Best Online Engineering Programs in Cape Girardeau, MO (2026)

Cape Girardeau, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $4,860 to $23,337 per year for indexed programs. Cape Girardeau has a population of about 40,047. Median household income is $54,870 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $157,800 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Cape Girardeau

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

#1

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, MO 1.8 miles from Cape Girardeau BOC Score47.0
Published tuition$9,496 - $23,337
Online programsYes

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#2

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL 33.3 miles from Cape Girardeau BOC Score55.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

John A Logan College

Carterville, IL 39.7 miles from Cape Girardeau BOC Score51.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

West Kentucky Community and Technical College

Paducah, KY 52.7 miles from Cape Girardeau BOC Score56.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Three Rivers College

Poplar Bluff, MO 60.6 miles from Cape Girardeau BOC Score40.9
Published tuition$4,860 - $17,482
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau is part of the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 16020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$81,190Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$94,297
Electrical Engineer$118,670MO statewide$137,828
Mechanical Engineer$94,940Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$110,267
Chemical Engineer$102,320MO statewide$118,839
Aerospace Engineer$130,680MO statewide$151,777
Biomedical Engineer$89,480MO statewide$103,926
Environmental Engineer$98,170MO statewide$114,019
Architectural and Engineering Manager$157,800MO statewide$183,275

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.


Cape Girardeau at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,047Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$54,870Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+36.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cape Girardeau-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Cape Girardeau, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Cape Girardeau. The closest is Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Three Rivers College (60.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Cape Girardeau?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Cape Girardeau are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($157,800), Aerospace Engineer ($130,680), Electrical Engineer ($118,670). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Carbondale instead of Cape Girardeau?

Carbondale, IL is 33.9 miles from Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau an affordable place to study engineering?

Cape Girardeau’s median household income of $54,870 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cape Girardeau while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Cape Girardeau

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

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.