Best Computer Engineering Schools Near Forest City, NC (2026)

Forest City, North Carolina has 13 accredited schools offering computer engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $2,030 to $22,492 per year for indexed programs. Forest City has a population of about 7,368. Median household income is $35,897 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning computer engineering-related role is Software Developer at a median $134,710 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Computer Engineering Schools to Forest City

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

#1

Isothermal Community College

Spindale, NC 2.5 miles from Forest City BOC Score 48.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,325
Avg net price $10,758/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,030
Out‑of‑state$6,638
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

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

#2

Western Piedmont Community College

Morganton, NC 28.7 miles from Forest City BOC Score 58.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,195
Avg net price $6,448/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Gaston College

Dallas, NC 38.2 miles from Forest City 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

#4

Catawba Valley Community College

Hickory, NC 41.3 miles from Forest City 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

#5

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Asheville, NC 41.6 miles from Forest City BOC Score 44.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,048
Avg net price $11,602/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Mayland Community College

Spruce Pine, NC 42.5 miles from Forest City BOC Score 54.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,663
Avg net price $5,861/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 59.2 miles from Forest City 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

Stanly Community College

Albemarle, NC 92.2 miles from Forest City 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

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


Computer Engineering Wages Near Forest City

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide)
Computer Hardware Engineer$134,670
Electronics Engineer$115,920
Software Developer$134,710
Computer Network Architect$127,320

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.


Forest City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population7,368Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$35,897Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Forest City-Area Cities With Computer Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited computer engineering schools are near Forest City, NC?

Our directory has 13 accredited schools offering computer engineering programs near Forest City. The closest is Isothermal Community College in Spindale, NC (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Charlotte (64.3 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying computer engineering roles in North Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying computer engineering-related roles in North Carolina are: Software Developer ($134,710), Computer Hardware Engineer ($134,670), Computer Network Architect ($127,320). Wages for Forest City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Shelby instead of Forest City?

Shelby, NC is 18.8 miles from Forest City 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 Forest City an affordable place to study computer engineering?

Forest City’s median household income of $35,897 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Forest City 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 Forest City

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

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.