Best Online Engineering Programs in Manhattan, KS (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Manhattan, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Manhattan has a population of about 53,951. Median household income is $58,441 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Manhattan, KS metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $157,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Manhattan

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Manhattan. Distances are calculated from Manhattan 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 Manhattan. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Engineering Wages Near Manhattan

Manhattan is part of the Manhattan, KS metro area (BLS area code 31740). 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	$96,030	Manhattan, KS	$106,463
Electrical Engineer	$102,630	KS statewide	$113,780
Mechanical Engineer	$83,200	Manhattan, KS	$92,239
Chemical Engineer	$102,020	KS statewide	$113,104
Aerospace Engineer	$130,330	KS statewide	$144,490
Biomedical Engineer	N/A	KS statewide	–
Environmental Engineer	$94,070	KS statewide	$104,290
Architectural and Engineering Manager	$157,400	Manhattan, KS	$174,501

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.

Manhattan at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	53,951	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$58,441	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	52.1%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	90.2 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Riley County	637 workers, 62 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Manhattan-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Junction City, KS – 17.2 mi away (40,157 pop)
Topeka, KS – 49.9 mi away (149,220 pop)
Emporia, KS – 58.7 mi away (24,730 pop)
Salina, KS – 60.1 mi away (47,123 pop)
Lawrence, KS – 73.6 mi away (95,800 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Manhattan, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Manhattan. The closest is Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, KS (0.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Kansas (74.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Manhattan?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Manhattan are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($157,400), Aerospace Engineer ($130,330), Electrical Engineer ($102,630). 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 Junction City instead of Manhattan?

Junction City, KS is 17.2 miles from Manhattan 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 Manhattan an affordable place to study engineering?

Manhattan’s median household income of $58,441 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Manhattan 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 Manhattan

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

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.

Back to Best Online Engineering Programs in Kansas (2026)

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