Best Journalism Schools Near Rockingham, NC (2026)

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

Rockingham, North Carolina has 9 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $8,994 to $68,758 per year for indexed programs. Rockingham has a population of about 9,094. Median household income is $36,695 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $73,740 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Rockingham

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

Wingate University

Wingate, NC 38.7 miles from Rockingham
  • 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

#2

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 63.1 miles from Rockingham
  • 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

#3

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 66.2 miles from Rockingham
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

High Point University

High Point, NC 74.3 miles from Rockingham
  • 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

#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 77.9 miles from Rockingham
  • 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

#6

Bennett College

Greensboro, NC 78.1 miles from Rockingham
  • 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 82.6 miles from Rockingham
  • 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

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 109.7 miles from Rockingham
  • 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

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

Journalism Wages Near Rockingham

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$58,670
Editor$73,740
Public Relations Specialist$67,230

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.

Rockingham at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population9,094Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$36,695Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+19.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Rockingham-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Rockingham, NC?

Our directory has 9 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Rockingham. The closest is Wingate University in Wingate, NC (38.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Carolina-Columbia (97.2 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles in North Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles in North Carolina are: Editor ($73,740), Public Relations Specialist ($67,230), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($58,670). Wages for Rockingham workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Laurinburg instead of Rockingham?

Laurinburg, NC is 20.2 miles from Rockingham 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 Rockingham an affordable place to study journalism?

Rockingham’s median household income of $36,695 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockingham 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 Rockingham

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

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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