Best Online Engineering Programs in Cary, NC (2026)

Cary, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $2,336 to $16,798 per year for indexed programs. Cary has a population of about 176,686. Median household income is $129,399 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $169,780 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Cary

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near Cary. Distances are calculated from Cary city center.

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

Engineering Wages Near Cary

Cary is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

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.

Cary at a Glance

Other Cary-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

• Morrisville, NC – 3.9 mi away (24,732 pop)
• Apex, NC – 4.8 mi away (47,349 pop)
• Holly Springs, NC – 8.9 mi away (33,260 pop)
• Raleigh, NC – 10.3 mi away (1,005,457 pop)
• Garner, NC – 12.5 mi away (28,776 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Cary, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Cary. The closest is North Carolina State University at Raleigh in Raleigh, NC (8.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Duke University (16.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Cary?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Cary are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($169,780), Electrical Engineer ($130,240), Aerospace Engineer ($122,930). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Morrisville instead of Cary?

Morrisville, NC is 3.9 miles from Cary 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 Cary an affordable place to study engineering?

Cary’s median household income of $129,399 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cary while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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

• Engineering accreditation: what to look for
• Engineering concentrations and specializations
• Is a Engineering degree worth it?
• Main Engineering degree guide
• Online Engineering programs in North Carolina
• Engineering programs by state

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

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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.