Best Online Engineering Programs in Washington, DC (2026)

Washington, District of Columbia has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $6,152 to $80,727 per year for indexed programs. Washington has a population of about 672,079. Median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $185,220 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Washington

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

#1

George Washington University

Washington, DC 0.7 miles from Washington BOC Score 76.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,873
Avg net price $36,586/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC 3.4 miles from Washington BOC Score 71.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,250
Avg net price $29,561/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of the District of Columbia

Washington, DC 3.7 miles from Washington BOC Score 57.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,236
Avg net price $10,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Washington

Washington is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to District of Columbia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$101,780Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$93,462
Electrical Engineer$126,420Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$116,088
Mechanical Engineer$126,990Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$116,612
Chemical Engineer$132,820Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$121,965
Aerospace Engineer$166,420Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$152,819
Biomedical Engineer$110,390Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$101,368
Environmental Engineer$120,580Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$110,725
Architectural and Engineering Manager$185,220Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$170,083

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.


Washington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population672,079Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$106,287Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+63.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in District of Columbia County9,105 workers, 1,116 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Washington-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Washington, DC?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Washington 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 Washington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Washington are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($185,220), Aerospace Engineer ($166,420), Chemical Engineer ($132,820). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with District of Columbia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Alexandria instead of Washington?

Alexandria, VA is 7.0 miles from Washington 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 Washington an affordable place to study engineering?

Washington’s median household income of $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Washington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and District of Columbia 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 Washington

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.