Best Online Engineering Programs in Lansing, IL (2026)

Lansing, Illinois has a population of about 28,415. The city’s median household income is $71,805 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 55 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Lansing, with tuition ranging from $5,093 to $29,360 per year for indexed programs. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $159,110 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Engineering Schools to Lansing

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 55 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Lansing. Distances are calculated from Lansing city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Purdue University NorthwestHammond, IN3.9 mi$8,419 - $16,287
South Suburban CollegeSouth Holland, IL4.8 mi$5,093 - $12,683
Prairie State CollegeChicago Heights, IL5.5 miContact school for pricing
Saint Xavier UniversityChicago, IL13.2 miContact school for pricing
University of ChicagoChicago, IL15.7 miContact school for pricing
City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley CollegeChicago, IL16.1 miContact school for pricing
Moraine Valley Community CollegePalos Hills, IL17.5 miContact school for pricing
Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, IL18.9 miContact school for pricing
East-West UniversityChicago, IL21.6 miContact school for pricing
University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, IL21.9 mi$14,338 - $29,360

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


Engineering Wages Near Lansing

Lansing is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). 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$100,280Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$96,795
Electrical Engineer$109,010Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$105,222
Mechanical Engineer$100,390Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$96,902
Chemical Engineer$119,490Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$115,338
Aerospace Engineer$125,520Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$121,158
Biomedical Engineer$96,320Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$92,973
Environmental Engineer$107,550Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,813
Architectural and Engineering Manager$159,110Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$153,581

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Lansing at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population28,415Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,805Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Cook County28,825 workers, 2,790 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lansing-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Lansing, IL?

Our directory has 55 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Lansing. The closest is Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, IN (3.9 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is University of Illinois Chicago (21.9 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Lansing?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Lansing are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($159,110), Aerospace Engineer ($125,520), Chemical Engineer ($119,490). 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 Munster instead of Lansing?

Munster, IN is 2.5 miles from Lansing 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 Lansing an affordable place to study engineering?

Lansing’s median household income of $71,805 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lansing 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.