Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina (2026)

Quick answer: Certified nursing assistants in North Carolina earn a median of $38,460 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited certified nursing assistant schools in North Carolina with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Comparing certified nursing assistant schools in North Carolina starts with the local labor market and the credentials each program offers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $38,460 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

North Carolina Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$38,460BLS OEWS, May 2025
North Carolina pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$30,260 to $47,080BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying North Carolina metro for this fieldDurham, NC, $40,560BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+2.3% growth, about 204,100 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment64,010 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
North Carolina location quotient1.39BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Certified nursing assistant Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the North Carolina figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

We could not confirm enough colleges teaching this subject within range of this location, so the list below shows nearby institutions instead. Confirm with each school that it offers the program before you apply.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Central Carolina Community College

Sanford, NC In-state option BOC Score 60.6
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65
  • Annual completions: 1072
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,844 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington, NC In-state option BOC Score 57.9
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 78
  • Annual completions: 1513
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,346 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Blue Ridge Community College

Flat Rock, NC In-state option BOC Score 57.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39
  • Annual completions: 515
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,879 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC In-state option BOC Score 52.6
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 81
  • Annual completions: 5637
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,441 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Davidson-Davie Community College

Thomasville, NC In-state option BOC Score 51.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 44.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 46
  • Annual completions: 1662
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,533 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Durham Technical Community College

Durham, NC In-state option BOC Score 49.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 39.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 39
  • Annual completions: 578
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,868 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Carteret Community College

Morehead City, NC In-state option BOC Score 48.1
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35
  • Annual completions: 500
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $41,388 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Cleveland Community College

Shelby, NC In-state option BOC Score 46.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45
  • Annual completions: 837
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $41,985 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville, NC In-state option BOC Score 45.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 22.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 66
  • Annual completions: 4671
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,138 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

South Piedmont Community College

Polkton, NC In-state option BOC Score 45.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 36
  • Annual completions: 313
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,657 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Asheville, NC In-state option BOC Score 44.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 35.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 64
  • Annual completions: 1663
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,910 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Nursing Assistant Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Nursing Assistants
Nursing Assistants annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $33940, P25 $37260, P50 $42260, P75 $47220, P90 $51980.10th$33,94025th$37,26050th (median)$42,26075th$47,22090th$51,980
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Nursing Assistants annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$33,940
25th$37,260
50th (median)$42,260
75th$47,220
90th$51,980
Projected employment growth, United States, Nursing Assistants, 2024-2034
Nursing Assistants employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 1.4415e+06; 2034 projected employment 1.474e+06; percent change +2.3%.20241,441,500 jobs2034 (proj.)1,474,000 jobsChange: +2.3%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Nursing Assistants employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
20241,441,500
2034 projected1,474,000
Percent change+2.3%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does certified nursing assistant training take in North Carolina?

Certified nursing assistant certificate programs in North Carolina typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do certified nursing assistants earn in North Carolina?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), certified nursing assistants in North Carolina earned a median annual wage of approximately $38,460. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $30,260 to $47,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many certified nursing assistant schools are in North Carolina?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)