Best Entrepreneurship Schools Near Smithfield, NC (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Smithfield, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering entrepreneurship 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 entrepreneurship-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $167,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Entrepreneurship Schools to Smithfield

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

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 27.4 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC 39.7 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
31.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,050
Avg net price $24,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, NC 43.2 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
49.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,144
Avg net price $7,892/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Duke University

Durham, NC 47.3 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
82.1 BOC Score
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: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 55.5 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, NC 74.5 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,407
Avg net price $10,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Elon University

Elon, NC 75.6 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,545
Avg net price $41,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 90.3 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,160
Avg net price $10,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Entrepreneurship 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$114,940Raleigh-Cary, NC$117,047
Management Analyst$96,820Raleigh-Cary, NC$98,595
Marketing Manager$167,640Raleigh-Cary, NC$170,713
Market Research Analyst$78,980Raleigh-Cary, NC$80,428

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

MetricValueSource
Population11,798Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$37,827Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Smithfield-Area Cities With Entrepreneurship Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited entrepreneurship schools are near Smithfield, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering entrepreneurship programs near Smithfield. The closest is Meredith College in Raleigh, NC (27.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Fayetteville Technical Community College (44.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying entrepreneurship roles near Smithfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying entrepreneurship-related roles near Smithfield are: Marketing Manager ($167,640), General and Operations Manager ($114,940), Management Analyst ($96,820). 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 entrepreneurship 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 entrepreneurship?

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 Entrepreneurship Programs

Other Programs Available in Smithfield

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

Data verified: August 25, 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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