Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Wake Forest, NC (2026)

Wake Forest, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $2,572 to $13,807 per year for indexed programs. Wake Forest has a population of about 51,199. Median household income is $120,777 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $96,820 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Wake Forest

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Wake Forest. Distances are calculated from Wake Forest city center.

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 Wake Forest. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 14.8 miles from Wake Forest BOC Score84.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Durham Technical Community College

Durham, NC 20.5 miles from Wake Forest BOC Score49.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Duke University

Durham, NC 24.2 miles from Wake Forest BOC Score82.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Johnston Community College

Smithfield, NC 33.4 miles from Wake Forest BOC Score64.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Wilson Community College

Wilson, NC 38.2 miles from Wake Forest BOC Score52.1
Published tuition$2,572 - $13,807
Online programsYes

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Wake Forest

Wake Forest is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). 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)
Public Relations Specialist$68,790Raleigh-Cary, NC$70,051
Management Analyst$96,820Raleigh-Cary, NC$98,595
Technical Writer$93,580Raleigh-Cary, NC$95,295
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$59,950Raleigh-Cary, NC$61,049
Editor$76,360Raleigh-Cary, NC$77,760
Training and Development Specialist$67,560Raleigh-Cary, NC$68,798
Human Resources Specialist$74,170Raleigh-Cary, NC$75,530

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.


Wake Forest at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population51,199Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$120,777Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+57.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Wake County3,240 workers, 289 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Wake Forest-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Wake Forest, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Wake Forest. The closest is North Carolina State University at Raleigh in Raleigh, NC (14.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wilson Community College (38.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Wake Forest?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Wake Forest are: Management Analyst ($96,820), Technical Writer ($93,580), Editor ($76,360). 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 Raleigh instead of Wake Forest?

Raleigh, NC is 11.6 miles from Wake Forest and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Wake Forest an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Wake Forest’s median household income of $120,777 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wake Forest 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Wake Forest

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

Data verified: June 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.