Best Computer Engineering Schools Near Cary, NC (2026)

Cary, North Carolina has 13 accredited schools offering computer engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $1,956 to $68,758 per year for indexed programs. Cary has a population of about 176,686. Median household income is $129,399 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning computer engineering-related role is Electronics Engineer at a median $162,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Computer Engineering Schools to Cary

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

#1

Central Carolina Community College

Sanford, NC 28.3 miles from Cary BOC Score 60.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,525
Avg net price $5,446/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Sandhills Community College

Pinehurst, NC 51.0 miles from Cary BOC Score 58.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,656
Avg net price $4,157/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Nash Community College

Rocky Mount, NC 53.1 miles from Cary BOC Score 52.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,912
Avg net price $3,338/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Richmond Community College

Hamlet, NC 78.8 miles from Cary BOC Score 49.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,951
Avg net price $5,071/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC 83.8 miles from Cary BOC Score 52.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,139
Avg net price $7,200/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Stanly Community College

Albemarle, NC 85.4 miles from Cary BOC Score 53.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,686
Avg net price $5,721/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 119.8 miles from Cary BOC Score 52.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,865
Avg net price $3,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Gaston College

Dallas, NC 137.5 miles from Cary BOC Score 51.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,386
Avg net price $6,592/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,186
Out‑of‑state$9,330
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Computer Engineering Wages Near Cary

Cary 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)
Computer Hardware Engineer$130,540Raleigh-Cary, NC$132,933
Electronics Engineer$162,800Raleigh-Cary, NC$165,784
Software Developer$132,770Raleigh-Cary, NC$135,204
Computer Network Architect$120,640Raleigh-Cary, NC$122,851

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.


Cary at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population176,686Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$129,399Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+70.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cary-Area Cities With Computer Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited computer engineering schools are near Cary, NC?

Our directory has 13 accredited schools offering computer engineering programs near Cary. The closest is North Carolina State University at Raleigh in Raleigh, NC (7.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lenoir Community College (79.6 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying computer engineering roles near Cary?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer engineering-related roles near Cary are: Electronics Engineer ($162,800), Software Developer ($132,770), Computer Hardware Engineer ($130,540). 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 Morrisville instead of Cary?

Morrisville, NC is 3.9 miles from Cary and has its own set of local computer engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Cary an affordable place to study computer engineering?

Cary’s median household income of $129,399 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cary 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 Computer Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in Cary

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.