BestOnlineCollege.org is an advertising-supported website. Many of the school and program listings that appear on this site are from partners who compensate us, and this compensation may affect how, where, and in what order listings appear (such as featured placements). This compensation does not influence our editorial content, evaluations, or rankings, which are determined independently using publicly available data. We do not review or feature every school or program available in the marketplace. Our goal is to provide accurate, unbiased information so you can make informed decisions. Read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
Key takeaway: Yes, you can earn a fully accredited engineering degree online, and the diploma is identical to an on-campus one. When a program holds ABET accreditation, the curriculum, faculty standards, and degree are the same regardless of delivery format, and the diploma never says "online." The main differences are flexibility, lower living costs, and which disciplines are available remotely.
The most important thing to verify is accreditation, not delivery format. ABET accreditation is what employers, graduate schools, and state licensing boards recognize. Always confirm a program directly in the ABET Accredited Program Search before enrolling. For the full picture of how engineering accreditation works, see our guide to engineering accreditation.
Some are, and ABET accreditation works exactly the same online as on campus. ABET accredits programs by curriculum and outcomes, not by how courses are delivered, so an online ABET-accredited degree carries identical recognition. ABET accredits associate, bachelor’s, and a smaller number of master’s engineering programs across applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
To confirm a program is legitimately accredited, check two layers:
A program missing from the ABET database is not ABET-accredited, no matter what the marketing says.
Disciplines that rely on software, systems, and design, rather than wet labs, are the ones most commonly available 100% online. These programs deliver the same accredited curriculum without requiring campus lab access.
| Engineering discipline | Available fully online? | Typical format |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | Yes (select ABET programs) | Fully online |
| Software Engineering | Yes | Fully online |
| Computer Engineering | Yes | Fully online |
| Industrial / Systems Engineering | Yes | Fully online |
| Engineering Management | Yes | Fully online |
| General / Interdisciplinary Engineering | Yes | Fully online |
| Mechanical Engineering | Limited | Hybrid (in-person labs) |
| Civil Engineering | Rarely | Hybrid / on-campus |
| Chemical Engineering | Rarely | Hybrid / on-campus |
| Aerospace Engineering | Rarely | Hybrid / on-campus |
Lab- and fieldwork-heavy disciplines (mechanical, civil, chemical, and aerospace) are usually offered as hybrid programs, not fully online. These fields require hands-on testing, materials labs, or surveying that cannot be fully replicated remotely, so programs combine online coursework with in-person labs or short campus residencies. If a fully online program claims to offer one of these without any residency, scrutinize its ABET status carefully. To weigh the trade-offs, compare our guide to online vs on-campus engineering.
Compare accredited schools offering online engineering and engineering-adjacent programs below. Evaluate each on the factors that actually predict outcomes: accreditation, cost, graduation rate, and salary outcome.
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:
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
For program formats and pacing options, see online engineering course formats and our guide to the online bachelor’s in engineering.
Online engineering degrees typically cost less in total than on-campus equivalents, mainly because you avoid housing, commuting, and relocation. Tuition itself is often comparable per credit, but many public universities charge in-state or flat online rates regardless of where you live, and you can keep working while you study. Compare programs using net price, not sticker tuition. For lower-cost options, see our guide to affordable engineering programs.
For most students, yes. Engineering remains one of the highest-paying fields a bachelor’s degree can lead to, and an accredited online degree carries the same earning potential as on-campus. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineering graduates earn a median of $100,840 to $171,270 per year depending on specialization (BLS, 2024), with roughly 77,800 annual job openings projected across engineering occupations. The return depends on the accredited credential, not the delivery format. For a full ROI breakdown, see is an engineering degree worth it?.
Yes. An ABET-accredited online degree qualifies you for the same PE licensure path as an on-campus degree. Licensure depends on graduating from an ABET-accredited program, passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, gaining supervised experience (typically four years), and passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. State boards recognize the ABET credential regardless of how you earned it. If PE licensure is your goal, ABET accreditation is non-negotiable, so confirm it before enrolling.
Bottom line: You can absolutely earn an accredited engineering degree online. Software, electrical, computer, and industrial/systems engineering are the disciplines most widely available fully online, while mechanical, civil, chemical, and aerospace usually require hybrid lab work. Confirm ABET accreditation first, compare programs on cost and outcomes, and the credential will carry the same recognition and PE-licensure eligibility as an on-campus degree.
No. An accredited online engineering degree results in the same diploma and transcript as the on-campus version, and the delivery format is not noted.
Rarely. Mechanical engineering usually requires in-person labs, so most accredited programs are hybrid, combining online coursework with on-campus or residency lab sessions.
A bachelor’s typically takes four years full-time, though accelerated and transfer-credit pathways can shorten that. Online formats add scheduling flexibility, not necessarily a shorter timeline.
Yes, when ABET-accredited. Employers recognize ABET accreditation, and the diploma does not distinguish online from on-campus study.
Engineering degrees emphasize theory and design and lead more directly to PE licensure, while engineering technology degrees emphasize applied, hands-on practice. Both can be ABET-accredited, so confirm which commission accredits the program.
Yes. An ABET-accredited online degree qualifies you for the same PE licensure path: pass the FE exam, gain supervised experience, and pass the PE exam.
Data verified: June 16, 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.
Return to Online Engineering Degrees: Programs and Curriculum
