Best Online Engineering Programs in Salem, VA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Salem, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Salem has a population of about 25,477. Median household income is $66,716 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning engineering-related role is Aerospace Engineer at a median $143,210 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Salem

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

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

Engineering Wages Near Salem

Salem is part of the Roanoke, VA metro area (BLS area code 40220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation	Median Wage	Source	COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer	$90,720	Roanoke, VA	$96,923
Electrical Engineer	$108,930	Roanoke, VA	$116,378
Mechanical Engineer	$102,160	Roanoke, VA	$109,145
Chemical Engineer	$136,380	VA statewide	$145,705
Aerospace Engineer	$143,210	VA statewide	$153,002
Biomedical Engineer	$106,140	VA statewide	$113,397
Environmental Engineer	$104,940	VA statewide	$112,115
Architectural and Engineering Manager	$139,170	Roanoke, VA	$148,686

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.

Salem at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	25,477	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$66,716	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	31.1%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	93.6 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Salem (city) County	88 workers, 10 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Salem-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Roanoke, VA – 5.4 mi away (215,793 pop)
Blacksburg, VA – 20.8 mi away (93,560 pop)
Christiansburg, VA – 21.6 mi away (22,088 pop)
Martinsville, VA – 43.0 mi away (34,132 pop)
Lynchburg, VA – 48.1 mi away (123,795 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Salem, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Salem. The closest is Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, VA (5.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Patrick & Henry Community College (39.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Salem?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Salem are: Aerospace Engineer ($143,210), Architectural and Engineering Manager ($139,170), Chemical Engineer ($136,380). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Roanoke instead of Salem?

Roanoke, VA is 5.4 miles from Salem 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 Salem an affordable place to study engineering?

Salem’s median household income of $66,716 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salem while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Salem

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

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.

Back to Best Online Engineering Programs in Virginia (2026)

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