Kirkwood Community College
Published tuition$5,980 - $14,797
Online programsYes
Best Online Engineering Programs in Marion, IA (2026)
Marion, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $5,980 to $32,927 per year for indexed programs. Marion has a population of about 41,690. Median household income is $87,105 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $152,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Engineering Schools to Marion
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Marion. Distances are calculated from Marion 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 Marion. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
University of Iowa
Published tuition$10,964 - $32,927
Online programsYes
Hawkeye Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
University of Northern Iowa
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Upper Iowa University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa engineering page.
Engineering Wages Near Marion
Marion is part of the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area (BLS area code 16300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineer | $95,540 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $107,348 |
| Electrical Engineer | $104,360 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $117,258 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $84,630 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $95,090 |
| Chemical Engineer | $117,590 | IA statewide | $132,124 |
| Aerospace Engineer | N/A | IA statewide | – |
| Biomedical Engineer | $81,710 | IA statewide | $91,809 |
| Environmental Engineer | $94,830 | IA statewide | $106,551 |
| Architectural and Engineering Manager | $152,530 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $171,382 |
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.
Marion at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,690 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $87,105 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 39.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 89.0 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Engineering-related employment in Linn County | 1,257 workers, 189 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Marion-Area Cities With Engineering Programs
- Cedar Rapids, IA – 7.2 mi away (184,610 pop)
- Coralville, IA – 23.9 mi away (20,397 pop)
- Iowa City, IA – 27.0 mi away (116,891 pop)
- Waterloo, IA – 49.9 mi away (112,635 pop)
- Muscatine, IA – 50.8 mi away (26,481 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited engineering schools are near Marion, IA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Marion. The closest is Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA (9.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Upper Iowa University (56.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Marion?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Marion are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($152,530), Chemical Engineer ($117,590), Electrical Engineer ($104,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Cedar Rapids instead of Marion?
Cedar Rapids, IA is 7.2 miles from Marion 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 Marion an affordable place to study engineering?
Marion’s median household income of $87,105 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Marion while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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
- Engineering accreditation: what to look for
- Engineering concentrations and specializations
- Is a Engineering degree worth it?
- Main Engineering degree guide
- Online Engineering programs in Iowa
- Engineering programs by state
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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.