Best Mechanical Engineering Schools Near Visalia, CA (2026)

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

Visalia, California has 2 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $20,095 per year for indexed programs. Visalia has a population of about 142,649. Median household income is $79,952 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning mechanical engineering-related role is Aerospace Engineers at a median $157,620 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Mechanical Engineering Schools to Visalia

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

Fresno, CA 40.7 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

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

#2

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA 94.0 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
70.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,368
Avg net price $11,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 103.0 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 135.2 miles from Visalia
  • 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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#5

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA 142.8 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 151.0 miles from Visalia
  • 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

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#7

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 157.5 miles from Visalia
  • 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

#8

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 158.2 miles from Visalia
  • 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 Visalia

Visalia is part of the Visalia, CA metro area (BLS area code 47300). 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 $92,770 Visalia, CA $92,956
Architectural and Engineering Managers $154,630 Visalia, CA $154,940
Industrial Engineers $101,860 Visalia, CA $102,064
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $87,390 CA statewide $87,565
Mechanical Drafters $82,510 CA statewide $82,675
Engineers, All Other $98,570 Visalia, CA $98,768
Aerospace Engineers $157,620 CA statewide $157,936
Cost Estimators $74,430 Visalia, CA $74,579

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.

Visalia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 142,649 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $79,952 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 99.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Visalia-Area Cities With Mechanical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mechanical engineering schools are near Visalia, CA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs near Visalia. The closest is California State University-Fresno in Fresno, CA (40.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Merced (94.0 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying mechanical engineering roles near Visalia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mechanical engineering-related roles near Visalia are: Aerospace Engineers ($157,620), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($154,630), Industrial Engineers ($101,860). 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 Tulare instead of Visalia?

Tulare, CA is 8.8 miles from Visalia 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 Visalia an affordable place to study mechanical engineering?

Visalia’s median household income of $79,952 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Visalia 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 Visalia

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

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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