Best Online Biology Programs in Raleigh, NC (2026)

Raleigh, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs. Raleigh has a population of about 470,763. Median household income is $82,424 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $104,500 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Raleigh

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Raleigh, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Raleigh 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 Raleigh. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 3.0 miles from Raleigh BOC Score 38.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,643
Avg net price $21,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 3.4 miles from Raleigh BOC Score 84.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 3.4 miles from Raleigh BOC Score 59.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Saint Augustine's University

Raleigh, NC 3.5 miles from Raleigh BOC Score 24.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Shaw University

Raleigh, NC 4.2 miles from Raleigh BOC Score 26.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,409
Avg net price $16,512/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Biology Wages Near Raleigh

Raleigh 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientist$104,500Raleigh-Cary, NC$106,415
Biological Technician$64,200Raleigh-Cary, NC$65,377
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$65,870Raleigh-Cary, NC$67,077
Soil and Plant Scientist$78,020Raleigh-Cary, NC$79,450

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.


Raleigh at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population470,763Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$82,424Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+52.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Raleigh-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Raleigh, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Raleigh. The closest is William Peace University in Raleigh, NC (3.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Shaw University (4.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Raleigh?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Raleigh are: Medical Scientist ($104,500), Soil and Plant Scientist ($78,020), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($65,870). 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 Raleigh?

Garner, NC is 9.6 miles from Raleigh and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Raleigh an affordable place to study biology?

Raleigh’s median household income of $82,424 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Raleigh 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 Biology Programs

Other Programs Available in Raleigh

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

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.