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Best Speech Pathology Schools Near Hickory, NC (2026)
Hickory, North Carolina has 4 accredited schools offering speech pathology programs, with tuition ranging from $7,579 to $25,212 per year for indexed programs. Hickory has a population of about 43,747. Median household income is $63,361 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning speech pathology-related role is Audiologist at a median $88,920 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Speech Pathology Schools to Hickory
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer speech pathology programs near Hickory, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hickory city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina speech pathology page.
Speech Pathology Wages Near Hickory
Hickory is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area (BLS area code 25860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $86,120 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $97,311 |
| Audiologist | $88,920 | NC statewide | $100,475 |
| Healthcare Support Worker, All Other (incl. SLP Assistants) | $39,960 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $45,153 |
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.
Hickory at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,747 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $63,361 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 35.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 88.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Hickory-Area Cities With Speech Pathology Programs
- Lincolnton, NC – 19.1 mi away (23,264 pop)
- Statesville, NC – 25.5 mi away (26,506 pop)
- Mooresville, NC – 30.0 mi away (36,543 pop)
- Cornelius, NC – 30.9 mi away (28,515 pop)
- Shelby, NC – 33.7 mi away (27,288 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited speech pathology schools are near Hickory, NC?
Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering speech pathology programs near Hickory. The closest is Appalachian State University in Boone, NC (38.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Greensboro (87.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying speech pathology roles near Hickory?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying speech pathology-related roles near Hickory are: Audiologist ($88,920), Speech-Language Pathologist ($86,120), Healthcare Support Worker, All Other (incl. SLP Assistants) ($39,960). 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 Lincolnton instead of Hickory?
Lincolnton, NC is 19.1 miles from Hickory and has its own set of local speech pathology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Hickory an affordable place to study speech pathology?
Hickory’s median household income of $63,361 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hickory 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 Speech Pathology Programs
- Is a Speech Pathology degree worth it?
- Main Speech Pathology degree guide
- Online Speech Pathology programs in North Carolina
- Speech Pathology programs by state
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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.
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