Best Engineering Management Schools Near Merced, CA (2026)

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

Merced, California has 5 accredited schools offering engineering management programs, with tuition ranging from $7,583 to $22,850 per year for indexed programs. Merced has a population of about 89,766. Median household income is $59,938 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning engineering management-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $210,280 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Management Schools to Merced

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer engineering management programs near Merced, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Merced 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 Merced. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 65.3 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,445
Avg net price $25,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 77.1 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 80.3 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 89.8 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 93.2 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 139.0 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA 183.1 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,172
Avg net price $14,480/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,472
Out‑of‑state$21,072
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 238.3 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California engineering management page.

Engineering Management Wages Near Merced

Merced is part of the Merced, CA metro area (BLS area code 32900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Architectural and Engineering Managers $210,280 CA statewide $213,917
Industrial Engineers $91,490 Merced, CA $93,072
Project Management Specialists $103,850 Merced, CA $105,646
Industrial Production Managers $123,590 Merced, CA $125,727
General and Operations Managers $94,990 Merced, CA $96,633
Engineers, All Other $90,450 Merced, CA $92,014
Management Analysts $79,670 Merced, CA $81,048
Computer and Information Systems Managers $167,150 Merced, CA $170,041

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.

Merced at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 89,766 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,938 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 18.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Merced-Area Cities With Engineering Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering management schools are near Merced, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering management programs near Merced. The closest is University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA (65.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Stanford University (93.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering management roles near Merced?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering management-related roles near Merced are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($210,280), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($167,150), Industrial Production Managers ($123,590). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Atwater instead of Merced?

Atwater, CA is 7.4 miles from Merced and has its own set of local engineering management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Merced an affordable place to study engineering management?

Merced’s median household income of $59,938 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Merced while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Engineering Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Merced

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

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 Engineering Management Schools in California (2026)