Best Online Engineering Programs in Rochester, MN (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

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

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

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.

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

Metric	Value	Source
Population	121,638	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$87,767	Census 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 County	305 workers, 45 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Rochester-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Austin, MN – 34.3 mi away (25,105 pop)
Owatonna, MN – 37.8 mi away (25,567 pop)
Winona, MN – 40.2 mi away (30,208 pop)
Faribault, MN – 44.3 mi away (24,012 pop)
Northfield, MN – 45.8 mi away (22,005 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Rochester, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Rochester. The closest is Riverland Community College in Austin, MN (35.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Stout (65.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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: 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.

Back to Best Online Engineering Programs in Minnesota (2026)

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