Best Online Engineering Programs in Raleigh, NC (2026)

Raleigh, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $2,336 to $16,798 per year for indexed programs. Raleigh has a population of about 470,763. Median household income is $82,424 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.9% 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 Raleigh

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

#1

Miller-Motte College-Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 3.3 miles from Raleigh BOC Score 28.0
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,102
Avg net price $22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 3.4 miles from Raleigh BOC Score 84.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Wake Technical Community College

Raleigh, NC 13.1 miles from Raleigh BOC Score 55.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,769
Avg net price $8,759/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Raleigh

Raleigh 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$101,440Raleigh-Cary, NC$103,299
Electrical Engineer$130,240Raleigh-Cary, NC$132,627
Mechanical Engineer$100,000Raleigh-Cary, NC$101,833
Chemical Engineer$111,210Raleigh-Cary, NC$113,248
Aerospace Engineer$122,930NC statewide$125,183
Biomedical Engineer$98,630Raleigh-Cary, NC$100,438
Environmental Engineer$102,980Raleigh-Cary, NC$104,868
Architectural and Engineering Manager$169,780Raleigh-Cary, NC$172,892

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.


Raleigh at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population470,763Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$82,424Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+52.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Wake County16,638 workers, 1,534 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Raleigh-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Raleigh, NC?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Raleigh are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Raleigh?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Raleigh 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 Garner instead of Raleigh?

Garner, NC is 9.6 miles from Raleigh 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 Raleigh an affordable place to study engineering?

Raleigh’s median household income of $82,424 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Raleigh 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

Other Programs Available in Raleigh

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.