Best Online Engineering Programs in Wilkes-Barre, PA (2026)

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $5,215 to $15,810 per year for indexed programs. Wilkes-Barre has a population of about 44,217. Median household income is $47,970 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $156,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Wilkes-Barre

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

#1

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, PA 0.8 miles from Wilkes-Barre BOC Score55.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Luzerne County Community College

Nanticoke, PA 7.0 miles from Wilkes-Barre BOC Score43.0
Published tuition$6,450 - $15,810
Online programsYes

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#3

Johnson College

Scranton, PA 18.6 miles from Wilkes-Barre BOC Score71.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 34.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre BOC Score56.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Lehigh Carbon Community College

Schnecksville, PA 42.5 miles from Wilkes-Barre BOC Score47.7
Published tuition$5,215 - $15,075
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes-Barre is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). 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$95,730Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$102,276
Electrical Engineer$103,640Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$110,726
Mechanical Engineer$83,920Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$89,658
Chemical Engineer$116,970PA statewide$124,968
Aerospace Engineer$133,940PA statewide$143,098
Biomedical Engineer$122,560PA statewide$130,940
Environmental Engineer$85,420Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$91,261
Architectural and Engineering Manager$156,420Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$167,115

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.


Wilkes-Barre at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population44,217Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$47,970Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+19.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Luzerne County731 workers, 84 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Wilkes-Barre-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Wilkes-Barre, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Wilkes-Barre. The closest is Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA (0.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lehigh Carbon Community College (42.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Wilkes-Barre?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Wilkes-Barre are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($156,420), 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 Scranton instead of Wilkes-Barre?

Scranton, PA is 15.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre an affordable place to study engineering?

Wilkes-Barre’s median household income of $47,970 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre

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

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.