Best Engineering Schools Near Atwater, CA (2026)

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

Atwater, California has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Atwater has a population of about 32,013. Median household income is $63,945 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $210,280 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Atwater

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

Merced, CA 9.5 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
70.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,368
Avg net price $11,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 30.5 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 58.3 miles from Atwater
  • 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

#4

Fresno City College

Fresno, CA 60.0 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
41.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,361
Avg net price $8,069/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 60.2 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

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

#6

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA 64.4 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,896
Avg net price $13,630/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 70.5 miles from Atwater
  • 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

#8

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 73.6 miles from Atwater
  • 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

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

Engineering Wages Near Atwater

Atwater 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)
Civil Engineer $102,930 Merced, CA $104,710
Electrical Engineer $144,040 CA statewide $146,531
Mechanical Engineer $79,600 Merced, CA $80,977
Chemical Engineer N/A CA statewide –
Aerospace Engineer $157,620 CA statewide $160,346
Biomedical Engineer $128,310 CA statewide $130,529
Environmental Engineer $130,410 CA statewide $132,665
Architectural and Engineering Manager $210,280 CA statewide $213,917

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.

Atwater at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 32,013 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,945 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 13.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Merced County 102 workers, 15 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Atwater-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Atwater, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Atwater. The closest is Merced College in Merced, CA (6.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbia College (48.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Atwater?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Atwater are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($210,280), Aerospace Engineer ($157,620), Electrical Engineer ($144,040). 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 Merced instead of Atwater?

Merced, CA is 7.4 miles from Atwater 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 Atwater an affordable place to study engineering?

Atwater’s median household income of $63,945 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Atwater 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 Atwater

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

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)