Best History Schools Near Cary, NC (2026)

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

Cary, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering history 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 history-related role is History Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $78,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest History Schools to Cary

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer history 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

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 7.2 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

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

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#3

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 10.0 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,643
Avg net price $21,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

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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#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 15.9 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Duke University

Durham, NC 16.6 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
82.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,800
Avg net price $29,612/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Wake Forest, NC 21.9 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Avg net price $13,090/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 26.1 miles from Cary
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,886
Avg net price $24,516/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

History 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)
Historians $73,440 NC statewide $74,786
Archivists $52,090 Raleigh-Cary, NC $53,045
Curators $65,670 Raleigh-Cary, NC $66,874
Museum Technicians and Conservators $45,820 Raleigh-Cary, NC $46,660
History Teachers, Postsecondary $78,640 Raleigh-Cary, NC $80,081
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,380 Raleigh-Cary, NC $61,487
Writers and Authors $69,100 Raleigh-Cary, NC $70,367
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists $65,550 Raleigh-Cary, NC $66,752

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 History Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited history schools are near Cary, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering history programs near Cary. The closest is Meredith College in Raleigh, NC (7.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (15.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying history roles near Cary?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying history-related roles near Cary are: History Teachers, Postsecondary ($78,640), Historians ($73,440), Writers and Authors ($69,100). 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 history 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 history?

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 History 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.

Back to Best History Schools in North Carolina: Online Programs (2026)