Best Online Engineering Programs in Lancaster, SC (2026)

Lancaster, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $2,792 to $15,399 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $169,960 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Lancaster

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

#1

York Technical College

Rock Hill, SC 18.9 miles from Lancaster BOC Score40.4
Published tuition$5,512 - $15,399
Online programs--

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#2

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 34.2 miles from Lancaster BOC Score52.6
Published tuition$2,792 - $10,951
Online programsYes

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#3

South Piedmont Community College

Polkton, NC 37.4 miles from Lancaster BOC Score45.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 40.4 miles from Lancaster BOC Score72.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Gaston College

Dallas, NC 46.6 miles from Lancaster BOC Score51.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Engineering Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$102,370Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$105,211
Electrical Engineer$103,360Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$106,228
Mechanical Engineer$101,950Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$104,779
Chemical Engineer$115,890Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$119,106
Aerospace Engineer$132,830Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$136,516
Biomedical Engineer$97,670Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$100,380
Environmental Engineer$82,840Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$85,139
Architectural and Engineering Manager$169,960Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$174,676

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.


Lancaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population8,738Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,234Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Lancaster County170 workers, 34 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Lancaster, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Lancaster. The closest is York Technical College in Rock Hill, SC (18.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Gaston College (46.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Lancaster are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($169,960), Aerospace Engineer ($132,830), Chemical Engineer ($115,890). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study engineering?

Lancaster’s median household income of $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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 Lancaster

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

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.