Best Online Engineering Programs in Derby, KS (2026)

Derby, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $6,018 to $21,064 per year for indexed 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.

#1

Wichita Technical Institute

Wichita, KS 9.4 miles from Derby BOC Score 42.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,101
Avg net price $18,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 11.2 miles from Derby BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology

Wichita, KS 13.9 miles from Derby BOC Score 54.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,679
Avg net price $8,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Butler Community College

El Dorado, KS 27.4 miles from Derby BOC Score 44.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,206
Avg net price $15,724/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Hesston College

Hesston, KS 41.0 miles from Derby BOC Score 60.6
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,495
Avg net price $26,299/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Hutchinson Community College

Hutchinson, KS 50.6 miles from Derby BOC Score 57.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,470
Avg net price $6,727/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

McPherson College

McPherson, KS 60.1 miles from Derby BOC Score 30.4
  • 4 year
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: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Flint Hills Technical College

Emporia, KS 82.2 miles from Derby BOC Score 75.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,007
Avg net price $16,017/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$84,310Wichita, KS$94,837
Electrical Engineer$98,480Wichita, KS$110,776
Mechanical Engineer$94,610Wichita, KS$106,423
Chemical Engineer$128,780Wichita, KS$144,859
Aerospace Engineer$130,720Wichita, KS$147,042
Biomedical EngineerN/AKS statewide
Environmental Engineer$92,550Wichita, KS$104,106
Architectural and Engineering Manager$154,310Wichita, 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

MetricValueSource
Population25,801Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$82,089Census 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 County2,793 workers, 312 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Derby-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Derby, KS?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Derby 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 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: 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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.