Best Online Engineering Programs in East Lansing, MI (2026)

East Lansing, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. East Lansing has a population of about 45,394. Median household income is $43,547 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 67.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $134,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to East Lansing

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

#1

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 1.3 miles from East Lansing BOC Score80.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Lansing Community College

Lansing, MI 3.6 miles from East Lansing BOC Score48.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Baker College

Owosso, MI 22.6 miles from East Lansing BOC Score34.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Jackson College

Jackson, MI 40.5 miles from East Lansing BOC Score52.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Mott Community College

Flint, MI 43.8 miles from East Lansing BOC Score38.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near East Lansing

East Lansing is part of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area (BLS area code 29620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$96,040Lansing-East Lansing, MI$101,095
Electrical Engineer$83,180Lansing-East Lansing, MI$87,558
Mechanical Engineer$98,550Lansing-East Lansing, MI$103,737
Chemical Engineer$66,230Lansing-East Lansing, MI$69,716
Aerospace Engineer$128,960MI statewide$135,747
Biomedical Engineer$100,940MI statewide$106,253
Environmental Engineer$97,260Lansing-East Lansing, MI$102,379
Architectural and Engineering Manager$134,540Lansing-East Lansing, MI$141,621

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.


East Lansing at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population45,394Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,547Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+67.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Ingham County1,187 workers, 92 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other East Lansing-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near East Lansing, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near East Lansing. The closest is Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI (1.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mott Community College (43.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near East Lansing?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near East Lansing are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($134,540), Aerospace Engineer ($128,960), Biomedical Engineer ($100,940). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lansing instead of East Lansing?

Lansing, MI is 4.5 miles from East Lansing 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 East Lansing an affordable place to study engineering?

East Lansing’s median household income of $43,547 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Lansing while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 East Lansing

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

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.