Colleges Near Hickory, North Carolina
Looking for information about the best colleges and universities serving Hickory? Here's your guide to the top schools offering degrees to students in the area, including institutions located within 40 miles of Hickory, North Carolina.
There are at least 10 colleges serving the area, including 3 private colleges and universities, 0 public colleges and universities, and 7 community colleges offering 2-year degrees.
The Best Adult Colleges & Careers Guide provides a breakdown of the colleges serving Hickory, with details about cost, enrollment, student type and degree offerings. Click here to learn more about the guide.
Hickory, North Carolina Colleges by the Numbers
Associate, bachelor's, masters, and doctoral degree completions at institutions near Hickory, North Carolina have been growing over the past 5 years. In 2022, students completed 5,228 doctorates at colleges and universities near Hickory. That was an increase of 5% from completions reported in 2018.
Schools with Degree Completions
Est. Total Completions in 2022
Est. Completions (Last 5 Years)
Sponsored
Top School For Adults & Online Students
Franklin University is a top choice for transfer students, online learners and adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Undergraduate Enrollment
4,444
Completions By Degree
1,820
Est. Online Degree Offerings
100%
Private Colleges & Universities Offering Degrees Near Hickory, North Carolina
There are at least 3 schools offering degrees near Hickory, North Carolina, and 3 are four-year private colleges or universities where about 7,872 undergraduate students were enrolled. In 2022, a total of 2,983 degrees were completed at private colleges and universities, including 1,948 that were offered online.
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Franklin offers more than 50 online bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and doctoral programs in the Hickory, North Carolina area. Franklin University is an institutionally accredited nonprofit 4-year school where most students attend classes part-time. Most of the students are adults and all programs completed were offered online. Bachelor's degrees are the most popular at Franklin University. In 2022, 1,011 bachelor's degrees were completed. In addition, 94 associate degrees, 676 master's degrees, and 39 doctoral degrees were earned.
Undergraduate Enrollment
4,444
Completions By Degree
1,820
Est. Online Degree Availability
100%
Completions by Program Area
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Davidson College is an institutionally accredited nonprofit 4-year school where most students attend classes full-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and no programs completed were offered online. Bachelor's degrees are the most popular at Davidson College. In 2022, 556 bachelor's degrees were completed. In addition, 0 associate degrees, 0 master's degrees, and 0 doctoral degrees were earned.
Undergraduate Enrollment
1,970
Completions By Degree
556
Est. Online Degree Availability
0%
Completions by Program Area
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Lenoir-Rhyne University is an institutionally accredited nonprofit 4-year school where most students attend classes full-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and minimal programs completed were offered online. Bachelor's degrees are the most popular at Lenoir-Rhyne University. In 2022, 323 bachelor's degrees were completed. In addition, 0 associate degrees, 259 master's degrees, and 25 doctoral degrees were earned.
Undergraduate Enrollment
1,458
Completions By Degree
607
Est. Online Degree Availability
21%
Completions by Program Area
Community Colleges Near Hickory, North Carolina
There are 7 community colleges near Hickory, North Carolina where students can earn 2-year associate degrees. In 2022, about 14,462 students were enrolled in undergraduate courses at community colleges near Hickory, and about 4,065 associate degrees were completed.
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Western Piedmont Community College is an institutionally accredited 2-year school where most students attend classes part-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and minimal programs completed were offered online.
Undergraduate Enrollment
1,059
Completions By Degree
303
Est. Online Degree Availability
7%
Completions by Program Area
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Gaston College is an institutionally accredited 2-year school where most students attend classes part-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and most programs completed were offered online.
Undergraduate Enrollment
3,474
Completions By Degree
751
Est. Online Degree Availability
68%
Completions by Program Area
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is an institutionally accredited 2-year school where most students attend classes part-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and most programs completed were offered online.
Undergraduate Enrollment
2,195
Completions By Degree
795
Est. Online Degree Availability
80%
Completions by Program Area
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Wilkes Community College is an institutionally accredited 2-year school where most students attend classes full-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and minimal programs completed were offered online.
Undergraduate Enrollment
1,321
Completions By Degree
393
Est. Online Degree Availability
7%
Completions by Program Area
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Catawba Valley Community College is an institutionally accredited 2-year school where most students attend classes part-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and minimal programs completed were offered online.
Undergraduate Enrollment
3,030
Completions By Degree
938
Est. Online Degree Availability
1%
Completions by Program Area
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Cleveland Community College is an institutionally accredited 2-year school where most students attend classes part-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and most programs completed were offered online.
Undergraduate Enrollment
1,536
Completions By Degree
467
Est. Online Degree Availability
69%
Completions by Program Area
Avg. UG Tuition & Fees
School Type
Accredited
Non-Profit
Mitchell Community College is an institutionally accredited 2-year school where most students attend classes part-time. Most of the students are of traditional age and most programs completed were offered online.
Undergraduate Enrollment
1,847
Completions By Degree
418
Est. Online Degree Availability
74%
Completions by Program Area
Affordable Colleges Near Hickory, North Carolina
Wondering what you can expect to pay for a degree near Hickory, North Carolina? According to undergraduate tuition data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the average tuition at Hickory-area's 4-year nonprofit schools is $36,556. The average tuition at similar 4-year for-profit schools near Hickory is N/A, while tuition at 2-year online colleges and universities is N/A.
4-Year Nonprofit
4-Year For-Profit
2-Year
Accredited Colleges Serving Hickory, North Carolina
Earning a college degree is an investment — and earning a degree from an institutionally accredited university is one of the best ways to ensure your education is of high quality. Institutionally accredited universities are held to rigorous standards by state and regional bodies and undergo regular reviews to verify that their processes and academic programs meet the proper standards.
Wondering if a certain college or university offering degree programs in Hickory, North Carolina is institutionally accredited? View a list of institutionally accredited colleges and universities serving Hickory, North Carolina here. We've made it easy to find your school by breaking down the list by school type.
- Franklin University
- Davidson College
- Lenoir-Rhyne University
- Western Piedmont Community College
- Gaston College
- Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
- Wilkes Community College
- Catawba Valley Community College
- Cleveland Community College
- Mitchell Community College
Hickory, North Carolina Job Market & Opportunities
What happens after you earn your college degree in Hickory? What's the Hickory, North Carolina job market outlook? Get a snapshot of jobs and careers, including annual job openings, median earnings and more.
In 2022, there were about 1,477,304 jobs in the Hickory, North Carolina area. From 2021-2022, job growth in Hickory was above the national average, at 4.1%. There were 192,862 job openings in the area. In terms of earnings, workers in Hickory do worse than the national average, with an average hourly pay of $18.86.