Best Paralegal Studies Schools Near Matthews, NC (2026)

Matthews, North Carolina has 16 accredited schools offering paralegal programs, with tuition ranging from $1,980 to $13,340 per year for indexed programs. Matthews has a population of about 29,959. Median household income is $105,579 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning paralegal-related role is Lawyer at a median $157,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Paralegal Schools to Matthews

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

#1

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 9.6 miles from Matthews BOC Score 52.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,865
Avg net price $3,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

South Piedmont Community College

Polkton, NC 29.4 miles from Matthews BOC Score 45.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,308
Avg net price $6,675/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Gaston College

Dallas, NC 30.2 miles from Matthews BOC Score 51.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,386
Avg net price $6,592/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,186
Out‑of‑state$9,330
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

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

#4

Mitchell Community College

Statesville, NC 47.0 miles from Matthews BOC Score 50.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,298
Avg net price $6,481/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Davidson-Davie Community College

Thomasville, NC 59.6 miles from Matthews BOC Score 51.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,337
Avg net price $8,753/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

Hudson, NC 66.9 miles from Matthews BOC Score 46.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,515
Avg net price $10,810/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Western Piedmont Community College

Morganton, NC 69.0 miles from Matthews BOC Score 58.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,195
Avg net price $6,448/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC 70.2 miles from Matthews BOC Score 52.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,139
Avg net price $7,200/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Paralegal Wages Near Matthews

Matthews 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)
Paralegal and Legal Assistant$59,870Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$61,531
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$45,570Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$46,835
Lawyer$157,180Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$161,542

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.


Matthews at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,959Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$105,579Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+53.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Matthews-Area Cities With Paralegal Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited paralegal schools are near Matthews, NC?

Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering paralegal programs near Matthews. The closest is Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC (9.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Florence-Darlington Technical College (79.1 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying paralegal roles near Matthews?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying paralegal-related roles near Matthews are: Lawyer ($157,180), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($59,870), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($45,570). 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 Indian Trail instead of Matthews?

Indian Trail, NC is 5.0 miles from Matthews and has its own set of local paralegal programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Matthews an affordable place to study paralegal?

Matthews’s median household income of $105,579 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Matthews 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 Paralegal Programs

Other Programs Available in Matthews

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

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.