Best Engineering Schools Near Lacey, WA (2026)

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

Lacey, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $5,418 to $18,882 per year for indexed programs. Lacey has a population of about 57,088. Median household income is $87,277 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $164,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Lacey

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer engineering programs near Lacey, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lacey 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 Lacey. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA 1.1 miles from Lacey
  • 4 year
44.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,092
Avg net price $28,119/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Engineering Wages Near Lacey

Lacey is part of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area (BLS area code 36500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer $108,240 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $104,378
Electrical Engineer $120,070 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $115,786
Mechanical Engineer $106,340 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $102,546
Chemical Engineer $128,290 WA statewide $123,713
Aerospace Engineer $158,370 WA statewide $152,719
Biomedical Engineer N/A WA statewide –
Environmental Engineer $108,240 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $104,378
Architectural and Engineering Manager $164,550 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $158,679

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.

Lacey at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 57,088 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $87,277 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Thurston County 860 workers, 170 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lacey-Area Cities With Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Lacey, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Lacey. The closest is Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, WA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Tacoma Campus (21.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Lacey?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Lacey are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($164,550), Aerospace Engineer ($158,370), Chemical Engineer ($128,290). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Olympia instead of Lacey?

Olympia, WA is 4.8 miles from Lacey 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 Lacey an affordable place to study engineering?

Lacey’s median household income of $87,277 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lacey while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Lacey

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

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 Washington: Online Programs (2026)