Hickory, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering kinesiology programs, with tuition ranging from $3,186 to $44,621 per year for indexed programs. Hickory has a population of about 43,747. Median household income is $63,361 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area, the top-earning kinesiology-related role is Athletic Trainer at a median $53,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Kinesiology Schools to Hickory
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer kinesiology programs near Hickory, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hickory 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 Hickory.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
Graduation rate
34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,977
Avg net price
$10,528/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina kinesiology page.
Kinesiology Wages Near Hickory
Hickory is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area (BLS area code 25860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Exercise Physiologist | $52,450 | NC statewide | $59,266 |
| Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor | $40,010 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $45,209 |
| Athletic Trainer | $53,440 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $60,384 |
| Coach and Scout | $32,510 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $36,734 |
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.
Hickory at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 43,747 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $63,361 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 35.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 88.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Hickory-Area Cities With Kinesiology Programs
- Lincolnton, NC – 19.1 mi away (23,264 pop)
- Statesville, NC – 25.5 mi away (26,506 pop)
- Mooresville, NC – 30.0 mi away (36,543 pop)
- Cornelius, NC – 30.9 mi away (28,515 pop)
- Shelby, NC – 33.7 mi away (27,288 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited kinesiology schools are near Hickory, NC?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering kinesiology programs near Hickory. The closest is Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (38.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying kinesiology roles near Hickory?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying kinesiology-related roles near Hickory are: Athletic Trainer ($53,440), Exercise Physiologist ($52,450), Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor ($40,010). 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 Lincolnton instead of Hickory?
Lincolnton, NC is 19.1 miles from Hickory and has its own set of local kinesiology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Hickory an affordable place to study kinesiology?
Hickory’s median household income of $63,361 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hickory 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 Kinesiology Programs
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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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