Best History Schools Near Smithfield, NC (2026)

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

Smithfield, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering history programs. Smithfield has a population of about 11,798. Median household income is $37,827 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.0% 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 Smithfield

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer history programs near Smithfield, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Smithfield 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 Smithfield. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 23.0 miles from Smithfield
  • 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

#2

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 25.0 miles from Smithfield
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#3

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 26.2 miles from Smithfield
  • 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

#4

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 26.4 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,139
Avg net price $18,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 27.5 miles from Smithfield
  • 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

#6

Barton College

Wilson, NC 28.8 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,913
Avg net price $23,626/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Wake Forest, NC 33.6 miles from Smithfield
  • 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

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC 39.5 miles from Smithfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,050
Avg net price $24,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

History Wages Near Smithfield

Smithfield 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.

Smithfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 11,798 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $37,827 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Smithfield-Area Cities With History Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited history schools are near Smithfield, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering history programs near Smithfield. The closest is Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC (23.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Meredith College (27.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying history roles near Smithfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying history-related roles near Smithfield 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 Clayton instead of Smithfield?

Clayton, NC is 11.4 miles from Smithfield 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 Smithfield an affordable place to study history?

Smithfield’s median household income of $37,827 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Smithfield 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 Smithfield

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

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)