Best Mechanical Engineering Schools Near Wilmington, NC (2026)

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

Wilmington, North Carolina is home to about 118,578 residents. Median household income is $63,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wilmington, NC metro area, the top-earning mechanical engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $169,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Mechanical Engineering Schools to Wilmington

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

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 100.9 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 117.6 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Duke University

Durham, NC 137.3 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
82.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,800
Avg net price $29,612/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, NC 167.1 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,440
Avg net price $10,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 178.4 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,289
Avg net price $15,435/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Mechanical Engineering Wages Near Wilmington

Wilmington is part of the Wilmington, NC metro area (BLS area code 48900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Mechanical Engineers $101,100 Wilmington, NC $104,876
Architectural and Engineering Managers $169,810 Wilmington, NC $176,151
Industrial Engineers $99,540 Wilmington, NC $103,257
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $62,360 NC statewide $64,689
Mechanical Drafters $50,150 Wilmington, NC $52,023
Engineers, All Other $115,210 Wilmington, NC $119,512
Aerospace Engineers $122,930 NC statewide $127,521
Cost Estimators $72,900 Wilmington, NC $75,622

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.

Wilmington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 118,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,900 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 45.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Mechanical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mechanical engineering-related roles near Wilmington are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($169,810), Aerospace Engineers ($122,930), Engineers, All Other ($115,210). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Jacksonville instead of Wilmington?

Jacksonville, NC is 45.6 miles from Wilmington 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 Wilmington an affordable place to study mechanical engineering?

Wilmington’s median household income of $63,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Wilmington

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

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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