Cary, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs. Cary has a population of about 176,686. Median household income is $129,399 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $114,940 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest General Studies Schools to Cary
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Cary, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cary 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 Cary.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,643
Avg net price
$21,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$34,409
Avg net price
$16,512/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 54%
- Programs offered: 23
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
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
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
44%
Avg net price
$13,090/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 23
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
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina general studies page.
General Studies Wages Near Cary
Cary 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) |
| General and Operations Managers |
$114,940 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
$117,047 |
| Management Analysts |
$96,820 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
$98,595 |
| Human Resources Specialists |
$74,170 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
$75,530 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists |
$78,980 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
$80,428 |
| Writers and Authors |
$69,100 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
$70,367 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education |
$60,380 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
$61,487 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers |
$64,550 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
$65,733 |
| Social and Community Service Managers |
$85,850 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC |
$87,424 |
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.
Cary at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
176,686 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$129,399 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
70.2% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
98.2 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Cary-Area Cities With General Studies Programs
- Morrisville, NC – 3.9 mi away (24,732 pop)
- Apex, NC – 4.8 mi away (47,349 pop)
- Holly Springs, NC – 8.9 mi away (33,260 pop)
- Raleigh, NC – 10.3 mi away (1,005,457 pop)
- Garner, NC – 12.5 mi away (28,776 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited general studies schools are near Cary, NC?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Cary. The closest is North Carolina State University at Raleigh in Raleigh, NC (7.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Durham Technical Community College (13.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Cary?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Cary are: General and Operations Managers ($114,940), Management Analysts ($96,820), Social and Community Service Managers ($85,850). 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 Morrisville instead of Cary?
Morrisville, NC is 3.9 miles from Cary and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Cary an affordable place to study general studies?
Cary’s median household income of $129,399 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cary 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 General Studies Programs
Other Programs Available in Cary
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Cary:
- History programs in Cary, NC
- English programs in Cary, NC
- Sociology programs in Cary, NC
- Anthropology programs in Cary, NC
- Political Science programs in Cary, NC
- Philosophy programs in Cary, NC
- Mathematics programs in Cary, NC
- Forensic Psychology programs in Cary, NC
- Child Development programs in Cary, NC
- Data Science programs in Cary, NC
- Electrical Engineering programs in Cary, NC
- Software Engineering programs in Cary, NC
- Engineering Management programs in Cary, NC
- Geography programs in Cary, NC
- Aviation Management programs in Cary, NC
- Public Policy programs in Cary, NC
- International Relations programs in Cary, NC
- Chemistry programs in Cary, NC
- Physics programs in Cary, NC
- Neuroscience programs in Cary, NC
- Spanish programs in Cary, NC
- Film programs in Cary, NC
- Fashion programs in Cary, NC
- Architecture programs in Cary, NC
- Urban Planning programs in Cary, NC
- Industrial Design programs in Cary, NC
- Game Design programs in Cary, NC
- Instructional Design programs in Cary, NC
- Higher Education Administration programs in Cary, NC
- Global Health programs in Cary, NC
- Art History programs in Cary, NC
- Creative Writing programs in Cary, NC
- Environmental Science programs in Cary, NC
- Nutrition programs in Cary, NC
- Theology programs in Cary, NC
- Library Science programs in Cary, NC
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Cary, NC
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Cary, NC
- Medical Assistant programs in Cary, NC
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Cary, NC
- Health Science programs in Cary, NC
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Cary, NC
- Entrepreneurship programs in Cary, NC
- Interior Design programs in Cary, NC
- Photography programs in Cary, NC
- Sustainability Management programs in Cary, NC
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Cary, NC
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Cary, NC
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Cary, NC
- Journalism programs in Cary, NC
- Public Relations programs in Cary, NC
- Communication Disorders programs in Cary, NC
- Speech Pathology programs in Cary, NC
- Technical Communication programs in Cary, NC
- Professional Writing programs in Cary, NC
- Strategic Communications programs in Cary, NC
- Business Development programs in Cary, NC
- Construction Management programs in Cary, NC
- Economics programs in Cary, NC
- Financial Technology programs in Cary, NC
- Forensic Accounting programs in Cary, NC
- Health Information Management programs in Cary, NC
- Hospitality Management programs in Cary, NC
- International Business programs in Cary, NC
- Organizational Leadership programs in Cary, NC
- Management Information Systems programs in Cary, NC
- Nonprofit Management programs in Cary, NC
- Operations Management programs in Cary, NC
- Public Administration programs in Cary, NC
- Real Estate programs in Cary, NC
- Recreation Management programs in Cary, NC
- Retail Management programs in Cary, NC
- Risk Management programs in Cary, NC
- Statistics programs in Cary, NC
- Taxation programs in Cary, NC
- Corrections programs in Cary, NC
- Crime Analysis programs in Cary, NC
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Cary, NC
- Criminology programs in Cary, NC
- Cybercrime programs in Cary, NC
- Emergency Management programs in Cary, NC
- Fire Science programs in Cary, NC
- Forensic Science programs in Cary, NC
- Legal Services programs in Cary, NC
- Legal Studies programs in Cary, NC
- Paralegal programs in Cary, NC
- Security Management programs in Cary, NC
- Cloud Computing programs in Cary, NC
- Computer Engineering programs in Cary, NC
- Innovation programs in Cary, NC
- Mobile App Development programs in Cary, NC
- Software Development programs in Cary, NC
- User Experience programs in Cary, NC
- Web Development programs in Cary, NC
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Cary, NC
- Machine Learning programs in Cary, NC
- Supply Chain Management programs in Cary, NC
- Data Analytics programs in Cary, NC
- Public Health programs in Cary, NC
- Human Resources programs in Cary, NC
- Project Management programs in Cary, NC
- Special Education programs in Cary, NC
- Homeland Security programs in Cary, NC
- Marketing programs in Cary, NC
- Finance programs in Cary, NC
- Kinesiology programs in Cary, NC
- Sports Management programs in Cary, NC
- Early Childhood Education programs in Cary, NC
- Elementary Education programs in Cary, NC
- Biology programs in Cary, NC
- Communications programs in Cary, NC
- Graphic Design programs in Cary, NC
- Human Services programs in Cary, NC
- MBA programs in Cary, NC
- Criminal Justice programs in Cary, NC
- Nursing programs in Cary, NC
- Business Administration programs in Cary, NC
- Computer Science programs in Cary, NC
- Psychology programs in Cary, NC
- Education programs in Cary, NC
- Engineering programs in Cary, NC
- Technology programs in Cary, NC
- Liberal Arts programs in Cary, NC
- Healthcare programs in Cary, NC
- Cybersecurity programs in Cary, NC
- Accounting programs in Cary, NC
- Healthcare Administration programs in Cary, NC
- Social Work programs in Cary, NC
- Counseling programs in Cary, NC
Data verified: September 5, 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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