Best Online Engineering Programs in Dayton, OH (2026)

Dayton, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $11,188 to $23,255 per year for indexed programs. Dayton has a population of about 136,741. Median household income is $43,454 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $163,700 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Dayton

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

#1

Sinclair Community College

Dayton, OH 1.8 miles from Dayton BOC Score 55.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,558
Avg net price $5,992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH 2.9 miles from Dayton BOC Score 74.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,537
Avg net price $29,533/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Wright State University-Main Campus

Dayton, OH 7.6 miles from Dayton BOC Score 45.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,500
Avg net price $15,415/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Engineering Wages Near Dayton

Dayton is part of the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro area (BLS area code 19430). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$95,270Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$102,772
Electrical Engineer$103,720Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$111,888
Mechanical Engineer$101,180Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$109,148
Chemical Engineer$123,860Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$133,614
Aerospace Engineer$129,410Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$139,601
Biomedical Engineer$108,410Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$116,947
Environmental Engineer$119,000Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$128,371
Architectural and Engineering Manager$163,700Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$176,591

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.


Dayton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population136,741Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,454Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Montgomery County2,221 workers, 222 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Dayton-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Dayton, OH?

Accredited schools offering engineering programs near Dayton 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 Dayton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Dayton are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($163,700), Aerospace Engineer ($129,410), Chemical Engineer ($123,860). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Riverside instead of Dayton?

Riverside, OH is 4.1 miles from Dayton 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 Dayton an affordable place to study engineering?

Dayton’s median household income of $43,454 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dayton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Dayton

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

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.