Best Machine Learning Schools Near Charlotte, NC (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Charlotte, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering machine learning programs, with tuition ranging from $21,300 to $34,923 per year for indexed programs. Charlotte has a population of about 886,283. Median household income is $78,438 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning machine learning-related role is Software Developer at a median $135,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Machine Learning Schools to Charlotte

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

Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, NC 2.8 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
33.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 45%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,680
Avg net price $20,894/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,300
Out‑of‑state$21,300
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 18

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

#2

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 8.8 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
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: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Machine Learning Wages Near Charlotte

Charlotte 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)
Computer and Information Research Scientist$102,630Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$105,478
Data Scientist$132,460Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$136,136
Software Developer$135,920Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$139,692
Statistician$126,350Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$129,856

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.

Charlotte at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population886,283Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$78,438Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Charlotte-Area Cities With Machine Learning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited machine learning schools are near Charlotte, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering machine learning programs near Charlotte. The closest is Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte, NC (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pfeiffer University (36.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying machine learning roles near Charlotte?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying machine learning-related roles near Charlotte are: Software Developer ($135,920), Data Scientist ($132,460), Statistician ($126,350). 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 Matthews instead of Charlotte?

Matthews, NC is 9.2 miles from Charlotte and has its own set of local machine learning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Charlotte an affordable place to study machine learning?

Charlotte’s median household income of $78,438 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charlotte 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 Machine Learning Programs

Other Programs Available in Charlotte

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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