The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) today released The Quantum Prairie’s Hidden Talent Pipeline: How Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana Are Already Building America’s Quantum Workforce, an analysis of US Department of Education data on quantum-relevant degrees and certificates in the three states.
The report finds that the region produced 62,815 quantum-relevant degrees and certificates in 2024-25, including 44,212 degrees and 18,603 certificates. Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana all rank in the top 10 states nationally for quantum-relevant completions per capita. When online and for-profit programs are excluded, Indiana ranks 6th, Wisconsin 8th, and Illinois 10th.
“Quantum-relevant” talent is defined broadly, spanning hardware- and software-facing skills; roles ranging from technician through PhD levels; and credentials ranging from short-term certificates to doctorates. It includes welders; electricians; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians; programmers; and engineers — many of whom may never have set foot in a quantum lab but already hold valuable skills.
Key findings:
- Complementary strengths. Illinois brings a dense computer science base and strong certificate and master’s degree production. Indiana’s strength is in four-year engineering programs anchored by Purdue University. Wisconsin contributes data science, computing, and industrial-trades certificates. These are only a small part of what each state contributes to the whole.
- Twelve shared strengths. All three states outperform the national average in 12 quantum-relevant fields, including materials engineering, industrial engineering, electrician training, and machine shop technology.
- Strength at both ends of the spectrum. All three states produce above-average numbers of quantum-relevant PhDs and short-term certificates per capita. Wisconsin’s certificate rate is 1.7 times the national rate, and Illinois’ is 1.3 times. Indiana ranks 4th nationally for quantum-relevant bachelor’s degrees and PhDs per capita, and Illinois ranks 7th for master’s degrees.
The analysis builds on a classification framework of 171 quantum-relevant program codes developed by the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, the Illinois Economic Development Corporation, the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, and the CQE in the May 2026 report Mapping Illinois' Quantum Talent Pipeline: A Framework for Defining Quantum-Relevant Degrees and Certificates. There is currently no dedicated federal program code for quantum.
“The Quantum Prairie has a strong reputation for producing top quantum talent but, just like most quantum jobs don’t include the word ‘quantum’ in the title, the programs that prepare quantum workers often don’t include the word either,” said Emily Easton, CQE’s director of education and workforce development.
The findings arrive as demand grows. A Boston Consulting Group analysis for CQE projects as many as 191,000 quantum jobs in the Illinois-Wisconsin-Indiana region by 2035. Nearly two-thirds are expected to be open to people without a graduate degree.
“A critical part of the Quantum Prairie’s strength are the diverse assets that span our three states,” said David Awschalom, the University of Chicago’s Liew Family Professor of Quantum Engineering and Physics, director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, and a senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. “As we prepare to meet rising quantum workforce needs in the coming decade, it is essential that we work together to amplify our strengths by creating accessible pathways into the quantum sector from existing careers and programs.”
The findings are anchored by a mix of flagship research universities and technical and community colleges. Among the quantum-specific offerings highlighted in the report, Northwestern University offers a quantum concentration in its undergraduate computer science program and a quantum track at the PhD level; Purdue University offers a Quantum Technology concentration in its electrical engineering bachelor’s track and a MicroMasters program in Quantum Technology Computing; the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering offers one of the country’s first PhD programs in quantum science and engineering; the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers an undergraduate minor in Quantum Information Science; and the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers the nation’s first Master of Science in Quantum Computing. Community and technical colleges, including College of Lake County, City Colleges of Chicago, Ivy Tech Community College, and the Wisconsin Technical College System, anchor the skilled-trades side of the pipeline.
The report aligns with CQE’s Advancing Together: A Unified Strategy for Scaling Midwest Quantum Talent, which lays out a regional roadmap for expanding awareness, access, and mobility across the Midwest’s quantum talent pipeline.