Key takeaway: 1,395 of the 2,817 institutions in our directory that offer fully online programs report engineering or engineering technology completions to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS CIP 14 and 15.0 families). Online engineering is less uniform than most online fields: programs differ on whether they are engineering or engineering technology, which ABET commission accredits them, and how they handle labs. The schools below are ordered by BOC Score.
Engineering was one of the last fields to move online because of its lab work, and programs still solve that problem in different ways. Sort out three things before you compare schools: the discipline, engineering versus engineering technology, and whether you will ever want a professional engineering license.
Schools to Compare
These accredited institutions report engineering or engineering technology completions and at least one program completable entirely online. Ranked by BOC Score within that group.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$102,772
Avg net price
$12,116/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 64
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$124,080
Avg net price
$13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 100
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,446
Avg net price
$13,481/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 127
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,588
Avg net price
$6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 172
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
8%
Graduation rate
95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,718
Avg net price
$13,370/yr
TuitionIn‑state$64,144
Out‑of‑state$64,144
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 78
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
9%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$82,511
Avg net price
$12,548/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 161
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$83,648
Avg net price
$13,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 206
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$91,885
Avg net price
$14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 105
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
27%
Graduation rate
87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$84,943
Avg net price
$12,470/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Key stats
- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 133
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,200
Avg net price
$11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 117
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$90,610
Avg net price
$6,174/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 3
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$91,565
Avg net price
$15,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 96%
- Programs offered: 157
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Two IPEDS fields produced this list: completions reported under the engineering and engineering technology CIP families (CIP 14 and 15.0) and the distance education program flag from the Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024). Those fields confirm that a school awards engineering degrees and runs fully online programs. They do not confirm that a given engineering discipline is offered online, which ABET commission accredits it, or whether labs require campus visits. Check the school’s catalog and ABET’s accredited program search before you apply.
Engineering or engineering technology
- Engineering (BS in a discipline such as mechanical or electrical). Heavier on calculus, physics, and design theory. The programmatic accreditor is ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission.
- Engineering technology (BS in mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering technology). More applied: implementation, testing, and operations. The programmatic accreditor is ABET’s Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission. Many fully online options are in this category.
Both lead to technical careers. The difference matters most if you plan to pursue licensure or graduate study in engineering, where state boards and graduate programs may treat the two degrees differently.
ABET accreditation and licensure
Institutional accreditation tells you the school is legitimate. ABET accreditation is programmatic: it applies to a specific degree at a specific school, and it is the one most engineering employers and licensing boards look for.
Professional engineering licensure is set by each state board. The usual path is a degree from an ABET-accredited program, the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, supervised experience, and the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. Some boards allow alternative paths with more experience. If a license is in your plans, confirm the program’s ABET status and your state board’s rules before you enroll.
Pick the discipline
The online engineering degree guide covers the field as a whole.
What to check in an online engineering program
- Labs. Ask exactly how lab courses work: kits mailed to you, simulation software, or short on-campus residencies. Get the number of campus days in writing.
- Math sequence. Confirm which calculus, differential equations, and physics courses you need and whether you can take them online at the same school.
- ABET status for the specific degree. Search ABET’s database by school and program, and note which commission accredits it.
- Transfer credit. Engineering prerequisites are strict. Ask for a written evaluation of prior math and science credit before you enroll.
- Outcomes. Use the graduation, retention, and earnings figures on each card, which come from College Scorecard and IPEDS.
Quick Answers
Can you get an engineering degree fully online?
Many engineering technology programs and some engineering programs are fully online, often using lab kits or simulation. Others require short on-campus lab sessions. In our directory, 1,395 institutions with fully online programs report engineering or engineering technology completions; confirm the delivery format of the specific program.
Is an online engineering degree ABET accredited?
Some are. ABET accredits individual programs, not whole schools, and it accredits online programs on the same standards as campus programs. Check ABET’s accredited program search for the exact degree you are considering.
Does an online degree count toward engineering licensure?
Licensure is set by state boards. Most expect a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program plus exams and experience, and the delivery format does not change that. Confirm your state board’s rules and the program’s accreditation before you enroll.
Next steps
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions survey (CIP 14 engineering and CIP 15.0 engineering technology families) and Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024) distance education program flags (DISTPGS); directory counts as of the September 2026 data refresh.
