ABET Accreditation for Online Programs

"ABET-accredited" is one of the most useful phrases you can find on an engineering program page, and one of the most misread. ABET accredits individual programs, its commissions cover different kinds of programs, and an online pathway is part of an accredited program only when the accreditation covers it. This guide explains what ABET accreditation does and does not cover, how online delivery fits in and how to check a program yourself.

What ABET accredits

ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that accredits programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. Three points shape everything else:

• Programs, not schools. ABET says it offers accreditation "to programs only, not to degrees, departments, colleges, institutions, or individuals." A university with several accredited engineering programs can still offer others that are not accredited.
• Not a ranking. ABET describes its accreditation as "not a ranking system" but a form of quality assurance against standards set by the technical professions.
• Not permanent. ABET says accreditation "is renewed periodically to ensure that the quality of the educational program is maintained."

ABET accreditation is also separate from institutional accreditation, which covers a whole college or university. NC-SARA, for example, requires participating institutions to be accredited by an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education whose scope includes distance education. A school can be institutionally accredited while a given engineering program is not ABET-accredited.

The commissions: EAC, ETAC and the others

ABET reviews programs through separate commissions, each with its own criteria:

• Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC): engineering programs at the bachelor's and master's levels.
• Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC): engineering technology programs at the associate and bachelor's levels.
• Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC): computing programs, such as computer science.
• Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC): applied and natural science programs.

For an engineering degree, the commission that matters for most licensure rules is EAC. An ETAC-accredited engineering technology degree is properly accredited, but it is reviewed against different criteria; see Engineering vs. Engineering Technology.

ABET's policy manual requires that when a school refers to ABET accreditation in public materials, it must identify the accredited program and the commission, using wording such as "accredited by the ________ Accreditation Commission of ABET." If a page just says "ABET accredited" without naming a commission, confirm the details in ABET's database.

How online delivery fits in

ABET says it evaluates programs "that use a variety of delivery methods: on-site instruction, online instruction, and those having components of both methods," and that "the programs are evaluated against the same criteria regardless of delivery method."

Two rules in ABET's 2026–2027 policy manual explain why an online option is not a side issue:

• "In order for a program to be accredited, all paths to completion of the program must satisfy the appropriate criteria."
• A program's self-study report "must include information about all methods of program delivery, all possible paths to completion of the degree, and remote offerings."

When ABET categorizes a program as "100% online," it means "it is possible to meet the requirements to graduate from a program while receiving all course content in an online manner." ABET also notes that what counts as an "online" program "is not always well-defined."

Schools describe the relationship in different ways. Mississippi State University, for instance, states that its online BS in Electrical Engineering "is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET through our main campus as an approved alternative course-delivery method." That kind of statement, naming the commission and the online pathway, is what you are looking for.

How to check a program in ABET's database

ABET's program search is the authoritative source. To check a program:

1. Search by institution name and open the list of accredited programs.
2. Match the program name and degree exactly. "Mechanical Engineering" is not the same program as "Mechanical Engineering Technology" or "Engineering Mechanics."
3. Note the commission (EAC, ETAC, CAC or ANSAC).
4. Look at the accreditation dates to confirm the accreditation is current.
5. Look at the campus or location and delivery information. ABET records can list specific campuses or note online delivery; if the online pathway is not mentioned, ask the program how its online option is covered.

Do not rely only on a school's general claim that "our engineering programs are ABET-accredited." Check the specific program you would enroll in.

In our directory (October 2026), 30 online engineering programs are matched to a current EAC record in ABET's database, and for 17 of them the ABET record itself lists the online pathway, either as an online location or as all content delivered at a distance (methodology). Matched programs are listed under ABET-accredited online engineering degrees.

Graduate and doctoral programs

EAC has separate criteria for master's-level programs, which require, among other things, at least 30 semester credit hours beyond the baccalaureate. In practice, few engineering master's programs hold it: in our directory, all 30 ABET matches are bachelor's programs, and none of the 260 online master's programs is matched to an ABET record. A master's program without ABET accreditation is the norm, not a warning sign; judge it on the school's institutional accreditation, the curriculum, the faculty and how it delivers the work.

ABET states plainly that it does "not accredit certification, training or doctoral programs." No PhD can be ABET-accredited, so a doctoral program's lack of ABET status tells you nothing about its quality.

Why it matters for licensure

ABET does not license anyone. State boards do. ABET's own licensure page says that in the United States graduation from an ABET-accredited program "is almost universally required to validate the educational experience of applicants," and that in states that allow non-ABET graduates to be licensed, "an additional four to eight years of work experience may be required."

For anyone planning to seek a professional engineer license, that makes EAC accreditation of the bachelor's program the key question. A later master's degree does not automatically replace it; each board decides how it treats other degree paths. See Engineering Licensure and Online Degrees for the full picture, and check your own state board's rules.

A quick checklist

• Is the specific program (name and degree) listed in ABET's database?
• Which commission accredits it?
• Is the accreditation current?
• Does the school or ABET record indicate that the online pathway is covered?
• If you plan to seek a license, does your state board require EAC accreditation for your path?