Best Online Engineering Programs in East Saint Louis, IL (2026)

East Saint Louis, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $30,730 to $83,476 per year for indexed programs. East Saint Louis has a population of about 18,278. Median household income is $30,992 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $162,660 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to East Saint Louis

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

#1

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL 14.2 miles from East Saint Louis BOC Score 60.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,346
Avg net price $14,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL 79.6 miles from East Saint Louis 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

#3

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL 120.5 miles from East Saint Louis BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,989
Avg net price $12,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL 132.0 miles from East Saint Louis BOC Score 54.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,163
Avg net price $12,937/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 144.4 miles from East Saint Louis BOC Score 71.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,117
Avg net price $19,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL 144.7 miles from East Saint Louis BOC Score 90.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,054
Avg net price $14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 146.5 miles from East Saint Louis BOC Score 74.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

DeVry University-Illinois

Lisle, IL 245.0 miles from East Saint Louis BOC Score 39.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,987
Avg net price $30,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near East Saint Louis

East Saint Louis is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). 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$96,830St. Louis, MO-IL$101,819
Electrical Engineer$123,960St. Louis, MO-IL$130,347
Mechanical Engineer$100,340St. Louis, MO-IL$105,510
Chemical Engineer$133,450St. Louis, MO-IL$140,326
Aerospace Engineer$108,940IL statewide$114,553
Biomedical Engineer$80,440St. Louis, MO-IL$84,585
Environmental Engineer$94,980St. Louis, MO-IL$99,874
Architectural and Engineering Manager$162,660St. Louis, MO-IL$171,041

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.


East Saint Louis at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population18,278Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$30,992Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+14.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in St. Clair County1,096 workers, 59 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other East Saint Louis-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near East Saint Louis, IL?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near East Saint Louis 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 East Saint Louis?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near East Saint Louis are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($162,660), Chemical Engineer ($133,450), Electrical Engineer ($123,960). 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 Saint Louis instead of East Saint Louis?

Saint Louis, MO is 6.3 miles from East Saint Louis 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 East Saint Louis an affordable place to study engineering?

East Saint Louis’s median household income of $30,992 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Saint Louis 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 East Saint Louis

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for East Saint Louis:

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.