Best Engineering Schools Near Derby, KS (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Derby, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Derby has a population of about 25,801. Median household income is $82,089 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wichita, KS metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $154,310 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Derby

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Friends University

Wichita, KS 10.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,113
Avg net price $27,715/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 11.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,532
Avg net price $13,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

McPherson College

McPherson, KS 60.1 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
30.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,084
Avg net price $26,441/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bethany College

Lindsborg, KS 74.3 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
18.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,694
Avg net price $27,686/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 46%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 118.5 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,262
Avg net price $19,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 163

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ottawa University-Ottawa

Ottawa, KS 130.2 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Avg net price $27,963/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Rasmussen University-Kansas

Topeka, KS 130.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,080
Avg net price $23,980/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, KS 140.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,579
Avg net price $15,784/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Engineering Wages Near Derby

Derby is part of the Wichita, KS metro area (BLS area code 48620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer $84,310 Wichita, KS $94,837
Electrical Engineer $98,480 Wichita, KS $110,776
Mechanical Engineer $94,610 Wichita, KS $106,423
Chemical Engineer $128,780 Wichita, KS $144,859
Aerospace Engineer $130,720 Wichita, KS $147,042
Biomedical Engineer N/A KS statewide –
Environmental Engineer $92,550 Wichita, KS $104,106
Architectural and Engineering Manager $154,310 Wichita, KS $173,577

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.

Derby at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 25,801 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $82,089 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Sedgwick County 2,793 workers, 312 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Derby-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Derby, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Derby. The closest is Wichita Technical Institute in Wichita, KS (9.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Butler Community College (26.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Derby?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Derby are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($154,310), Aerospace Engineer ($130,720), Chemical Engineer ($128,780). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wichita instead of Derby?

Wichita, KS is 10.4 miles from Derby 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 Derby an affordable place to study engineering?

Derby’s median household income of $82,089 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Derby while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Derby

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Engineering Schools in Kansas: Online Programs (2026)