Gastonia, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs. Gastonia has a population of about 81,632. Median household income is $60,554 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% 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 Gastonia
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Gastonia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gastonia 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Gastonia.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,793
Avg net price
$17,879/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 31
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,836
Avg net price
$16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 108
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,260
Avg net price
$21,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 22
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,158
Avg net price
$28,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 84
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,440
Avg net price
$10,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 75
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,545
Avg net price
$41,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 71
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,458
Avg net price
$13,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 81
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,407
Avg net price
$10,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina environmental science page.
Environmental Science Wages Near Gastonia
Gastonia 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist | $72,730 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $74,748 |
| Conservation Scientist | $50,300 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $51,696 |
| Environmental Engineer | $82,840 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $85,139 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $64,620 | NC 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.
Gastonia at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 81,632 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $60,554 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 27.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.3 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Gastonia-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs
- Lincolnton, NC – 15.8 mi away (23,264 pop)
- Charlotte, NC – 20.2 mi away (1,438,351 pop)
- Shelby, NC – 20.3 mi away (27,288 pop)
- Huntersville, NC – 20.6 mi away (54,839 pop)
- Cornelius, NC – 23.0 mi away (28,515 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited environmental science schools are near Gastonia, NC?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Gastonia. The closest is Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC (23.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wake Forest University (79.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Gastonia?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Gastonia 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 Lincolnton instead of Gastonia?
Lincolnton, NC is 15.8 miles from Gastonia 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 Gastonia an affordable place to study environmental science?
Gastonia’s median household income of $60,554 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gastonia 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
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- Counseling programs in Gastonia, NC
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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