Best Public Administration Schools Near Forest City, NC (2026)

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

Forest City, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $34,760 to $50,099 per year for indexed programs. Forest City has a population of about 7,368. Median household income is $35,897 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $101,950 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Forest City

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

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 12.9 miles from Forest City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,039
Avg net price $17,674/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,760
Out‑of‑state$34,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 49

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

#2

Montreat College

Montreat, NC 32.3 miles from Forest City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,151
Avg net price $27,061/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, NC 51.3 miles from Forest City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 68%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,781
Avg net price $19,910/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,736
Out‑of‑state$37,736
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 29

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

#4

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 61.8 miles from Forest City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 64.3 miles from Forest City
  • 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

#6

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC 74.2 miles from Forest City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,458
Avg net price $13,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Strayer University-North Carolina

Greensboro, NC 122.1 miles from Forest City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
17.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 13%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 126.3 miles from Forest City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,160
Avg net price $10,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Forest City

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide)
Social and Community Service Manager$79,590
Urban and Regional Planner$81,230
General and Operations Manager$101,950
Management Analyst$98,560

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.

Forest City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population7,368Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$35,897Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Forest City-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Forest City, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Forest City. The closest is Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC (12.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (61.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles in North Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles in North Carolina are: General and Operations Manager ($101,950), Management Analyst ($98,560), Urban and Regional Planner ($81,230). Wages for Forest City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Shelby instead of Forest City?

Shelby, NC is 18.8 miles from Forest City and has its own set of local public administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Forest City an affordable place to study public administration?

Forest City’s median household income of $35,897 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Forest City 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 Public Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Forest City

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

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.

Back to Best Public Administration Schools in North Carolina (2026)