Best Online Engineering Programs in Appleton, WI (2026)

Appleton, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs. Appleton has a population of about 74,873. Median household income is $77,450 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Appleton, WI metro area, the top-earning engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $134,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Appleton

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

#1

Fox Valley Technical College

Appleton, WI 3.6 miles from Appleton BOC Score67.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Oshkosh, WI 19.2 miles from Appleton BOC Score59.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Green Bay, WI 22.2 miles from Appleton BOC Score62.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Green Bay, WI 29.1 miles from Appleton BOC Score55.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Moraine Park Technical College

Fond du Lac, WI 34.0 miles from Appleton BOC Score66.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near Appleton

Appleton is part of the Appleton, WI metro area (BLS area code 11540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Civil Engineer$92,590Appleton, WI$100,206
Electrical Engineer$101,670Appleton, WI$110,032
Mechanical Engineer$85,260Appleton, WI$92,273
Chemical Engineer$97,660WI statewide$105,693
Aerospace Engineer$88,400WI statewide$95,671
Biomedical Engineer$110,430WI statewide$119,513
Environmental Engineer$107,170Appleton, WI$115,985
Architectural and Engineering Manager$134,430Appleton, WI$145,487

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.


Appleton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population74,873Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$77,450Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+37.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Engineering-related employment in Outagamie County940 workers, 79 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Appleton-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited engineering schools are near Appleton, WI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Appleton. The closest is Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI (3.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Moraine Park Technical College (34.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying engineering roles near Appleton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Appleton are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($134,430), Biomedical Engineer ($110,430), Environmental Engineer ($107,170). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Neenah instead of Appleton?

Neenah, WI is 8.7 miles from Appleton 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 Appleton an affordable place to study engineering?

Appleton’s median household income of $77,450 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Appleton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Appleton

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

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.