Best Accounting Schools Near Clayton, NC (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Clayton, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $2,756 to $11,230 per year for indexed programs. Clayton has a population of about 28,043. Median household income is $73,348 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $163,130 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Accounting Schools to Clayton

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

Saint Augustine's University

Raleigh, NC 13.1 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,730
Avg net price $24,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 31%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 15.4 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 16.7 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 23.8 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,886
Avg net price $24,516/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 33.4 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 37.7 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,139
Avg net price $18,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC 43.5 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,050
Avg net price $24,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

North Carolina Wesleyan University

Rocky Mount, NC 45.2 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,873
Avg net price $17,432/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina accounting page.

Accounting Wages Near Clayton

Clayton is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor $81,950 Raleigh-Cary, NC $83,452
Financial Manager $163,130 Raleigh-Cary, NC $166,120
Financial Analyst $99,200 Raleigh-Cary, NC $101,018
Budget Analyst $80,590 Raleigh-Cary, NC $82,067
Tax Preparer $47,290 Raleigh-Cary, NC $48,157
Tax Examiner and Collector $63,810 Raleigh-Cary, NC $64,980
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk $50,200 Raleigh-Cary, NC $51,120

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.

Clayton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 28,043 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $73,348 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Johnston County 167 workers, 81 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Clayton-Area Cities With Accounting Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Clayton, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Clayton. The closest is Johnston Community College in Smithfield, NC (12.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Meredith College (16.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Clayton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Clayton are: Financial Manager ($163,130), Financial Analyst ($99,200), Accountant and Auditor ($81,950). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Garner instead of Clayton?

Garner, NC is 10.0 miles from Clayton and has its own set of local accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Clayton an affordable place to study accounting?

Clayton’s median household income of $73,348 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Clayton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Clayton

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Accounting Schools in North Carolina (2026)