Best Online Marketing Programs in Cary, NC (2026)

Cary, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering marketing programs. Cary has a population of about 176,686. Median household income is $129,399 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning marketing-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $167,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Marketing Schools to Cary

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer marketing programs near Cary, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cary 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 Cary. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 7.2 miles from Cary BOC Score 59.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 8.6 miles from Cary BOC Score 84.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 10.0 miles from Cary BOC Score 38.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,643
Avg net price $21,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 26.2 miles from Cary BOC Score 46.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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

#5

Elon University

Elon, NC 43.6 miles from Cary BOC Score 72.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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

#6

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC 44.9 miles from Cary BOC Score 31.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,050
Avg net price $24,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, NC 57.2 miles from Cary BOC Score 55.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,440
Avg net price $10,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 57.7 miles from Cary BOC Score 48.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,139
Avg net price $18,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Marketing Wages Near Cary

Cary 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)
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$78,980Raleigh-Cary, NC$80,428
Marketing Manager$167,640Raleigh-Cary, NC$170,713
Public Relations Specialist$68,790Raleigh-Cary, NC$70,051
Advertising and Promotions Manager$121,730Raleigh-Cary, NC$123,961

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.


Cary at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population176,686Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$129,399Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+70.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cary-Area Cities With Marketing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited marketing schools are near Cary, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering marketing programs near Cary. The closest is Meredith College in Raleigh, NC (7.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Alamance Community College (36.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying marketing roles near Cary?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying marketing-related roles near Cary are: Marketing Manager ($167,640), Advertising and Promotions Manager ($121,730), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($78,980). 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 Morrisville instead of Cary?

Morrisville, NC is 3.9 miles from Cary and has its own set of local marketing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Cary an affordable place to study marketing?

Cary’s median household income of $129,399 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cary 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 Marketing Programs

Other Programs Available in Cary

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.