Best Online Engineering Programs in Whittier, CA (2026)

Whittier, California has a population of about 85,925. The city’s median household income is $92,374 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 88 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Whittier, with tuition ranging from $1,388 to $19,308 per year for indexed programs. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $181,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Engineering Schools to Whittier

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 88 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Whittier. Distances are calculated from Whittier city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Whittier CollegeWhittier, CA1.1 miContact school for pricing
Rio Hondo CollegeWhittier, CA3.7 mi$1,388 - $19,308
Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA4.3 miContact school for pricing
Hacienda La Puente Adult EducationLa Puente, CA5.7 miContact school for pricing
Cerritos CollegeNorwalk, CA7.2 miContact school for pricing
Fullerton CollegeFullerton, CA8.6 miContact school for pricing
East Los Angeles CollegeMonterey Park, CA9.0 miContact school for pricing
Cypress CollegeCypress, CA9.6 miContact school for pricing
California State University-FullertonFullerton, CA9.7 mi$7,073 - $18,953
Southern California Institute of TechnologyAnaheim, CA9.8 miContact school for pricing

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


Engineering Wages Near Whittier

Whittier 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$105,290Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$92,685
Electrical Engineer$134,900Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$118,750
Mechanical Engineer$114,290Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$100,607
Chemical Engineer$122,950Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$108,231
Aerospace Engineer$143,860Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$126,637
Biomedical Engineer$115,020Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$101,250
Environmental Engineer$119,780Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$105,440
Architectural and Engineering Manager$181,400Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$159,683

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Whittier at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population85,925Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$92,374Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.2%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 Whittier-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Whittier, CA?

Our directory has 88 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Whittier. The closest is Whittier College in Whittier, CA (1.1 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Southern California Institute of Technology (9.8 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Whittier?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Whittier are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($181,400), Aerospace Engineer ($143,860), Electrical Engineer ($134,900). 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 Pico Rivera instead of Whittier?

Pico Rivera, CA is 4.3 miles from Whittier 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 Whittier an affordable place to study engineering?

Whittier’s median household income of $92,374 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Whittier 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.