Best Online Engineering Programs in Carbondale, IL (2026)

Carbondale, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $9,496 to $23,337 per year for indexed programs. Carbondale has a population of about 21,813. Median household income is $29,670 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $163,610 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Carbondale

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

#1

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL 0.7 miles from Carbondale BOC Score 55.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,390
Avg net price $13,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Carbondale

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide)
Civil Engineer$99,760
Electrical Engineer$107,860
Mechanical Engineer$102,680
Chemical Engineer$121,560
Aerospace Engineer$108,940
Biomedical Engineer$89,520
Environmental Engineer$107,990
Architectural and Engineering Manager$163,610

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.


Carbondale at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population21,813Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$29,670Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+46.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Engineering-related employment in Jackson County78 workers, 14 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Carbondale-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Carbondale, IL?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Carbondale 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 in Illinois?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles in Illinois are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($163,610), Chemical Engineer ($121,560), Aerospace Engineer ($108,940). Wages for Carbondale workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Cape Girardeau instead of Carbondale?

Cape Girardeau, MO is 33.9 miles from Carbondale 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 Carbondale an affordable place to study engineering?

Carbondale’s median household income of $29,670 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carbondale while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Carbondale

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

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.