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Best Software Engineering Schools Near Shelby, NC (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Shelby, North Carolina is home to about 21,868 residents. Median household income is $50,705 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $172,860 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Software Engineering Schools to Shelby
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software engineering programs near Shelby, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Shelby 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:
BOCSCORE
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 Shelby.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
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.
Shelby at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
21,868
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$50,705
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
26.6%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Other Shelby-Area Cities With Software Engineering Programs
What are the highest-paying software engineering roles in North Carolina?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles in North Carolina are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($172,860), Software Developers ($134,710), Computer Network Architects ($127,320). Wages for Shelby workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Gaffney instead of Shelby?
Gaffney, SC is 16.2 miles from Shelby and has its own set of local software engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Shelby an affordable place to study software engineering?
Shelby’s median household income of $50,705 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Shelby 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.
Data verified: September 5, 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.
