Best Mechanical Engineering Schools Near Santa Cruz, CA (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Santa Cruz, California has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs. Santa Cruz has a population of about 60,953. Median household income is $111,427 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, the top-earning mechanical engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $206,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Mechanical Engineering Schools to Santa Cruz

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer mechanical engineering programs near Santa Cruz, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz. 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

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 26.1 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 26.1 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA 27.8 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 32.0 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 56.8 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 62.9 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University Maritime Academy

Vallejo, CA 76.1 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $94,784
Avg net price $20,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 79.8 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,445
Avg net price $25,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Mechanical Engineering Wages Near Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area (BLS area code 42100). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Mechanical Engineers $132,920 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $120,946
Architectural and Engineering Managers $206,880 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $188,244
Industrial Engineers $131,740 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $119,873
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $87,390 CA statewide $79,518
Mechanical Drafters $82,510 CA statewide $75,077
Engineers, All Other $141,150 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $128,435
Aerospace Engineers $157,620 CA statewide $143,421
Cost Estimators $80,170 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $72,948

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.

Santa Cruz at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 60,953 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $111,427 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 109.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Cruz-Area Cities With Mechanical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mechanical engineering schools are near Santa Cruz, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs near Santa Cruz. The closest is Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA (26.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Francisco State University (56.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying mechanical engineering roles near Santa Cruz?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mechanical engineering-related roles near Santa Cruz are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($206,880), Aerospace Engineers ($157,620), Engineers, All Other ($141,150). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Watsonville instead of Santa Cruz?

Watsonville, CA is 15.1 miles from Santa Cruz and has its own set of local mechanical engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Santa Cruz an affordable place to study mechanical engineering?

Santa Cruz’s median household income of $111,427 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Cruz while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Mechanical Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in Santa Cruz

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

Data verified: September 7, 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.

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