Best Online Engineering Programs in Watertown, NY (2026)

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

#1

SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY 56.4 miles from Watertown BOC Score47.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 65.5 miles from Watertown BOC Score74.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Clarkson University

Potsdam, NY 65.7 miles from Watertown BOC Score73.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY 65.8 miles from Watertown BOC Score72.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY 66.4 miles from Watertown BOC Score70.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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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.

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

MetricValueSource
Population24,574Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,692Census 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 County302 workers, 32 establishmentsBLS 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 SUNY College of Technology at Canton in Canton, NY (56.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is SUNY Polytechnic Institute (66.4 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: 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.