Best Online Engineering Programs in Zion, IL (2026)

Zion, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $3,822 to $12,833 per year for indexed programs. Zion has a population of about 24,466. Median household income is $62,574 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $163,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Zion

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Zion. Distances are calculated from Zion city center.

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 Zion. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Gateway Technical College

Kenosha, WI 10.1 miles from Zion BOC Score56.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

College of Lake County

Grayslake, IL 10.9 miles from Zion BOC Score47.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

Oakton College

Des Plaines, IL 27.5 miles from Zion BOC Score57.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, IL 28.4 miles from Zion BOC Score59.2
Published tuition$3,822 - $12,833
Online programsYes

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#5

McHenry County College

Crystal Lake, IL 28.7 miles from Zion BOC Score58.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near Zion

Zion 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$100,160Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$96,680
Electrical Engineer$113,520Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$109,575
Mechanical Engineer$102,070Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$98,523
Chemical Engineer$110,760Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$106,911
Aerospace Engineer$134,510Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$129,836
Biomedical Engineer$98,670Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$95,241
Environmental Engineer$110,700Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$106,853
Architectural and Engineering Manager$163,430Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$157,751

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.


Zion at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,466Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,574Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Lake County2,679 workers, 407 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Zion-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Zion, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Zion. The closest is Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, WI (10.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is McHenry County College (28.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Zion?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Zion are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($163,430), Aerospace Engineer ($134,510), Electrical Engineer ($113,520). 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 Pleasant Prairie instead of Zion?

Pleasant Prairie, WI is 5.0 miles from Zion 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 Zion an affordable place to study engineering?

Zion’s median household income of $62,574 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Zion 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 Zion

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.