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

Forest City, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $2,602 to $24,565 per year for indexed 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 engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $167,840 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Engineering Schools to Forest City

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer engineering 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.

#1

Isothermal Community College

Spindale, NC 2.5 miles from Forest City BOC Score48.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Cleveland Community College

Shelby, NC 21.7 miles from Forest City BOC Score46.6
Published tuition$2,602 - $8,746
Online programsYes

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#3

McDowell Technical Community College

Marion, NC 22.9 miles from Forest City BOC Score43.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

University of South Carolina-Upstate

Spartanburg, SC 23.7 miles from Forest City BOC Score53.4
Published tuition$11,583 - $24,565
Online programsYes

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#5

Spartanburg Community College

Spartanburg, SC 25.7 miles from Forest City BOC Score51.3
Published tuition$5,046 - $15,031
Online programsYes

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


Engineering Wages Near Forest City

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide)
Civil Engineer$100,730
Electrical Engineer$110,130
Mechanical Engineer$100,720
Chemical Engineer$117,410
Aerospace Engineer$122,930
Biomedical Engineer$94,790
Environmental Engineer$99,440
Architectural and Engineering Manager$167,840

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

MetricValueSource
Population7,368Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$35,897Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Engineering-related employment in Rutherford County65 workers, 18 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Forest City-Area Cities With Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering engineering programs near Forest City. The closest is Isothermal Community College in Spindale, NC (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Spartanburg Community College (25.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles in North Carolina are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($167,840), Aerospace Engineer ($122,930), Chemical Engineer ($117,410). 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 engineering 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 engineering?

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 Engineering 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.