Best Online Engineering Programs in Palmdale, CA (2026)

Palmdale, California has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $1,180 to $15,802 per year for indexed programs. Palmdale has a population of about 165,487. Median household income is $81,151 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.6% 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 Palmdale

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Palmdale. Distances are calculated from Palmdale 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 Palmdale. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA 7.2 miles from Palmdale BOC Score40.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, CA 29.3 miles from Palmdale BOC Score60.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA 29.6 miles from Palmdale BOC Score68.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Glendale Community College

Glendale, CA 30.4 miles from Palmdale BOC Score55.8
Published tuition$1,181 - $15,802
Online programsYes

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#5

Pasadena City College

Pasadena, CA 31.1 miles from Palmdale BOC Score71.5
Published tuition$1,180 - $12,166
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near Palmdale

Palmdale 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.


Palmdale at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population165,487Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$81,151Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Los Angeles County46,423 workers, 7,228 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Palmdale-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Palmdale, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Palmdale. The closest is Antelope Valley Community College District in Lancaster, CA (7.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pasadena City College (31.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Palmdale?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Palmdale 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 Lancaster instead of Palmdale?

Lancaster, CA is 7.9 miles from Palmdale 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 Palmdale an affordable place to study engineering?

Palmdale’s median household income of $81,151 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palmdale 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 Palmdale

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

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.