Best Mechanical Engineering Schools Near Thousand Oaks, CA

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

Thousand Oaks, California has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $7,160 to $49,403 per year for indexed programs. Thousand Oaks has a population of about 125,676. Median household income is $134,367 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area, the top-earning mechanical engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $179,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Mechanical Engineering Schools to Thousand Oaks

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

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 20.1 miles from Thousand Oaks
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

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

#2

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 26.1 miles from Thousand Oaks
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 9%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,511
Avg net price $12,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 161

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

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#3

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 30.4 miles from Thousand Oaks
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,349
Avg net price $48,381/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 35.8 miles from Thousand Oaks
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 41.3 miles from Thousand Oaks
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,211
Avg net price $3,967/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,160
Out‑of‑state$19,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 79

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

#6

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA 43.0 miles from Thousand Oaks
  • 4 year
82.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $128,566
Avg net price $16,075/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 52.1 miles from Thousand Oaks
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 121

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

#8

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 57.6 miles from Thousand Oaks
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 33%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,915
Avg net price $16,109/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

Thousand Oaks is part of the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area (BLS area code 37100). 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 $117,380 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $106,226
Architectural and Engineering Managers $179,760 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $162,679
Industrial Engineers $101,630 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $91,973
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $80,810 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $73,131
Mechanical Drafters $78,990 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $71,484
Engineers, All Other $122,990 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $111,303
Aerospace Engineers $128,670 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $116,443
Cost Estimators $77,070 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $69,747

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.

Thousand Oaks at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 125,676 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $134,367 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 50.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 110.5 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Thousand Oaks-Area Cities With Mechanical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mechanical engineering schools are near Thousand Oaks, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs near Thousand Oaks. The closest is California State University-Northridge in Northridge, CA (20.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Los Angeles (41.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying mechanical engineering roles near Thousand Oaks?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mechanical engineering-related roles near Thousand Oaks are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($179,760), Aerospace Engineers ($128,670), Engineers, All Other ($122,990). 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 Moorpark instead of Thousand Oaks?

Moorpark, CA is 6.5 miles from Thousand Oaks 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 Thousand Oaks an affordable place to study mechanical engineering?

Thousand Oaks’s median household income of $134,367 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Thousand Oaks 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 Thousand Oaks

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

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.

Back to Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California (2026)