Best Engineering Schools Near Oak Ridge, TN (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Oak Ridge, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Oak Ridge has a population of about 32,088. Median household income is $71,000 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Knoxville, TN metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $162,950 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Oak Ridge

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer engineering programs near Oak Ridge, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Oak Ridge city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Oak Ridge. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

South College

Knoxville, TN 17.9 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,642
Avg net price $17,858/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 20.6 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Maryville College

Maryville, TN 23.6 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,279
Avg net price $19,360/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 39.5 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,989
Avg net price $14,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 51.1 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,434
Avg net price $20,614/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,800
Out‑of‑state$19,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 69.1 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,501
Avg net price $14,246/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 84.9 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,151
Avg net price $14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 110.0 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Engineering Wages Near Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge is part of the Knoxville, TN metro area (BLS area code 28940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer $96,320 Knoxville, TN $104,017
Electrical Engineer $108,590 Knoxville, TN $117,268
Mechanical Engineer $99,070 Knoxville, TN $106,987
Chemical Engineer N/A TN statewide –
Aerospace Engineer $107,100 Knoxville, TN $115,659
Biomedical Engineer $106,470 TN statewide $114,978
Environmental Engineer $86,550 Knoxville, TN $93,467
Architectural and Engineering Manager $162,950 Knoxville, TN $175,972

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.

Oak Ridge at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 32,088 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $71,000 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 39.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Anderson County 1,807 workers, 85 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Oak Ridge-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Oak Ridge, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Oak Ridge. The closest is Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, TN (7.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Maryville College (23.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Oak Ridge?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Oak Ridge are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($162,950), Electrical Engineer ($108,590), Aerospace Engineer ($107,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Farragut instead of Oak Ridge?

Farragut, TN is 8.9 miles from Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge an affordable place to study engineering?

Oak Ridge’s median household income of $71,000 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Oak Ridge while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Oak Ridge

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Engineering Schools in Tennessee: Online Programs (2026)