Best Journalism Schools Near Asheville, NC (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Asheville, North Carolina has 7 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $7,579 to $40,450 per year for indexed programs. Asheville has a population of about 94,369. Median household income is $67,221 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Asheville, NC metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $66,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Asheville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Asheville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Asheville 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 Asheville. 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

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 54.9 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
44.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,039
Avg net price $17,674/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,760
Out‑of‑state$34,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 27

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

#2

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 66.1 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 100.4 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
55.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,673
Avg net price $30,857/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Wingate University

Wingate, NC 125.8 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
51.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,649
Avg net price $20,748/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

High Point University

High Point, NC 145.3 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
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

#6

Bennett College

Greensboro, NC 159.1 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
20.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,654
Avg net price $28,299/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Elon University

Elon, NC 176.1 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.9 BOC Score
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

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 198.0 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Journalism Wages Near Asheville

Asheville is part of the Asheville, NC metro area (BLS area code 11700). 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)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$58,670NC statewide$60,798
Editor$66,210Asheville, NC$68,611
Public Relations Specialist$58,970Asheville, NC$61,109

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.

Asheville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population94,369Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,221Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+52.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Asheville-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Asheville, NC?

Our directory has 7 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Asheville. The closest is North Greenville University in Tigerville, SC (36.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (81.3 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Asheville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Asheville are: Editor ($66,210), Public Relations Specialist ($58,970), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($58,670). 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 Forest City instead of Asheville?

Forest City, NC is 41.8 miles from Asheville and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Asheville an affordable place to study journalism?

Asheville’s median household income of $67,221 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Asheville 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 Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in Asheville

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

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.

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