Best Financial Planning Schools Near Gastonia, NC (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Gastonia, North Carolina has 1 accredited school offering financial planning 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 financial planning-related role is Financial Managers at a median $172,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Financial Planning Schools to Gastonia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer financial planning 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:

  • 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.

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

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#1

Carolina University

Winston-Salem, NC 78.2 miles from Gastonia
  • 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 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)
Personal Financial Advisors $99,440 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $102,199
Financial Managers $172,760 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $177,554
Financial and Investment Analysts $106,510 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $109,466
Accountants and Auditors $92,910 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $95,488
Financial Examiners $105,240 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $108,160
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $81,370 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $83,628
Loan Officers $78,200 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $80,370
Credit Counselors $46,950 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $48,253

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 Financial Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited financial planning schools are near Gastonia, NC?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering financial planning programs near Gastonia. The closest is Carolina University in Winston-Salem, NC (78.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Carolina University (78.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying financial planning-related roles near Gastonia are: Financial Managers ($172,760), Financial and Investment Analysts ($106,510), Financial Examiners ($105,240). 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 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 Gastonia an affordable place to study financial planning?

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 Financial Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Gastonia

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

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 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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