Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Cary, NC

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Cary, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs, with tuition ranging from $45,312 to $65,548 per year for indexed 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 higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $108,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Cary

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration 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:

  • 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.

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

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#1

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 7.9 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 14.1 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Elon University

Elon, NC 44.4 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,545
Avg net price $41,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 59.0 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,160
Avg net price $10,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

High Point University

High Point, NC 67.3 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,389
Avg net price $38,707/yr
Tuition
In‑state$45,312
Out‑of‑state$45,312
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Wingate University

Wingate, NC 106.9 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,649
Avg net price $20,748/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 162.9 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Higher Education Administration 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)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $108,770 Raleigh-Cary, NC $110,764
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $63,080 Raleigh-Cary, NC $64,236
Instructional Coordinators $71,460 Raleigh-Cary, NC $72,770
Training and Development Specialists $67,560 Raleigh-Cary, NC $68,798
Education Administrators, All Other $83,200 Raleigh-Cary, NC $84,725
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $56,770 Raleigh-Cary, NC $57,811
Social and Community Service Managers $85,850 Raleigh-Cary, NC $87,424
Human Resources Specialists $74,170 Raleigh-Cary, NC $75,530

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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near Cary, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration 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 High Point University (67.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying higher education administration roles near Cary?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Cary are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($108,770), Social and Community Service Managers ($85,850), Education Administrators, All Other ($83,200). 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 higher education administration 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 higher education administration?

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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Cary

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

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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