Best Computer Science Schools Near Charlotte, NC (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Charlotte, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs, with tuition ranging from $21,300 to $34,923 per year for indexed programs. Charlotte has a population of about 886,283. Median household income is $78,438 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning computer science-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $176,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Computer Science Schools to Charlotte

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

Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, NC 2.8 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
33.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 45%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,680
Avg net price $20,894/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,300
Out‑of‑state$21,300
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 18

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

#2

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 8.8 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,289
Avg net price $15,435/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Computer Science Wages Near Charlotte

Charlotte is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). 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)
Software Developer $135,920 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $139,692
Computer Systems Analyst $110,790 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $113,864
Computer Network Architect $134,410 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $138,140
Database Administrator $113,890 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $117,050
Database Architect $138,870 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $142,724
Information Security Analyst $131,440 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $135,087
Computer Network Support Specialist $75,420 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $77,513
Computer User Support Specialist $60,220 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $61,891
Web Developer $101,980 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $104,810
Web and Digital Interface Designer $94,290 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $96,906
Computer and Information Systems Manager $176,840 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $181,747

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.

Charlotte at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 886,283 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $78,438 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 47.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Computer Science-related employment in Mecklenburg County 16,988 workers, 2,478 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Charlotte-Area Cities With Computer Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited computer science schools are near Charlotte, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs near Charlotte. The closest is Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte, NC (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pfeiffer University (36.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying computer science roles near Charlotte?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer science-related roles near Charlotte are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($176,840), Database Architect ($138,870), Software Developer ($135,920). 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 Matthews instead of Charlotte?

Matthews, NC is 9.2 miles from Charlotte and has its own set of local computer science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Charlotte an affordable place to study computer science?

Charlotte’s median household income of $78,438 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charlotte 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 Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Charlotte

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

Data verified: September 6, 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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