Best Software Development Schools Near Asheville, NC (2026)

Asheville, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $37,736 to $50,099 per year for indexed programs. Asheville has a population of about 94,369. Median household income is $67,221 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Asheville, NC metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $134,350 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Software Development Schools to Asheville

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

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, NC 17.8 miles from Asheville
  • 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

#2

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Hickory, NC 69.8 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
41.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 85%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,543
Avg net price $20,689/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,900
Out‑of‑state$31,900
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 57

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

#3

Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, NC 98.2 miles from Asheville
  • 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

#4

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 104.2 miles from Asheville
  • 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

#5

Livingstone College

Salisbury, NC 116.4 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
35.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,600
Avg net price $13,479/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,296
Out‑of‑state$18,296
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 15

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

#6

Catawba College

Salisbury, NC 116.6 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,793
Avg net price $17,879/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Pfeiffer University

Misenheimer, NC 127.8 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,562
Avg net price $19,076/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem, NC 135.3 miles from Asheville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,344
Avg net price $13,479/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Software Development Wages Near Asheville

Asheville is part of the Asheville, NC metro area (BLS area code 11700). 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)
Software Developer$134,350Asheville, NC$139,223
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$114,510Asheville, NC$118,663
Computer Programmer$77,460Asheville, NC$80,269
Computer Systems Analyst$89,400Asheville, NC$92,642

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.


Asheville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population94,369Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,221Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+52.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Asheville-Area Cities With Software Development Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software development schools are near Asheville, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs near Asheville. The closest is Mars Hill University in Mars Hill, NC (17.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Milligan University (52.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying software development roles near Asheville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Asheville are: Software Developer ($134,350), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($114,510), Computer Systems Analyst ($89,400). 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 Forest City instead of Asheville?

Forest City, NC is 41.8 miles from Asheville and has its own set of local software development programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Asheville an affordable place to study software development?

Asheville’s median household income of $67,221 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Asheville 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 Software Development Programs

Other Programs Available in Asheville

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

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.