Best Online Engineering Programs in Wheat Ridge, CO (2026)

Wheat Ridge, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $21,186 to $44,376 per year for indexed programs. Wheat Ridge has a population of about 32,158. Median household income is $87,598 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $191,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Wheat Ridge

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

#1

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 5.0 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 64.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,288
Avg net price $9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 5.4 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 43.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO 6.9 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 79.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,335
Avg net price $28,690/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,914
Out‑of‑state$45,824
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Front Range Community College

Westminster, CO 9.6 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 61.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,910
Avg net price $13,031/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton, CO 12.2 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 57.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,341
Avg net price $11,571/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO 18.4 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 73.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,738
Avg net price $25,346/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,666
Out‑of‑state$44,918
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Aims Community College

Greeley, CO 46.6 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 52.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,887
Avg net price $11,463/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Fort Collins, CO 55.1 miles from Wheat Ridge BOC Score 69.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 89%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,543
Avg net price $21,279/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,373
Out‑of‑state$34,783
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Wheat Ridge

Wheat Ridge is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$104,710Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$98,970
Electrical Engineer$119,020Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$112,495
Mechanical Engineer$128,180Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$121,153
Chemical Engineer$128,110Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$121,087
Aerospace Engineer$156,190Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$147,628
Biomedical Engineer$101,060Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$95,520
Environmental Engineer$107,880Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$101,966
Architectural and Engineering Manager$191,440Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$180,945

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.


Wheat Ridge at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,158Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$87,598Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Jefferson County7,877 workers, 1,052 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Wheat Ridge-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Wheat Ridge, CO?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Wheat Ridge are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($191,440), Aerospace Engineer ($156,190), Mechanical Engineer ($128,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Arvada instead of Wheat Ridge?

Arvada, CO is 4.8 miles from Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge an affordable place to study engineering?

Wheat Ridge’s median household income of $87,598 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wheat Ridge while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Wheat Ridge

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

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.