Best Online Engineering Programs in Rochester, MN (2026)

Rochester, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Rochester has a population of about 121,638. Median household income is $87,767 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rochester, MN metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $201,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Rochester

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer engineering programs near Rochester, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rochester 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 Rochester. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of St Thomas

Saint Paul, MN 73.1 miles from Rochester BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,739
Avg net price $29,155/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Minnesota State University-Mankato

Mankato, MN 76.0 miles from Rochester BOC Score 58.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,922
Avg net price $19,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN 76.1 miles from Rochester BOC Score 83.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,020
Avg net price $16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, MN 77.4 miles from Rochester BOC Score 73.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,511
Avg net price $26,939/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN 134.0 miles from Rochester BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,813
Avg net price $13,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Minnesota-Duluth

Duluth, MN 194.8 miles from Rochester BOC Score 68.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,616
Avg net price $18,743/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN 266.1 miles from Rochester BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,755
Avg net price $15,261/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Minnesota-Crookston

Crookston, MN 327.5 miles from Rochester BOC Score 61.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,056
Avg net price $12,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Rochester

Rochester is part of the Rochester, MN metro area (BLS area code 40340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$101,200Rochester, MN$111,454
Electrical Engineer$101,260Rochester, MN$111,520
Mechanical Engineer$97,100Rochester, MN$106,938
Chemical Engineer$107,670MN statewide$118,579
Aerospace Engineer$159,060MN statewide$175,176
Biomedical Engineer$127,730MN statewide$140,672
Environmental Engineer$115,750Rochester, MN$127,478
Architectural and Engineering Manager$201,420Rochester, MN$221,828

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.


Rochester at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population121,638Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$87,767Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)90.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Olmsted County305 workers, 45 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Rochester-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Rochester, MN?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Rochester are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Rochester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Rochester are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($201,420), Aerospace Engineer ($159,060), Biomedical Engineer ($127,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Austin instead of Rochester?

Austin, MN is 34.3 miles from Rochester 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 Rochester an affordable place to study engineering?

Rochester’s median household income of $87,767 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rochester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Rochester

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.