Chico, California has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $1,128 to $25,590 per year for indexed programs. Chico has a population of about 102,032. Median household income is $67,929 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.3% 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 Chico
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer engineering programs near Chico, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chico 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Chico.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
93%
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,172
Avg net price
$14,480/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,472
Out‑of‑state$21,072
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California engineering page.
Engineering Wages Near Chico
Chico is part of the Chico, CA metro area (BLS area code 17020). 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 | $107,350 | Chico, CA | $106,077 |
| Electrical Engineer | $144,040 | CA statewide | $142,332 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $109,210 | Chico, CA | $107,915 |
| Chemical Engineer | N/A | CA statewide | – |
| Aerospace Engineer | $157,620 | CA statewide | $155,751 |
| Biomedical Engineer | $128,310 | CA statewide | $126,789 |
| Environmental Engineer | $130,410 | CA statewide | $128,864 |
| Architectural and Engineering Manager | $210,280 | CA statewide | $207,787 |
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.
Chico at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 102,032 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $67,929 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 41.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 101.2 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Engineering-related employment in Butte County | 454 workers, 67 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Chico-Area Cities With Engineering Programs
- Paradise, CA – 11.1 mi away (35,163 pop)
- Oroville, CA – 22.2 mi away (45,445 pop)
- Yuba City, CA – 44.0 mi away (120,159 pop)
- Grass Valley, CA – 54.8 mi away (34,508 pop)
- Redding, CA – 63.2 mi away (120,288 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited engineering schools are near Chico, CA?
Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Chico are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.
What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Chico?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Chico 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 Paradise instead of Chico?
Paradise, CA is 11.1 miles from Chico 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 Chico an affordable place to study engineering?
Chico’s median household income of $67,929 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chico 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
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Data verified: July 23, 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.
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