Best Online Education Programs in Durham, NC (2026)

Durham, North Carolina has 3 accredited schools offering education 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 North Carolina, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, Postsecondary at a median $101,060 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Durham

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer education 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

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 0.5 miles from Durham BOC Score 46.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Durham Technical Community College

Durham, NC 1.4 miles from Durham BOC Score 49.8
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,142
Avg net price $1,664/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Duke University

Durham, NC 2.6 miles from Durham BOC Score 82.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,800
Avg net price $29,612/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Education 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)
Secondary School Teacher$57,870Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$59,293
Elementary School Teacher$51,400Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$52,664
Middle School Teacher$51,340Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$52,602
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$70,050NC statewide$71,773
Education Administrator, K-12$89,750Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$91,957
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$101,060NC statewide$103,545
Tutor$45,350Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$46,465
Educational and Career Counselor$58,460Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$59,898

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
Education-related employment in Durham County23,108 workers, 269 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Durham-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Durham, NC?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Durham are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Durham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Durham are: Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($101,060), Education Administrator, K-12 ($89,750), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($70,050). 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 education 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 education?

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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Durham

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.