Best Online Engineering Programs in Oakland, CA (2026)

Oakland, California has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $14,850 to $45,627 per year for indexed programs. Oakland has a population of about 438,072. Median household income is $97,369 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $221,580 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Oakland

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

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

Engineering Wages Near Oakland

Oakland is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

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.

Oakland at a Glance

Other Oakland-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

• Alameda, CA – 3.2 mi away (78,906 pop)
• San Leandro, CA – 6.5 mi away (90,465 pop)
• Berkeley, CA – 6.5 mi away (121,240 pop)
• Lafayette, CA – 8.8 mi away (26,103 pop)
• El Cerrito, CA – 10.1 mi away (25,400 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Oakland, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Oakland. The closest is Laney College in Oakland, CA (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Diablo Valley College (14.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Oakland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Oakland are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($221,580), Aerospace Engineer ($191,260), Electrical Engineer ($166,030). 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 Alameda instead of Oakland?

Alameda, CA is 3.2 miles from Oakland 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 Oakland an affordable place to study engineering?

Oakland’s median household income of $97,369 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Oakland 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

• Engineering accreditation: what to look for
• Engineering concentrations and specializations
• Is a Engineering degree worth it?
• Main Engineering degree guide
• Online Engineering programs in California
• Engineering programs by state

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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.