Best Environmental Science Schools Near Charlotte, NC (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Charlotte, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs. Charlotte has a population of about 886,283. Median household income is $78,438 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $82,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Charlotte

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

Catawba College

Salisbury, NC 38.7 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,793
Avg net price $17,879/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC 71.1 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,158
Avg net price $28,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, NC 84.2 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,440
Avg net price $10,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 84.4 miles from Charlotte
  • 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

#5

Warren Wilson College

Swannanoa, NC 94.9 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
24.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,260
Avg net price $21,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Elon University

Elon, NC 96.9 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, NC 99.1 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 111.2 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Charlotte

Charlotte is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). 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)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$72,730Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$74,748
Conservation Scientist$50,300Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$51,696
Environmental Engineer$82,840Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$85,139
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$64,620NC statewide$66,413

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.

Charlotte at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population886,283Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$78,438Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Charlotte-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Charlotte, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Charlotte. The closest is Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC (21.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (84.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Charlotte?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Charlotte are: Environmental Engineer ($82,840), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($72,730), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($64,620). 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 Matthews instead of Charlotte?

Matthews, NC is 9.2 miles from Charlotte and has its own set of local environmental science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Charlotte an affordable place to study environmental science?

Charlotte’s median household income of $78,438 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charlotte 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 Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Charlotte

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

Data verified: September 1, 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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