Best Corrections Schools Near Hickory, NC (2026)

Hickory, North Carolina has 2 accredited schools offering corrections programs, with tuition ranging from $5,007 to $11,460 per year for indexed programs. Hickory has a population of about 43,747. Median household income is $63,361 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area, the top-earning corrections-related role is Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist at a median $64,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Corrections Schools to Hickory

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer corrections programs near Hickory, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hickory city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

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


Corrections Wages Near Hickory

Hickory is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area (BLS area code 25860). 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)
Correctional Officer and Jailer$48,940Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC$55,299
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$64,860Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC$73,288
First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers$62,780Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC$70,938
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$52,260Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC$59,051

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.


Hickory at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population43,747Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,361Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hickory-Area Cities With Corrections Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited corrections schools are near Hickory, NC?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering corrections programs near Hickory. The closest is Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon, VA (76.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wytheville Community College (85.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying corrections roles near Hickory?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying corrections-related roles near Hickory are: Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($64,860), First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers ($62,780), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($52,260). 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 Lincolnton instead of Hickory?

Lincolnton, NC is 19.1 miles from Hickory and has its own set of local corrections programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Hickory an affordable place to study corrections?

Hickory’s median household income of $63,361 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hickory 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 Corrections Programs

Other Programs Available in Hickory

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

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.