Best Online Engineering Programs in Erie, PA (2026)

Erie, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $7,272 to $16,744 per year for indexed programs. Erie has a population of about 94,156. Median household income is $43,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Erie, PA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $149,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Erie

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

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 Erie. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Gannon University

Erie, PA 1.1 miles from Erie BOC Score61.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Erie Institute of Technology Inc

Erie, PA 3.4 miles from Erie BOC Score48.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College

Erie, PA 4.4 miles from Erie BOC Score43.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

Kent State University at Ashtabula

Ashtabula, OH 41.9 miles from Erie BOC Score40.6
Published tuition$7,272 - $16,744
Online programsYes

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#5

Jamestown Community College

Jamestown, NY 43.8 miles from Erie BOC Score50.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near Erie

Erie is part of the Erie, PA metro area (BLS area code 21500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$79,370Erie, PA$87,220
Electrical Engineer$109,260Erie, PA$120,066
Mechanical Engineer$106,890Erie, PA$117,462
Chemical Engineer$116,970PA statewide$128,538
Aerospace Engineer$133,940PA statewide$147,187
Biomedical Engineer$122,560PA statewide$134,681
Environmental Engineer$103,330PA statewide$113,549
Architectural and Engineering Manager$149,380Erie, PA$164,154

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.


Erie at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population94,156Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,397Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Erie County651 workers, 69 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Erie-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Erie, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Erie. The closest is Gannon University in Erie, PA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Jamestown Community College (43.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Erie?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Erie are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($149,380), Aerospace Engineer ($133,940), Biomedical Engineer ($122,560). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Meadville instead of Erie?

Meadville, PA is 32.6 miles from Erie 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 Erie an affordable place to study engineering?

Erie’s median household income of $43,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Erie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Erie

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

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.