Best Financial Planning Schools Near Asheville, NC (2026)

Asheville, North Carolina is home to about 94,369 residents. Median household income is $67,221 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Asheville, NC metro area, the top-earning financial planning-related role is Financial Managers at a median $152,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Financial Planning Schools to Asheville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer financial planning programs near Asheville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Asheville 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 Asheville. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Carolina University

Winston-Salem, NC 133.9 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,864
Avg net price $20,828/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Financial Planning Wages Near Asheville

Asheville is part of the Asheville, NC metro area (BLS area code 11700). 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)
Personal Financial Advisors $102,150 Asheville, NC $105,855
Financial Managers $152,270 Asheville, NC $157,793
Financial and Investment Analysts $102,390 NC statewide $106,104
Accountants and Auditors $80,400 Asheville, NC $83,316
Financial Examiners $100,730 NC statewide $104,383
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $58,010 Asheville, NC $60,114
Loan Officers $76,070 Asheville, NC $78,829
Credit Counselors $46,180 NC statewide $47,855

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.


Asheville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,369 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,221 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 52.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Asheville-Area Cities With Financial Planning Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying financial planning roles near Asheville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying financial planning-related roles near Asheville are: Financial Managers ($152,270), Financial and Investment Analysts ($102,390), Personal Financial Advisors ($102,150). 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 Forest City instead of Asheville?

Forest City, NC is 41.8 miles from Asheville and has its own set of local financial planning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Asheville an affordable place to study financial planning?

Asheville’s median household income of $67,221 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Asheville 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 Financial Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Asheville

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

Data verified: September 7, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.