Best Aviation Management Schools Near Hickory, NC (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Hickory, North Carolina is home to about 43,747 residents. Median household income is $63,361 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning aviation management-related role is Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at a median $151,540 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Aviation Management Schools to Hickory

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

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 186.7 miles from Hickory
  • 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

#2

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, NC 287.9 miles from Hickory
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,026
Avg net price $6,364/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Aviation Management Wages Near Hickory

Hickory is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area (BLS area code 25860). 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)
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $151,540 NC statewide $171,232
Commercial Pilots $127,310 NC statewide $143,853
Air Traffic Controllers $129,230 NC statewide $146,023
Airfield Operations Specialists $45,820 NC statewide $51,774
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $94,750 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $107,062
Logisticians $74,220 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $83,864
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $59,130 NC statewide $66,814
Flight Attendants N/A NC statewide –

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.

Hickory at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 43,747 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,361 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Hickory-Area Cities With Aviation Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying aviation management roles near Hickory?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying aviation management-related roles near Hickory are: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($151,540), Air Traffic Controllers ($129,230), Commercial Pilots ($127,310). 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 Lincolnton instead of Hickory?

Lincolnton, NC is 19.1 miles from Hickory and has its own set of local aviation management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Hickory an affordable place to study aviation management?

Hickory’s median household income of $63,361 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hickory 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 Aviation Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Hickory

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

Data verified: September 5, 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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