Best Elementary Education Schools Near Asheville, NC (2026)

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

Asheville, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs, with tuition ranging from $2,030 to $50,099 per year for indexed programs. Asheville has a population of about 94,369. Median household income is $67,221 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Asheville, NC metro area, the top-earning elementary education-related role is Secondary School Teacher at a median $59,320 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Elementary Education Schools to Asheville

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

Montreat College

Montreat, NC 15.3 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,151
Avg net price $27,061/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, NC 17.8 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 68%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,781
Avg net price $19,910/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,736
Out‑of‑state$37,736
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 29

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

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#3

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC 39.9 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,458
Avg net price $13,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 54.6 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,039
Avg net price $17,674/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,760
Out‑of‑state$34,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 49

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

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#5

Lees-McRae College

Banner Elk, NC 55.9 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
39.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,415
Avg net price $28,340/yr
Tuition
In‑state$33,250
Out‑of‑state$33,250
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 19

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

#6

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 66.1 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Hickory, NC 69.8 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
41.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 85%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,543
Avg net price $20,689/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,900
Out‑of‑state$31,900
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 57

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

#8

Belmont Abbey College

Belmont, NC 87.8 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,937
Avg net price $24,639/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Elementary Education Wages Near Asheville

Asheville is part of the Asheville, NC metro area (BLS area code 11700). 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)
Elementary School Teacher $50,080 Asheville, NC $51,896
Middle School Teacher $57,510 Asheville, NC $59,596
Secondary School Teacher $59,320 Asheville, NC $61,472
Teaching Assistant $29,600 Asheville, NC $30,674

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.

Asheville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,369 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,221 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 52.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Asheville-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited elementary education schools are near Asheville, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Asheville. The closest is Montreat College in Montreat, NC (15.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Western Carolina University (39.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying elementary education roles near Asheville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles near Asheville are: Secondary School Teacher ($59,320), Middle School Teacher ($57,510), Elementary School Teacher ($50,080). 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 Forest City instead of Asheville?

Forest City, NC is 41.8 miles from Asheville and has its own set of local elementary education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Asheville an affordable place to study elementary education?

Asheville’s median household income of $67,221 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Asheville 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Asheville

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

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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