Best Online Engineering Programs in Modesto, CA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Modesto, California has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Modesto has a population of about 218,614. Median household income is $77,899 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Modesto, CA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $163,680 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Modesto

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Modesto. Distances are calculated from Modesto city center.

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 Modesto. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Engineering Wages Near Modesto

Modesto is part of the Modesto, CA metro area (BLS area code 33700). 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	$101,000	Modesto, CA	$97,022
Electrical Engineer	$109,970	Modesto, CA	$105,639
Mechanical Engineer	$104,990	Modesto, CA	$100,855
Chemical Engineer	N/A	CA statewide	–
Aerospace Engineer	$157,620	CA statewide	$151,412
Biomedical Engineer	$128,310	CA statewide	$123,256
Environmental Engineer	$130,410	CA statewide	$125,274
Architectural and Engineering Manager	$163,680	Modesto, CA	$157,233

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.

Modesto at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	218,614	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$77,899	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	20.3%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	104.1 (above U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Stanislaus County	1,205 workers, 127 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Modesto-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Ceres, CA – 3.6 mi away (48,278 pop)
Riverbank, CA – 7.1 mi away (24,389 pop)
Turlock, CA – 12.1 mi away (106,100 pop)
Oakdale, CA – 12.2 mi away (22,564 pop)
Patterson, CA – 13.7 mi away (22,169 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Modesto, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Modesto. The closest is Modesto Junior College in Modesto, CA (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbia College (43.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Modesto?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Modesto are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($163,680), Aerospace Engineer ($157,620), Environmental Engineer ($130,410). 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 Ceres instead of Modesto?

Ceres, CA is 3.6 miles from Modesto 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 Modesto an affordable place to study engineering?

Modesto’s median household income of $77,899 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Modesto 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 Modesto

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

Data verified: June 11, 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 Online Engineering Programs in California (2026)

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