Best Online Engineering Programs in Ithaca, NY (2026)

Ithaca, New York has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Ithaca has a population of about 31,792. Median household income is $48,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Ithaca, NY metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $166,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Ithaca

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

#1

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 1.3 miles from Ithaca BOC Score72.9
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Online programs--

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#2

Cayuga County Community College

Auburn, NY 34.6 miles from Ithaca BOC Score46.7
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Online programsYes

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#3

SUNY Corning Community College

Corning, NY 36.9 miles from Ithaca BOC Score51.7
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Online programsYes

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#4

SUNY Broome Community College

Binghamton, NY 37.2 miles from Ithaca BOC Score47.9
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Online programsYes

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#5

Onondaga Community College

Syracuse, NY 41.8 miles from Ithaca BOC Score33.0
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Online programs--

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


Engineering Wages Near Ithaca

Ithaca is part of the Ithaca, NY metro area (BLS area code 27060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$97,550Ithaca, NY$94,434
Electrical Engineer$105,840Ithaca, NY$102,459
Mechanical Engineer$99,990Ithaca, NY$96,796
Chemical Engineer$129,060NY statewide$124,937
Aerospace Engineer$130,330NY statewide$126,167
Biomedical Engineer$104,010NY statewide$100,687
Environmental Engineer$101,270NY statewide$98,035
Architectural and Engineering Manager$166,530Ithaca, NY$161,210

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.


Ithaca at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population31,792Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,617Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+70.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Tompkins County429 workers, 54 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Ithaca-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Ithaca, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Ithaca. The closest is Cornell University in Ithaca, NY (1.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Onondaga Community College (41.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Ithaca?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Ithaca are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($166,530), Aerospace Engineer ($130,330), Chemical Engineer ($129,060). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cortland instead of Ithaca?

Cortland, NY is 19.7 miles from Ithaca 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 Ithaca an affordable place to study engineering?

Ithaca’s median household income of $48,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ithaca while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Ithaca

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

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.