Forest City, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs, with tuition ranging from $3,186 to $16,866 per year for indexed programs. Forest City has a population of about 7,368. Median household income is $35,897 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $93,840 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Homeland Security Schools to Forest City
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer homeland security programs near Forest City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Forest City 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 Forest City.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
77%
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,039
Avg net price
$17,674/yr
TuitionIn‑state$34,760
Out‑of‑state$34,760
Key stats- Retention rate: 62%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,151
Avg net price
$27,061/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,260
Avg net price
$21,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,480
Avg net price
$28,602/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
85%
Graduation rate
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,543
Avg net price
$20,689/yr
TuitionIn‑state$31,900
Out‑of‑state$31,900
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,030
Avg net price
$12,250/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,937
Avg net price
$24,639/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina homeland security page.
Homeland Security Wages Near Forest City
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide) |
|---|
| Emergency Management Director | $93,840 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $63,280 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $59,300 |
| Transportation Security Screener | $64,540 |
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.
Forest City at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 7,368 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $35,897 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 17.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Forest City-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs
- Shelby, NC – 18.8 mi away (27,288 pop)
- Gaffney, SC – 21.6 mi away (21,692 pop)
- Spartanburg, SC – 27.1 mi away (185,031 pop)
- Greer, SC – 34.4 mi away (29,000 pop)
- Lincolnton, NC – 36.9 mi away (23,264 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited homeland security schools are near Forest City, NC?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Forest City. The closest is McDowell Technical Community College in Marion, NC (22.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (41.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying homeland security roles in North Carolina?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles in North Carolina are: Emergency Management Director ($93,840), Transportation Security Screener ($64,540), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($63,280). Wages for Forest City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Shelby instead of Forest City?
Shelby, NC is 18.8 miles from Forest City and has its own set of local homeland security programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Forest City an affordable place to study homeland security?
Forest City’s median household income of $35,897 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Forest City 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 Homeland Security Programs
Other Programs Available in Forest City
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Data verified: July 30, 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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