Best Electrical Engineering Schools Near Columbia, SC (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Columbia, South Carolina has 2 accredited schools offering electrical engineering programs. Columbia has a population of about 138,019. Median household income is $55,653 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbia, SC metro area, the top-earning electrical engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $162,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Electrical Engineering Schools to Columbia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer electrical engineering programs near Columbia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbia city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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:

  • 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. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Columbia. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 7.5 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all South Carolina schools on the South Carolina electrical engineering page.

Electrical Engineering Wages Near Columbia

Columbia is part of the Columbia, SC metro area (BLS area code 17900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Electrical Engineers $101,320 Columbia, SC $108,132
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $88,380 Columbia, SC $94,322
Computer Hardware Engineers $129,830 Columbia, SC $138,559
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians $65,400 Columbia, SC $69,797
Electrical and Electronics Drafters $74,590 Columbia, SC $79,605
Architectural and Engineering Managers $162,260 Columbia, SC $173,170
Mechanical Engineers $102,280 Columbia, SC $109,157
Engineers, All Other $114,560 Columbia, SC $122,263

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Columbia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 138,019 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,653 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 46.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Electrical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited electrical engineering schools are near Columbia, SC?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering electrical engineering programs near Columbia. The closest is University of South Carolina-Columbia in Columbia, SC (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Charlotte (88.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying electrical engineering roles near Columbia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying electrical engineering-related roles near Columbia are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($162,260), Computer Hardware Engineers ($129,830), Engineers, All Other ($114,560). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lexington instead of Columbia?

Lexington, SC is 18.4 miles from Columbia and has its own set of local electrical engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Columbia an affordable place to study electrical engineering?

Columbia’s median household income of $55,653 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Electrical Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbia

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Columbia:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Electrical Engineering Schools in South Carolina (2026)