How to Choose an Online Engineering Degree

Choosing an online engineering degree is mostly a matter of narrowing in the right order. Decide the level first, then the field, then check the details that separate programs that look alike on a search page: what you must attend in person, whether the program holds the accreditation your plans depend on, what it will cost in total, and whether you can enter it with the credits you already have. This guide walks through those decisions and ends with a checklist you can use on any program page.

Start with the level and your goal

Online engineering study splits into three very different products.

• Bachelor's degrees are the usual first engineering degree. Online options are much scarcer than online master's degrees, and many are built for students who already have college credit.
• Master's degrees are the largest group. Most are designed for working engineers who want depth in one field, a shift into a neighboring field, or a credential for advancement.
• PhDs are research degrees. Online or distance pathways exist, but they come with their own rules on residency, advising and where research happens.

In our directory (October 2026), the 320 online engineering programs at 55 schools break down into 260 master's, 35 bachelor's and 25 doctoral programs (how we count). If you need a first engineering degree, start at online bachelor's programs; if you already hold one, start with online master's programs.

Pick a major, then check the award

The 22 majors we cover range from large fields such as electrical, mechanical and civil engineering to small online offerings such as mining, ocean or agricultural engineering. Choose by the work you want to do, not by how many programs exist.

Then read the award line carefully. A master's in your field may be a Master of Science (MS), a Master of Engineering (MEng) or a broad degree such as "MS in Engineering" with a named concentration. These are not interchangeable: at many schools the MS is the degree with a thesis or research option, while the MEng is a coursework or project degree. Our guide to MS vs. MEng covers the trade-offs. A graduate certificate is not a master's degree, even when its courses can later count toward one.

Adjacent options outside this directory

Some engineers are better served by a degree that is not in our 22 majors. Two common ones:

• Engineering management. Kennesaw State, for example, describes its online MS in Engineering Management as a program that "equips engineering professionals with leadership and business skills." It is a management degree for engineers, not a discipline degree.
• Systems engineering. Kennesaw State describes its fully online MS in Systems Engineering as building "interdisciplinary skills needed for systems design, integration, and lifecycle management."

Both are legitimate choices. We leave them out because they are not one of the engineering disciplines we track, so compare them on the schools' own pages.

Check what "online" means for this program

Online coursework does not always mean no campus visits. Read the program page for labs, residencies, orientations, proctored exams and defenses.

• The University of North Dakota states that its online BS in Chemical Engineering has all required courses online "except for the hands-on chemical engineering Labs, which are offered in condensed 2-week summer sessions on campus."
• K-State describes several online master's degrees as offered "100% online" but requiring "a trip to the Manhattan, Kansas, campus for an oral examination at the end of the program", including its online civil engineering master's.

In our directory, 115 of the 320 programs are marked fully online, meaning the school itself states the degree can be completed without campus attendance. For 170 programs the school's public pages did not settle the question either way. "Not stated" is not the same as "none required," so ask the program before you enroll.

Accreditation and licensure plans

ABET accredits programs, not universities. Its Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) accredits engineering programs at the bachelor's and master's levels, and its Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) accredits engineering technology programs. ABET states that it does not accredit doctoral programs. ABET also evaluates programs "against the same criteria regardless of delivery method," and it publishes a list of ABET-accredited online programs. When ABET categorizes a program as "100% online," it means a student can meet the graduation requirements while receiving all course content online.

Why it matters depends on your plans:

• If you may pursue a professional engineer (PE) license, NCEES says engineering licensing boards "generally" require PE candidates to have a bachelor's degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program, along with work experience and the FE and PE exams. Each state board sets its own rules, and many states provide additional paths. The rules of the state where you plan to be licensed are the ones that apply, not the rules of the school's state.
• At the graduate level, few programs are ABET-accredited, and that is normal rather than a warning sign. A master's degree does not automatically substitute for an accredited bachelor's degree in licensure decisions; check your board.
• Engineering technology degrees are a separate category with different curricula and, in many states, different licensure treatment. See Engineering vs. Engineering Technology.

Also confirm the school can enroll students where you live. NC-SARA explains that an institution approved to participate in SARA "may offer distance education programs to students in other SARA member states."

Compare cost on the same basis

Tuition is published in different units: per credit, per course, per term or for the whole program. A low per-credit rate on a long program can cost more than a higher rate on a short one, so multiply rate by required credits before you compare, and look separately for distance-learning, technology or engineering fees.

In our directory (October 2026), 218 programs publish enough information to estimate total tuition. Those estimates range from $14,400 (30 credits at $480 per credit, the University of Alabama's online MS in Mechanical Engineering) to about $97,000 (128 credits at $758.38 per credit, Florida International University's online BS in Electrical Engineering). These are tuition-only estimates from published rates; fees, rate changes and transfer credit change the real figure.

Match the entry route to what you already have

Bachelor's programs differ sharply in who they admit. Some accept first-year students straight from high school, some expect transfer credit, and some are degree-completion programs that offer only upper-division courses after you finish math, science and lower-division engineering elsewhere.

For master's programs, check the expected undergraduate background, math prerequisites, GPA and testing policy. A program that does not mention the GRE has not necessarily waived it.

A checklist for any program page

1. Level and award: Is it a bachelor's, master's or PhD? Is the award an MS, MEng or a broad degree with a concentration?
2. Major fit: Does the curriculum match the work you want to do?
3. Attendance: Are there labs, residencies, orientations, proctored exams or defenses in person? Where, and how often?
4. Labs: Are labs done with kits, remote equipment, simulation or on campus?
5. Accreditation: Is the specific program, including its online pathway, listed in ABET's search? Which commission?
6. Licensure: If a PE license is a goal, what does your own state board require?
7. State authorization: Can the school enroll students in your state?
8. Total cost: Rate times credits, plus fees, for your residency status.
9. Entry route: First-year, transfer or completion only? Which prerequisites must come from elsewhere?
10. Thesis or project: Does the graduate program offer the option you want, and can distance students use it?

When you have two or three finalists, put them side by side with our comparison tool.