Best Engineering Schools Near Arroyo Grande, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Arroyo Grande, California has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $16,414 to $50,614 per year for indexed programs. Arroyo Grande has a population of about 18,412. Median household income is $103,258 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $213,070 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Arroyo Grande

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

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 12.8 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 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

#2

Taft College

Taft, CA 63.6 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 11%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,861
Avg net price $2,823/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 64.4 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 33%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,915
Avg net price $16,109/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#4

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA 70.1 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,778
Avg net price $29,053/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 85.0 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 93.0 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA 109.9 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,152
Avg net price $9,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 114.5 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Engineering Wages Near Arroyo Grande

Arroyo Grande is part of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area (BLS area code 42020). 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)
Civil Engineer $110,210 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $101,483
Electrical Engineer $136,240 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $125,451
Mechanical Engineer $102,270 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $94,171
Chemical Engineer N/A CA statewide –
Aerospace Engineer $135,490 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $124,761
Biomedical Engineer $128,310 CA statewide $118,149
Environmental Engineer $129,780 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $119,503
Architectural and Engineering Manager $213,070 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $196,197

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.

Arroyo Grande at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 18,412 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $103,258 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 44.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in San Luis Obispo County 1,795 workers, 267 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Arroyo Grande-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Arroyo Grande, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Arroyo Grande. The closest is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo, CA (12.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Santa Barbara (64.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Arroyo Grande?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Arroyo Grande are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($213,070), Electrical Engineer ($136,240), Aerospace Engineer ($135,490). 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 San Luis Obispo instead of Arroyo Grande?

San Luis Obispo, CA is 10.9 miles from Arroyo Grande 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.

Is Arroyo Grande an affordable place to study engineering?

Arroyo Grande’s median household income of $103,258 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Arroyo Grande 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 Programs

Other Programs Available in Arroyo Grande

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)