Best Accounting Schools Near Wilmington, NC (2026)

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

Wilmington, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $2,592 to $11,870 per year for indexed programs. Wilmington has a population of about 118,578. Median household income is $63,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wilmington, NC metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $152,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Accounting Schools to Wilmington

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

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington, NC 4.1 miles from Wilmington
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,654
Avg net price $9,610/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Accounting Wages Near Wilmington

Wilmington is part of the Wilmington, NC metro area (BLS area code 48900). 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 $77,920 Wilmington, NC $80,830
Financial Manager $152,150 Wilmington, NC $157,832
Financial Analyst $87,970 Wilmington, NC $91,255
Budget Analyst $59,050 Wilmington, NC $61,255
Tax Preparer $52,220 Wilmington, NC $54,170
Tax Examiner and Collector $67,450 Wilmington, NC $69,969
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk $45,730 Wilmington, NC $47,438

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.

Wilmington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 118,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,900 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 45.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in New Hanover County 665 workers, 198 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Accounting Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Wilmington, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Wilmington. The closest is Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC (4.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Sampson Community College (60.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Wilmington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Wilmington are: Financial Manager ($152,150), Financial Analyst ($87,970), Accountant and Auditor ($77,920). 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 Jacksonville instead of Wilmington?

Jacksonville, NC is 45.6 miles from Wilmington 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 Wilmington an affordable place to study accounting?

Wilmington’s median household income of $63,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington 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 Wilmington

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

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.

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