Best Online Engineering Programs in State College, PA (2026)

State College, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $19,208 to $32,080 per year for indexed programs. State College has a population of about 40,669. Median household income is $47,132 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the State College, PA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $150,520 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to State College

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near State College. Distances are calculated from State College 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 State College. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 0.8 miles from State College BOC Score62.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, PA 0.8 miles from State College BOC Score47.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

South Hills School of Business & Technology

State College, PA 1.1 miles from State College BOC Score48.1
Published tuition$19,208 - $32,080
Online programs--

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#4

Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology

Pleasant Gap, PA 8.7 miles from State College BOC Score75.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Juniata College

Huntingdon, PA 21.9 miles from State College BOC Score65.3
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 State College

State College is part of the State College, PA metro area (BLS area code 44300). 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$96,110State College, PA$99,287
Electrical Engineer$97,450State College, PA$100,671
Mechanical Engineer$90,530State College, PA$93,523
Chemical Engineer$116,970PA statewide$120,837
Aerospace Engineer$133,940PA statewide$138,368
Biomedical Engineer$122,560PA statewide$126,612
Environmental Engineer$103,330PA statewide$106,746
Architectural and Engineering Manager$150,520State College, PA$155,496

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.


State College at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,669Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$47,132Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+70.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Centre County808 workers, 100 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other State College-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near State College, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near State College. The closest is Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus in University Park, PA (0.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Juniata College (21.9 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near State College?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near State College are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($150,520), 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 Lewistown instead of State College?

Lewistown, PA is 20.0 miles from State College 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 State College an affordable place to study engineering?

State College’s median household income of $47,132 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in State College 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 State College

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

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.