Best Online Engineering Programs in North Charleston, SC (2026)

North Charleston, South Carolina has a population of about 117,460. The city’s median household income is $62,789 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 21 accredited schools offering engineering programs near North Charleston, with tuition ranging from $4,488 to $29,957 per year for indexed programs. In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $168,290 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Engineering Schools to North Charleston

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 21 schools in our directory that offer engineering programs near North Charleston. Distances are calculated from North Charleston city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Trident Technical CollegeCharleston, SC2.7 mi$4,564 - $11,453
Charleston Southern UniversityCharleston, SC5.1 miContact school for pricing
Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, SC10.1 miContact school for pricing
College of CharlestonCharleston, SC11.5 miContact school for pricing
Technical College of the LowcountryBeaufort, SC49.3 miContact school for pricing
Williamsburg Technical CollegeKingstree, SC53.7 mi$4,488 - $14,074
South Carolina State UniversityOrangeburg, SC60.7 mi$11,060 - $29,957
Claflin UniversityOrangeburg, SC60.9 miContact school for pricing
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical CollegeOrangeburg, SC62.1 miContact school for pricing
Denmark Technical CollegeDenmark, SC67.1 miContact school for pricing

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


Engineering Wages Near North Charleston

North Charleston is part of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area (BLS area code 16700). 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$98,880Charleston-North Charleston, SC$97,901
Electrical Engineer$114,880Charleston-North Charleston, SC$113,743
Mechanical Engineer$107,140Charleston-North Charleston, SC$106,079
Chemical Engineer$104,660SC statewide$103,624
Aerospace Engineer$131,820SC statewide$130,515
Biomedical Engineer$96,350SC statewide$95,396
Environmental Engineer$93,430Charleston-North Charleston, SC$92,505
Architectural and Engineering Manager$168,290Charleston-North Charleston, SC$166,624

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


North Charleston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population117,460Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,789Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.0 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Charleston County4,999 workers, 661 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other North Charleston-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near North Charleston, SC?

Our directory has 21 accredited schools offering engineering programs near North Charleston. The closest is Trident Technical College in Charleston, SC (2.7 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Denmark Technical College (67.1 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near North Charleston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near North Charleston are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($168,290), Aerospace Engineer ($131,820), Electrical Engineer ($114,880). 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 Hanahan instead of North Charleston?

Hanahan, SC is 4.2 miles from North Charleston 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 North Charleston an affordable place to study engineering?

North Charleston’s median household income of $62,789 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in North Charleston 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.