Best Engineering Schools Near Watertown, NY (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Watertown, New York has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $6,264 to $24,906 per year for indexed programs. Watertown has a population of about 24,574. Median household income is $49,692 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In New York, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $175,710 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Watertown

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Jefferson Community College

Watertown, NY 1.9 miles from Watertown
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,991
Avg net price $11,923/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,264
Out‑of‑state$11,700
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Engineering Wages Near Watertown

Watertown is part of the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area (BLS area code 48060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer $94,340 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $107,571
Electrical Engineer $119,010 NY statewide $135,701
Mechanical Engineer $97,400 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $111,060
Chemical Engineer $129,060 NY statewide $147,161
Aerospace Engineer $130,330 NY statewide $148,609
Biomedical Engineer $104,010 NY statewide $118,597
Environmental Engineer $101,270 NY statewide $115,473
Architectural and Engineering Manager $175,710 NY statewide $200,353

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.

Watertown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,574 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $49,692 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Jefferson County 302 workers, 32 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Watertown-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Watertown, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Watertown. The closest is Jefferson Community College in Watertown, NY (1.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Syracuse University (65.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Watertown?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Watertown are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($175,710), 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 Oswego instead of Watertown?

Oswego, NY is 46.6 miles from Watertown 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 Watertown an affordable place to study engineering?

Watertown’s median household income of $49,692 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watertown 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 Watertown

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Engineering Schools in New York: Online Programs (2026)