Best Psychology Schools Near Kinston, NC (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Kinston, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs. Kinston has a population of about 19,576. Median household income is $35,250 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning psychology-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $92,130 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Psychology Schools to Kinston

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

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 26.2 miles from Kinston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 27.2 miles from Kinston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
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: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Barton College

Wilson, NC 36.5 miles from Kinston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,913
Avg net price $23,626/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

North Carolina Wesleyan University

Rocky Mount, NC 52.5 miles from Kinston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,873
Avg net price $17,432/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 65.2 miles from Kinston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.6 BOC Score
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: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Saint Augustine's University

Raleigh, NC 67.7 miles from Kinston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,730
Avg net price $24,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 31%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Shaw University

Raleigh, NC 68.0 miles from Kinston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,409
Avg net price $16,512/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 68.6 miles from Kinston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.8 BOC Score
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: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Psychology Wages Near Kinston

Occupation Median Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist $92,130
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist N/A
School Psychologist $73,220
Educational and Career Counselor $57,630
Marriage and Family Therapist $48,100
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor $55,490
Healthcare Social Worker $63,280
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $58,210

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.

Kinston at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 19,576 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $35,250 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Psychology-related employment in Lenoir County 737 workers, 86 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Kinston-Area Cities With Psychology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near Kinston, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs near Kinston. The closest is East Carolina University in Greenville, NC (26.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Campbell University (65.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying psychology roles in North Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles in North Carolina are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($92,130), School Psychologist ($73,220), Healthcare Social Worker ($63,280). Wages for Kinston workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Goldsboro instead of Kinston?

Goldsboro, NC is 22.5 miles from Kinston and has its own set of local psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Kinston an affordable place to study psychology?

Kinston’s median household income of $35,250 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kinston 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 Psychology Programs

Other Programs Available in Kinston

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Psychology Schools in North Carolina (2026)