it becomes more striking when you zoom in: from 2018 to 2024, the nation grew quantum-relevant completions 24.7% while Illinois grew 32.6%, nearly 8 percentage points above the national average.
  • Illinois also moved up the national rankings over the decade, from 6th to 5th place among all states for quantum-relevant completions.
  • That strength is consistent across degree levels. Illinois ranked in the top 10 nationally for quantum-relevant completions in certificates, associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees alike.

Key Finding 2: Illinois is Software-Dominant and Hardware-Growing Across Degree Levels

• • Computer and information sciences programs dominate Illinois’ quantum-relevant pipeline, accounting for 44% of all completions in 2024, but the growth behind that number is what makes it remarkable.
    • Within computer and information sciences, Illinois produced 8,646 more completions in 2024 than in 2014, a 141% increase over the decade.
    • Master’s degrees drove the most explosive growth, with nearly 3,000 more computer and information sciences quantum-relevant master’s degrees awarded in 2024 than in 2014, a nearly 200% increase.
  • Hardware-relevant programs tell a different but equally important story.
    • Quantum-relevant precision production programs grew 57.6% over the decade, adding more than 1,000 completions between 2014 and 2024.
    • That growth reflects rising capacity in the hands-on manufacturing and fabrication programs that will be essential for scaling quantum hardware systems.

Strong growth in quantum-related hardware programs also happened over the course of the decade. Quantum-relevant precision production programs grew 57.6% during this time period, which accounted for over 1,000 more educational completions in 2024 than in 2014.

• Computer and information sciences programs dominate Illinois’ quantum-relevant pipeline, accounting for 44% of all completions in 2024, but the growth behind that number is what makes it remarkable.
  • Within computer and information sciences, Illinois produced 8,646 more completions in 2024 than in 2014, a 141% increase over the decade.
  • Master’s degrees drove the most explosive growth, with nearly 3,000 more computer and information sciences quantum-relevant master’s degrees awarded in 2024 than in 2014, a nearly 200% increase.

• Hardware-relevant programs tell a different but equally important story.
  • Quantum-relevant precision production programs grew 57.6% over the decade, adding more than 1,000 completions between 2014 and 2024.
  • That growth reflects rising capacity in the hands-on manufacturing and fabrication programs that will be essential for scaling quantum hardware systems.
  • Strong growth in quantum-related hardware programs also happened over the course of the decade. Quantum-relevant precision production programs grew 57.6% during this time period, which accounted for over 1,000 more educational completions in 2024 than in 2014.

• Seven 6-digit CIP codes in our definition of quantum-relevant programs saw over 1,000 completions in 2024. Certificates were the largest bucket of completions for those seven programs and accounted for 35% of all of Illinois’ quantum-relevant completions in 2024 across the 171 CIP codes, the highest percentage of any degree level.

Key Finding 3: Illinois’ Quantum Computing Talent is Anchored by World-Class Institutions.

• The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) combined to produce 9,165 quantum-relevant completions in 2024, but their growth over the decade is most pronounced.
  • Together, those four institutions graduated 3,868 more quantum-relevant completions in 2024 than in 2014, a 73% increase.
  • This growth accounted for more than a quarter of all Illinois quantum-relevant completions in 2024.>
• UIUC’s dominance is particularly striking at the graduate level.
  • Of its 4,701 total quantum-relevant completions in 2024, 1,725 were master’s degrees and 351 were doctoral degrees.
  • That means that more than 44% of the school’s quantum-relevant output is at the graduate level, and no other institution in Illinois comes close to that volume of advanced degree production in quantum-relevant fields.
• Illinois Institute of Technology is the state’s quiet master’s powerhouse.
  • With 950 quantum-relevant master’s degrees awarded in 2024, ahead of both the University of Chicago (733) and Northwestern (669), master’s degrees accounted for 71% of IIT’s total quantum-relevant completions.
  • That concentration reflects a distinctive specialization in advanced professional engineering education that sets IIT apart from its better-known neighbors.
• City Colleges of Chicago collectively produced over 1,000 quantum-relevant completions in 2024 across seven campuses (1,075 combined), up 41% from 760 in 2014.
  • Richard J. Daley College leads with 689 completions, almost entirely at the certificate level, making it the single largest community college producer of quantum-relevant completions in the state.
• The community college layer is broader than it might appear.
  • Fifty-eight institutions in Illinois produced quantum-relevant completions exclusively at the certificate or associate’s level in 2024.
  • The top five — Moraine Valley Community College (808), City Colleges-Daley (689), Joliet Junior College (600), College of Lake County (590), and College of DuPage (535) — are all in the Chicagoland area, reflecting the region’s density of technical training infrastructure.

Illinois is just getting started.
The findings in this blog post are only a glimpse of what the data shows. The full report goes deeper on methodology, degree-level breakdowns, and what Illinois’ pipeline means for the future of quantum workforce development nationally. If this got you curious, that’s the point. Read the full Index Insights report here and explore what it means for your institution, your region, or your industry. The quantum economy is being built now, and Illinois is building the people who will power it.