Best Innovation Schools Near Carrboro, NC (2026)

Carrboro, North Carolina has 15 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $1,986 to $68,758 per year for indexed programs. Carrboro has a population of about 21,170. Median household income is $85,927 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $176,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Innovation Schools to Carrboro

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

#1

Duke University

Durham, NC 9.5 miles from Carrboro BOC Score 82.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 24.0 miles from Carrboro BOC Score 59.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Elon University

Elon, NC 25.4 miles from Carrboro BOC Score 72.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 41.5 miles from Carrboro BOC Score 59.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Strayer University-North Carolina

Greensboro, NC 45.3 miles from Carrboro BOC Score 17.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 13%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

High Point University

High Point, NC 52.1 miles from Carrboro BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 36

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

#7

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC 56.1 miles from Carrboro BOC Score 31.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, NC 60.0 miles from Carrboro BOC Score 49.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,144
Avg net price $7,892/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Innovation Wages Near Carrboro

Carrboro 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)
General and Operations Manager$113,930Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$116,732
Management Analyst$126,110Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$129,211
Marketing Manager$175,160Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$179,467
Computer and Information Systems Manager$176,190Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$180,523

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.


Carrboro at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population21,170Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$85,927Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+70.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Carrboro-Area Cities With Innovation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near Carrboro, NC?

Our directory has 15 accredited schools offering innovation programs near Carrboro. The closest is Duke University in Durham, NC (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Fayetteville Technical Community College (59.9 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles near Carrboro?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles near Carrboro are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($176,190), Marketing Manager ($175,160), Management Analyst ($126,110). 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 Carrboro?

Chapel Hill, NC is 2.7 miles from Carrboro and has its own set of local innovation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Carrboro an affordable place to study innovation?

Carrboro’s median household income of $85,927 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carrboro 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 Innovation Programs

Other Programs Available in Carrboro

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.