Best Innovation Schools Near Monroe, NC (2026)

Monroe, North Carolina has 20 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $2,427 to $45,312 per year for indexed programs. Monroe has a population of about 35,596. Median household income is $67,265 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $176,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Innovation Schools to Monroe

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

#1

Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 22.7 miles from Monroe BOC Score 52.2
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,418
Avg net price $27,426/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 23.0 miles from Monroe BOC Score 72.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,289
Avg net price $15,435/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Hickory, NC 66.8 miles from Monroe BOC Score 41.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 85%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,543
Avg net price $20,689/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,900
Out‑of‑state$31,900
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 26

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

#4

High Point University

High Point, NC 74.8 miles from Monroe 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

#5

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, NC 80.0 miles from Monroe BOC Score 47.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,407
Avg net price $10,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Strayer University-North Carolina

Greensboro, NC 81.6 miles from Monroe 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

#7

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 84.5 miles from Monroe 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

#8

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, NC 94.4 miles from Monroe 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 Monroe

Monroe is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). 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$112,730Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$115,858
Management Analyst$102,920Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$105,776
Marketing Manager$166,200Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$170,812
Computer and Information Systems Manager$176,840Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$181,747

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.


Monroe at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,596Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,265Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Monroe-Area Cities With Innovation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near Monroe, NC?

Our directory has 20 accredited schools offering innovation programs near Monroe. The closest is Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte in Charlotte, NC (22.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Carolina Technical College (74.9 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles near Monroe?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles near Monroe are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($176,840), Marketing Manager ($166,200), General and Operations Manager ($112,730). 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 Indian Trail instead of Monroe?

Indian Trail, NC is 6.6 miles from Monroe 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 Monroe an affordable place to study innovation?

Monroe’s median household income of $67,265 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monroe 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 Monroe

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

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.