Best Mechanical Engineering Schools Near Allentown, PA (2026)

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

Allentown, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $15,972 to $32,242 per year for indexed programs. Allentown has a population of about 125,320. Median household income is $53,403 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area, the top-earning mechanical engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $166,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Mechanical Engineering Schools to Allentown

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

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA 5.1 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $105,584
Avg net price $36,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lafayette College

Easton, PA 15.7 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,410
Avg net price $34,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks

Reading, PA 30.9 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
37.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 99%
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $24,356/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 39.3 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $100,423
Avg net price $43,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA 45.7 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,727
Avg net price $28,198/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA 46.8 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,648
Avg net price $38,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 47.0 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $111,371
Avg net price $28,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, PA 47.8 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,449
Avg net price $28,928/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Mechanical Engineering Wages Near Allentown

Allentown is part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area (BLS area code 10900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Mechanical Engineers $102,980 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $102,980
Architectural and Engineering Managers $166,180 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $166,180
Industrial Engineers $103,390 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $103,390
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $77,750 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $77,750
Mechanical Drafters $65,170 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $65,170
Engineers, All Other $124,550 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $124,550
Aerospace Engineers $133,940 PA statewide $133,940
Cost Estimators $76,810 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $76,810

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.

Allentown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 125,320 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $53,403 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.0 (at U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Allentown-Area Cities With Mechanical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mechanical engineering schools are near Allentown, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs near Allentown. The closest is Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA (5.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Villanova University (39.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mechanical engineering-related roles near Allentown are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($166,180), Aerospace Engineers ($133,940), Engineers, All Other ($124,550). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bethlehem instead of Allentown?

Bethlehem, PA is 6.0 miles from Allentown 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 Allentown an affordable place to study mechanical engineering?

Allentown’s median household income of $53,403 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Allentown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Allentown

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

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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