Best Mechanical Engineering Schools Near Harrisonburg, VA

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

Harrisonburg, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs. Harrisonburg has a population of about 51,492. Median household income is $59,752 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning mechanical engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $176,160 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Mechanical Engineering Schools to Harrisonburg

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

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 34.2 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, VA 54.2 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,369
Avg net price $17,113/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 76.9 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 88.9 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 98.7 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 118.8 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,698
Avg net price $24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 153

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA 176.6 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $14,638/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Mechanical Engineering Wages Near Harrisonburg

Harrisonburg is part of the Harrisonburg, VA metro area (BLS area code 25500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Mechanical Engineers $104,180 VA statewide $109,779
Architectural and Engineering Managers $176,160 VA statewide $185,627
Industrial Engineers $100,190 Harrisonburg, VA $105,574
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $75,650 VA statewide $79,715
Mechanical Drafters $69,630 VA statewide $73,372
Engineers, All Other $148,160 VA statewide $156,122
Aerospace Engineers $143,210 VA statewide $150,906
Cost Estimators $73,730 Harrisonburg, VA $77,692

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.

Harrisonburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,492 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,752 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Harrisonburg-Area Cities With Mechanical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mechanical engineering schools are near Harrisonburg, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs near Harrisonburg. The closest is University of Virginia-Main Campus in Charlottesville, VA (34.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Virginia Commonwealth University (98.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mechanical engineering-related roles near Harrisonburg are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($176,160), Engineers, All Other ($148,160), Aerospace Engineers ($143,210). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Staunton instead of Harrisonburg?

Staunton, VA is 21.7 miles from Harrisonburg 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 Harrisonburg an affordable place to study mechanical engineering?

Harrisonburg’s median household income of $59,752 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Harrisonburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Harrisonburg

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

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 Virginia (2026)