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Best Online Mechanical Engineering Degree Programs (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Key takeaway: Mechanical engineering (CIP 14.19) is the machines-and-thermal-systems degree: solid mechanics, thermodynamics, fluids, materials, and design. Arizona State University sells bachelor’s and master’s versions online, and those programs already convert on this site. A concentration page still lives under engineering; this is the full program guide. In IPEDS 2024, 389 institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in the CIP codes used for this guide, and 353 of those institutions reported offering distance-education programs (IPEDS 2024). Compare accredited programs below.
Labs, machine shops, and some design courses are hybrid even when the lecture is online. ABET programs document how they meet those outcomes at a distance. If a school cannot show that, it is not an ABET mechanical engineering bachelor’s.
These accredited schools offer online programs. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.
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:
BOCSCORE
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.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
$74,510
Mechanical Drafters
$71,550
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Projected job growth (2024-2034) for mechanical engineering careers. Source: BLS Employment Projections. Chart: Best Online College.View the data behind this chart
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
0.0%
Cost Estimators
-4.2%
Mechanical Drafters
-6.5%
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Mechanical EngineersSOC 17-2141
$104,110Median annual pay
Median hourly$50.05
Mean annual$113,610
Employment (US)296,810
Pay range (25-75%)$84,130 - $132,590
Architectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041
$171,270Median annual pay
Median hourly$82.34
Mean annual$181,540
Employment (US)220,260
Pay range (25-75%)$139,360 - $212,500
Industrial EngineersSOC 17-2112
$102,440Median annual pay
Median hourly$49.25
Mean annual$109,900
Employment (US)365,740
Pay range (25-75%)$83,600 - $129,250
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and TechniciansSOC 17-3027
$74,510Median annual pay
Median hourly$35.82
Mean annual$76,380
Employment (US)36,190
Pay range (25-75%)$59,510 - $88,110
Mechanical DraftersSOC 17-3013
$71,550Median annual pay
Median hourly$34.40
Mean annual$75,060
Employment (US)39,960
Pay range (25-75%)$58,080 - $86,120
Engineers, All OtherSOC 17-2199
$122,930Median annual pay
Median hourly$59.10
Mean annual$125,330
Employment (US)154,070
Pay range (25-75%)$90,970 - $158,090
Aerospace EngineersSOC 17-2011
$134,960Median annual pay
Median hourly$64.89
Mean annual$142,060
Employment (US)67,710
Pay range (25-75%)$106,110 - $169,690
Cost EstimatorsSOC 13-1051
$78,740Median annual pay
Median hourly$37.86
Mean annual$85,390
Employment (US)224,220
Pay range (25-75%)$61,150 - $101,850
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
A technology (MET) bachelor’s is CIP 15.0805, not 14.1901, and it is the wrong credential for PE in most states. Engineering management is the later-career management degree, not a substitute for the technical bachelor’s.
A mechanical engineering degree covers statics and dynamics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, materials, machine design, and a major design experience. Labs, machine shops, and some design courses are hybrid even when the lecture is online. ABET programs document how they meet those outcomes at a distance. If a school cannot show that, it is not an ABET mechanical engineering bachelor’s.
Can I earn a mechanical engineering degree online?
Yes. In IPEDS 2024, 389 institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in the CIP codes used for this guide, and 353 of those institutions reported offering distance-education programs (IPEDS 2024).
Is mechanical engineering accredited?
ABET accredits bachelor’s programs in mechanical engineering. The FE exam and, later, PE licensure run through NCEES and your state board. An online program that is not ABET-accredited is a different product: it will not be treated as an engineering degree by most state boards. Confirm ABET status on ABET’s site, not the brochure.
What do mechanical engineering graduates earn?
Mechanical Engineers The national median annual wage was $104,110, with the 10th percentile at $73,990 and the 90th at $164,340 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 293,100 in 2024, projected to grow 9.1 percent through 2034, with 18,100 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Individual outcomes vary by employer, geography, and experience.
