Best Engineering Schools Near Tuscaloosa, AL (2026)

Tuscaloosa, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $12,180 to $34,172 per year for indexed programs. Tuscaloosa has a population of about 114,288. In the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $140,070 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Tuscaloosa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer engineering programs near Tuscaloosa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa. 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

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL 2.0 miles from Tuscaloosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,221
Avg net price $22,420/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,180
Out‑of‑state$34,172
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 115

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Shelton State Community College

Tuscaloosa, AL 8.2 miles from Tuscaloosa
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,014
Avg net price $14,557/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa is part of the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area (BLS area code 46220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$92,230Tuscaloosa, AL$105,165
Electrical Engineer$114,980Tuscaloosa, AL$131,106
Mechanical Engineer$110,520Tuscaloosa, AL$126,021
Chemical Engineer$135,030AL statewide$153,968
Aerospace Engineer$127,540AL statewide$145,428
Biomedical Engineer$85,720AL statewide$97,742
Environmental Engineer$102,650AL statewide$117,047
Architectural and Engineering Manager$140,070Tuscaloosa, AL$159,715

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.


Tuscaloosa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Tuscaloosa County899 workers, 84 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Tuscaloosa-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Tuscaloosa, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Tuscaloosa. The closest is The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL (2.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Samford University (45.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Tuscaloosa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Tuscaloosa are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($140,070), Chemical Engineer ($135,030), Aerospace Engineer ($127,540). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Northport instead of Tuscaloosa?

Northport, AL is 4.4 miles from Tuscaloosa and has its own set of local engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

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 Programs

Other Programs Available in Tuscaloosa

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.