Best Online Education Programs in Forest City, NC (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Forest City, North Carolina has 2 accredited schools offering education 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 education-related role is Education Administrator, Postsecondary at a median $101,060 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Education Schools to Forest City

The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Forest City. Distances are calculated from Forest City city center.

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.

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Online programsYes

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

Education Wages Near Forest City

Occupation	Median Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide)
Secondary School Teacher	$57,650
Elementary School Teacher	$54,930
Middle School Teacher	$52,010
Education Teacher, Postsecondary	$70,050
Education Administrator, K-12	$83,180
Education Administrator, Postsecondary	$101,060
Tutor	$42,390
Educational and Career Counselor	$57,630

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

Metric	Value	Source
Population	7,368	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$35,897	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	17.2%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Education-related employment in Rutherford County	243 workers, 17 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Forest City-Area Cities With Education Programs

Shelby, NC – 18.8 mi away (27,288 pop)
Gaffney, SC – 21.6 mi away (21,692 pop)
Spartanburg, SC – 27.1 mi away (185,031 pop)
Greer, SC – 34.4 mi away (29,000 pop)
Lincolnton, NC – 36.9 mi away (23,264 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Forest City, NC?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering education programs near Forest City. The closest is Clemson University in Clemson, SC (74.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Emory & Henry University (99.4 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles in North Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying education-related roles in North Carolina are: Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($101,060), Education Administrator, K-12 ($83,180), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($70,050). 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 education 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 education?

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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Forest City

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

Data verified: June 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.

Back to Best Online Education Programs in North Carolina (2026)

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