Best Computer Engineering Schools Near Durham, NC (2026)

Durham, North Carolina has 14 accredited schools offering computer engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $2,040 to $68,758 per year for indexed programs. Durham has a population of about 288,465. Median household income is $79,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, the top-earning computer engineering-related role is Computer Hardware Engineer at a median $175,110 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Computer Engineering Schools to Durham

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

#1

Central Carolina Community College

Sanford, NC 37.7 miles from Durham 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

Nash Community College

Rocky Mount, NC 56.2 miles from Durham 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

#3

Sandhills Community College

Pinehurst, NC 59.5 miles from Durham 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

#4

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC 76.6 miles from Durham 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

#5

Stanly Community College

Albemarle, NC 86.9 miles from Durham 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

#6

Richmond Community College

Hamlet, NC 87.0 miles from Durham 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

#7

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 120.3 miles from Durham 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

Catawba Valley Community College

Hickory, NC 134.9 miles from Durham BOC Score 50.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,977
Avg net price $10,528/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Computer Engineering Wages Near Durham

Durham is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area (BLS area code 20500). 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$175,110Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$179,416
Electronics Engineer$155,680Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$159,508
Software Developer$135,620Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$138,955
Computer Network Architect$144,990Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$148,555

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.


Durham at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population288,465Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,234Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+55.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Durham-Area Cities With Computer Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 14 accredited schools offering computer engineering programs near Durham. The closest is Duke University in Durham, NC (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Stanly Community College (86.9 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer engineering-related roles near Durham are: Computer Hardware Engineer ($175,110), Electronics Engineer ($155,680), Computer Network Architect ($144,990). 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 Chapel Hill instead of Durham?

Chapel Hill, NC is 8.4 miles from Durham 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 Durham an affordable place to study computer engineering?

Durham’s median household income of $79,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Durham 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 Durham

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

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 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.