Best Online Engineering Programs in Urbandale, IA (2026)

Urbandale, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $4,872 to $27,683 per year for indexed programs. Urbandale has a population of about 46,026. Median household income is $113,086 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $148,330 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Urbandale

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

#1

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 27.8 miles from Urbandale BOC Score 76.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

William Penn University

Oskaloosa, IA 62.9 miles from Urbandale BOC Score 33.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,936
Avg net price $22,601/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 90.7 miles from Urbandale BOC Score 68.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,177
Avg net price $15,901/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Waldorf University

Forest City, IA 112.0 miles from Urbandale BOC Score 36.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,165
Avg net price $19,693/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,978
Out‑of‑state$25,978
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 115.7 miles from Urbandale BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA 130.9 miles from Urbandale BOC Score 42.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,766
Avg net price $20,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,475
Out‑of‑state$19,475
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA 165.5 miles from Urbandale BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,531
Avg net price $24,691/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,658
Out‑of‑state$36,658
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Orion Technical College

Davenport, IA 168.2 miles from Urbandale BOC Score 64.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,008
Avg net price $26,439/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Urbandale

Urbandale is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$97,330Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$106,140
Electrical Engineer$107,040Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$116,728
Mechanical Engineer$85,490Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$93,228
Chemical Engineer$117,590IA statewide$128,233
Aerospace EngineerN/AIA statewide
Biomedical Engineer$81,710IA statewide$89,106
Environmental Engineer$94,800Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$103,381
Architectural and Engineering Manager$148,330Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$161,756

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.


Urbandale at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population46,026Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$113,086Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+51.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Polk County4,402 workers, 423 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Urbandale-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Urbandale, IA?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Urbandale 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 Urbandale?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Urbandale are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($148,330), Chemical Engineer ($117,590), Electrical Engineer ($107,040). 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 Johnston instead of Urbandale?

Johnston, IA is 4.6 miles from Urbandale 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 Urbandale an affordable place to study engineering?

Urbandale’s median household income of $113,086 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Urbandale 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

Other Programs Available in Urbandale

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

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.