Best Mechanical Engineering Schools Near Tacoma, WA (2026)

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

Tacoma, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $4,711 to $22,040 per year for indexed programs. Tacoma has a population of about 220,482. Median household income is $83,857 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning mechanical engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $204,340 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Mechanical Engineering Schools to Tacoma

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer mechanical engineering programs near Tacoma, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Tacoma 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 Tacoma. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 0.7 miles from Tacoma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $10,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tacoma Community College

Tacoma, WA 3.4 miles from Tacoma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,168
Avg net price $8,376/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Mechanical Engineering Wages Near Tacoma

Tacoma is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Mechanical Engineers $126,590 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $113,942
Architectural and Engineering Managers $204,340 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $183,924
Industrial Engineers $131,210 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $118,101
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $80,860 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $72,781
Mechanical Drafters $94,470 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $85,032
Engineers, All Other $137,430 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $123,699
Aerospace Engineers $163,580 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $147,237
Cost Estimators $94,490 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $85,050

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.

Tacoma at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 220,482 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $83,857 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 33.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Tacoma-Area Cities With Mechanical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mechanical engineering schools are near Tacoma, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mechanical engineering programs near Tacoma. The closest is University of Washington-Tacoma Campus in Tacoma, WA (0.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Seattle College (21.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mechanical engineering-related roles near Tacoma are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($204,340), Aerospace Engineers ($163,580), Engineers, All Other ($137,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in University Place instead of Tacoma?

University Place, WA is 4.8 miles from Tacoma 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 Tacoma an affordable place to study mechanical engineering?

Tacoma’s median household income of $83,857 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tacoma while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Tacoma

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

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 Washington (2026)