Best Online Engineering Programs in Boston, MA (2026)

Boston, Massachusetts has a population of about 663,972. The city’s median household income is $94,755 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. There are 5 accredited engineering programs within 100 miles of Boston, with tuition ranging from $41,010 to $55,030 per year. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $178,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Engineering Schools to Boston

The five accredited institutions below are the closest options indexed in our directory that offer engineering programs. Distances are calculated from Boston city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, MA1.3 mi$41,010 - $55,030
Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA1.5 miContact school for pricing
Northeastern University Professional ProgramsBoston, MA1.5 miContact school for pricing
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of TechnologyBoston, MA2.0 miContact school for pricing
Boston UniversityBoston, MA2.3 miContact school for pricing

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


Engineering Wages Near Boston

Boston is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$104,750Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,722
Electrical Engineer$127,520Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$117,747
Mechanical Engineer$124,160Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$114,645
Chemical Engineer$122,190Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$112,825
Aerospace Engineer$151,080Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$139,501
Biomedical Engineer$110,880Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$102,382
Environmental Engineer$116,980Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$108,015
Architectural and Engineering Manager$178,800Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$165,097

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Boston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population663,972Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$94,755Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+54.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Suffolk County11,292 workers, 668 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Boston-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering programs are near Boston, MA?

Our directory lists 5 engineering programs within 100 miles of Boston. The closest is Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, MA (1.3 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Boston University (2.3 miles). 0 of these programs are offered fully online.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Boston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Boston are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($178,800), Aerospace Engineer ($151,080), Electrical Engineer ($127,520). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cambridge instead of Boston?

Cambridge, MA is 4.3 miles from Boston 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 Boston an affordable place to study engineering?

Boston’s median household income of $94,755 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Boston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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.