Best Engineering Schools Near Olathe, KS (2026)

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

Olathe, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Olathe has a population of about 143,720. Median household income is $112,232 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $162,680 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Olathe

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer engineering programs near Olathe, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Olathe 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 Olathe. 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

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS 23.6 miles from Olathe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,945
Avg net price $18,059/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 183

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Ottawa University-Ottawa

Ottawa, KS 30.8 miles from Olathe
  • 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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#3

Rasmussen University-Kansas

Topeka, KS 48.2 miles from Olathe
  • 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

#4

Benedictine College

Atchison, KS 50.2 miles from Olathe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,175
Avg net price $27,891/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 96.9 miles from Olathe
  • 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

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, KS 103.3 miles from Olathe
  • 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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#7

Bethany College

Lindsborg, KS 155.3 miles from Olathe
  • 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

#8

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 156.4 miles from Olathe
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kansas schools on the Kansas engineering page.

Engineering Wages Near Olathe

Olathe is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 28140). 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 $98,860 Kansas City, MO-KS $106,876
Electrical Engineer $110,740 Kansas City, MO-KS $119,719
Mechanical Engineer $99,630 Kansas City, MO-KS $107,708
Chemical Engineer $102,320 Kansas City, MO-KS $110,616
Aerospace Engineer $105,730 Kansas City, MO-KS $114,303
Biomedical Engineer N/A KS statewide –
Environmental Engineer $97,180 Kansas City, MO-KS $105,059
Architectural and Engineering Manager $162,680 Kansas City, MO-KS $175,870

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.

Olathe at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 143,720 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $112,232 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 49.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Johnson County 10,593 workers, 767 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Olathe-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Olathe, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Olathe. The closest is Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS (5.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City (17.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Olathe?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Olathe are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($162,680), Electrical Engineer ($110,740), Aerospace Engineer ($105,730). 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 Lenexa instead of Olathe?

Lenexa, KS is 5.4 miles from Olathe 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 Olathe an affordable place to study engineering?

Olathe’s median household income of $112,232 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Olathe 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 Olathe

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

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)