Smithfield, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science 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 environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $102,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Environmental Science Schools to Smithfield
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science 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:
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 Smithfield.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,886
Avg net price
$24,516/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 84
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,758
Avg net price
$17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 152
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,139
Avg net price
$18,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,968
Avg net price
$15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 52
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$97,800
Avg net price
$29,612/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 144
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,873
Avg net price
$17,432/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 62%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,200
Avg net price
$11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 117
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 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist | $81,400 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $82,892 |
| Conservation Scientist | $79,230 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $80,682 |
| Environmental Engineer | $102,980 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,868 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $65,870 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $67,077 |
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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 11,798 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $37,827 | Census 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 Environmental Science Programs
- Clayton, NC – 11.4 mi away (20,260 pop)
- Garner, NC – 19.7 mi away (28,776 pop)
- Goldsboro, NC – 23.2 mi away (59,969 pop)
- Fuquay-Varina, NC – 24.8 mi away (25,865 pop)
- Raleigh, NC – 27.5 mi away (1,005,457 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited environmental science schools are near Smithfield, NC?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Smithfield. The closest is Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC (23.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Duke University (47.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Smithfield?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Smithfield are: Environmental Engineer ($102,980), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($81,400), Conservation Scientist ($79,230). 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 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 Smithfield an affordable place to study environmental science?
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 Environmental Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Smithfield
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Smithfield:
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- Liberal Arts programs in Smithfield, NC
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- Accounting programs in Smithfield, NC
- Healthcare Administration programs in Smithfield, NC
- Social Work programs in Smithfield, NC
- Counseling programs in Smithfield, 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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