Best Online Healthcare Programs in Durham, NC (2026)

Durham, North Carolina has a population of about 288,465. The city’s median household income is $79,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 68 accredited schools offering healthcare programs near Durham, with tuition ranging from $2,336 to $22,570 per year for indexed programs. In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, the top-earning healthcare-related role is Epidemiologist at a median $139,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Healthcare Schools to Durham

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 68 schools in our directory that offer healthcare programs near Durham. Distances are calculated from Durham city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
North Carolina Central UniversityDurham, NC0.5 miContact school for pricing
Durham Technical Community CollegeDurham, NC1.3 miContact school for pricing
Duke UniversityDurham, NC2.4 miContact school for pricing
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC9.5 miContact school for pricing
Meredith CollegeRaleigh, NC17.3 miContact school for pricing
Gwinnett CollegeRaleigh, NC19.8 miContact school for pricing
Miller-Motte College-RaleighRaleigh, NC20.5 miContact school for pricing
Saint Augustine’s UniversityRaleigh, NC20.8 miContact school for pricing
Wake Technical Community CollegeRaleigh, NC25.4 mi$2,336 - $16,798
Alamance Community CollegeGraham, NC26.0 mi$2,528 - $22,570

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


Healthcare Wages Near Durham

Durham is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area (BLS area code 20500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical and Health Services Manager$130,300Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$133,504
Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar$61,080NC statewide$62,582
Medical Records Specialist$60,480Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$61,967
Medical Secretary or Administrative Assistant$45,500Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$46,619
Healthcare Social Worker$77,460Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$79,365
Epidemiologist$139,670Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$143,105

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Durham at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population288,465Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,234Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+55.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Healthcare-related employment in Durham County39,876 workers, 1,291 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Durham-Area Cities With Healthcare Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited healthcare schools are near Durham, NC?

Our directory has 68 accredited schools offering healthcare programs near Durham. The closest is North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC (0.5 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Alamance Community College (26.0 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying healthcare roles near Durham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying healthcare-related roles near Durham are: Epidemiologist ($139,670), Medical and Health Services Manager ($130,300), Healthcare Social Worker ($77,460). 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 Chapel Hill instead of Durham?

Chapel Hill, NC is 8.4 miles from Durham and has its own set of local healthcare programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Durham an affordable place to study healthcare?

Durham’s median household income of $79,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Durham 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.