Best Online Education Programs in Smithfield, NC (2026)

Smithfield, North Carolina has 3 accredited schools offering education programs. Smithfield has a population of about 11,798. Median household income is $37,827 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, Postsecondary at a median $108,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Education Schools to Smithfield

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Smithfield. Distances are calculated from Smithfield city center.

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

Education Wages Near Smithfield

Smithfield is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

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.

Smithfield at a Glance

Other Smithfield-Area Cities With Education Programs

• Clayton, NC – 11.4 mi away (20,260 pop)
• Garner, NC – 19.7 mi away (28,776 pop)
• Goldsboro, NC – 23.2 mi away (59,969 pop)
• Fuquay-Varina, NC – 24.8 mi away (25,865 pop)
• Raleigh, NC – 27.5 mi away (1,005,457 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Smithfield, NC?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering education programs near Smithfield. The closest is North Carolina State University at Raleigh in Raleigh, NC (25.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is High Point University (99.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Smithfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Smithfield are: Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($108,770), Education Administrator, K-12 ($98,680), Educational and Career Counselor ($63,080). 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 Clayton instead of Smithfield?

Clayton, NC is 11.4 miles from Smithfield 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 Smithfield an affordable place to study education?

Smithfield’s median household income of $37,827 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Smithfield 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

• Education accreditation: what to look for
• Education concentrations and specializations
• Is a Education degree worth it?
• Main Education degree guide
• Online Education programs in North Carolina
• Education programs by state

Other Programs Available in Smithfield

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

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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.