Best Online Engineering Programs in Chapel Hill, NC (2026)

Chapel Hill, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $2,528 to $22,570 per year for indexed programs. Chapel Hill has a population of about 59,889. Median household income is $85,825 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 77.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $172,480 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Chapel Hill

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

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

Engineering Wages Near Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area (BLS area code 20500). 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.

Chapel Hill at a Glance

Other Chapel Hill-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

• Carrboro, NC – 2.7 mi away (21,265 pop)
• Durham, NC – 8.4 mi away (400,379 pop)
• Morrisville, NC – 13.0 mi away (24,732 pop)
• Cary, NC – 16.0 mi away (162,320 pop)
• Apex, NC – 17.0 mi away (47,349 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Chapel Hill, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Chapel Hill. The closest is Duke University in Durham, NC (7.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Miller-Motte College-Raleigh (26.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Chapel Hill?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Chapel Hill are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($172,480), Electrical Engineer ($129,030), 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 Carrboro instead of Chapel Hill?

Carrboro, NC is 2.7 miles from Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill an affordable place to study engineering?

Chapel Hill’s median household income of $85,825 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chapel Hill 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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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.