Best Online Engineering Programs in New Bedford, MA (2026)

New Bedford, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. New Bedford has a population of about 100,731. Median household income is $56,025 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $172,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to New Bedford

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

#1

Bristol Community College

Fall River, MA 9.9 miles from New Bedford BOC Score49.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Roger Williams University

Bristol, RI 16.5 miles from New Bedford BOC Score58.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, MA 17.1 miles from New Bedford BOC Score78.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

IYRS School of Technology & Trades

Newport, RI 23.3 miles from New Bedford BOC Score45.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Providence, RI 27.1 miles from New Bedford BOC Score33.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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


Engineering Wages Near New Bedford

New Bedford is part of the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (BLS area code 39300). 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$99,310Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$97,554
Electrical Engineer$114,710Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$112,682
Mechanical Engineer$111,360Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$109,391
Chemical Engineer$106,950Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$105,059
Aerospace Engineer$149,470MA statewide$146,827
Biomedical Engineer$101,460Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$99,666
Environmental Engineer$101,140Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$99,352
Architectural and Engineering Manager$172,640Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$169,587

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.


New Bedford at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population100,731Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,025Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Bristol County1,152 workers, 182 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other New Bedford-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near New Bedford, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near New Bedford. The closest is Bristol Community College in Fall River, MA (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Johnson & Wales University-Providence (27.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near New Bedford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near New Bedford are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($172,640), Aerospace Engineer ($149,470), Electrical Engineer ($114,710). 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 Fall River instead of New Bedford?

Fall River, MA is 8.7 miles from New Bedford 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 New Bedford an affordable place to study engineering?

New Bedford’s median household income of $56,025 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in New Bedford 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.


Learn More About Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in New Bedford

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

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.