Best Online Engineering Programs in Fountain Valley, CA (2026)

Fountain Valley, California has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $1,180 to $45,014 per year for indexed programs. Fountain Valley has a population of about 56,358. Median household income is $111,797 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $190,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Fountain Valley

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

#1

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 4.9 miles from Fountain Valley BOC Score 65.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 7.6 miles from Fountain Valley BOC Score 90.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 28

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

#3

Southern California Institute of Technology

Anaheim, CA 8.8 miles from Fountain Valley BOC Score 71.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,598
Avg net price $33,392/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 9.1 miles from Fountain Valley BOC Score 49.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,533
Avg net price $4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 10.8 miles from Fountain Valley BOC Score 86.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 41

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

#6

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 12.7 miles from Fountain Valley BOC Score 85.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 27

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

#7

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA 20.5 miles from Fountain Valley BOC Score 70.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,162
Avg net price $8,615/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,449
Out‑of‑state$20,049
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 34

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

#8

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 21.9 miles from Fountain Valley BOC Score 59.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$108,640Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$95,634
Electrical Engineer$139,780Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$123,046
Mechanical Engineer$123,900Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$109,067
Chemical Engineer$134,210Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$118,143
Aerospace Engineer$163,280Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$143,732
Biomedical Engineer$128,240Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$112,887
Environmental Engineer$127,900Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$112,588
Architectural and Engineering Manager$190,900Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$168,046

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.


Fountain Valley at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population56,358Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$111,797Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Orange County29,431 workers, 3,059 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Fountain Valley-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Fountain Valley, CA?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Fountain Valley are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($190,900), Aerospace Engineer ($163,280), Electrical Engineer ($139,780). 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 Huntington Beach instead of Fountain Valley?

Huntington Beach, CA is 3.1 miles from Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley an affordable place to study engineering?

Fountain Valley’s median household income of $111,797 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley

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

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.