Best Online Engineering Programs in Decatur, IL (2026)

Decatur, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $16,004 to $34,501 per year for indexed programs. Decatur has a population of about 70,368. Median household income is $50,809 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Decatur, IL metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $183,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Decatur

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

#1

Richland Community College

Decatur, IL 3.0 miles from Decatur BOC Score 53.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,793
Avg net price $3,741/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Decatur

Decatur is part of the Decatur, IL metro area (BLS area code 19500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$96,170Decatur, IL$108,790
Electrical Engineer$103,030Decatur, IL$116,550
Mechanical Engineer$102,680IL statewide$116,154
Chemical Engineer$121,560IL statewide$137,511
Aerospace Engineer$108,940IL statewide$123,235
Biomedical Engineer$89,520IL statewide$101,267
Environmental Engineer$107,990IL statewide$122,161
Architectural and Engineering Manager$183,860Decatur, IL$207,986

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.


Decatur at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population70,368Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$50,809Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Macon County269 workers, 27 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Decatur-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Decatur, IL?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Decatur 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 Decatur?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Decatur are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($183,860), Chemical Engineer ($121,560), Aerospace Engineer ($108,940). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Springfield instead of Decatur?

Springfield, IL is 38.7 miles from Decatur 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 Decatur an affordable place to study engineering?

Decatur’s median household income of $50,809 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Decatur 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 Decatur

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

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.