Or if you want to get straight to the nitty-gritty, jump to our list of all the data science programs in North Carolina.

Studying Data Science in North Carolina

North Carolina has research facilities around the state. For some, this makes the state a great place to study the discipline of data science. If you don’t believe us, just look at the ZIP code for the National Consortium for Data Science (NCDS), a group of academic institutions and high-tech corporations like IBM.

Data Science Research & Initiatives at North Carolina Universities

In the data science sphere, check out the following school initiatives:

• North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) Institute for Advanced Analytics has the mission to “produce analytical practitioners”.
• In January 2020, University of North Carolina (UNC)-Charlotte opened the Carolinas’ first Interdisciplinary school of data science.
• The Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) describes itself as “a living laboratory fostering data science expertise, advancing software development tools and techniques, developing effective cross-disciplinary and cross-sector engagement strategies, and establishing sustainable business models for software and services.” The institute was launched as a collaboration involving NCSU, UNC, and Duke.

Online Data Science Programs in North Carolina

From North Carolina State University and UNC-Greensboro to East Carolina University, many North Carolina schools offer programs relating to data science. Programs range from the master’s level to certificates to even doctorates.

Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science

Three very different graduate certificates are available from the trio of publicly funded colleges mentioned above:

• The Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics and Data Management from NC State, which introduces students to statistical methods and programming techniques.
• The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics from UNC Greensboro, which is tailored to meet the needs of corporate employers
• The Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics from East Carolina University, which accommodates both healthcare providers without IT skills and IT specialists with no healthcare knowledge.

For options outside of the state or outside of these certificate types, see our national listing of Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science.

There are multiple options for a fully online master’s degree in data science:

• Sponsored* UNC-Chapel Hill: online Master of Applied Data Science (MADS).
• NC State: M.S. in Foundations of Data Science (online).
• ECU: M.S. in Data Science (offered online and face-to-face).

If health data isn’t your jam, check out our databases of online master’s in data science programs, online master's in business analytics, and information systems from elsewhere in the U.S.

Data Science Bootcamps in North Carolina

Living in North Carolina and looking to jump-start a career in data science or data analytics? Consider attending a bootcamp! Data science and data analytics bootcamps are “crash courses” meant to practically prepare students for new careers in relatively short amounts of time. Bootcamps in North Carolina may focus exclusively on data science (the study of how information is extracted from raw data) or data analytics (the processes by which specific conclusions can be drawn from data) or both data science and data analytics. See our guides to learn more about data science bootcamps or data analytics bootcamps in North Carolina.

Data Science Scholarships in North Carolina

There are a lot of scholarships out there, both for master’s degree seekers in general and IT students in particular. But what about those awards specifically for aspiring data scientists? Here are a few:

Appalachian State University

• Assistantships are paid employment for full-time, on-campus students. All full-time, on-campus degree-seeking students who meet admissions/standing conditions (e.g., not provisional in the first semester) are eligible for assistantships within their home departments and in other offices on campus.
• Scholarships: Scholarships are also available through the MS in Applied Data Analytics program to help with expenses such as tuition, books, and software, with awards based on academic standing and financial need (availability and application windows may vary).

East Carolina University

• College of Allied Health Sciences Scholarships: Several scholarships are available to students within the College of Allied Health Sciences, including the Department of Health Services and Information Management, which houses the informatics degrees and certificates.
• The Ciox Health Endowed Scholarship in Health Information Management.: Undergraduate HIM students are eligible to apply for this award.
• Peggy H. Wood Scholarship: Apply for this award if you pursue the Health Information Management undergraduate degree.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

• DRReaM Graduate Fellowship: Continuing graduate students in the Health Informatics program are one of a handful of groups eligible for the DRReaM Fellowship, which is worth around $1,000. Preference is given to applicants who have a 3.2-4.0 GPA and show financial need.
• Ross Perot Doctoral Fellow in Mathematics: This scholarship is for first-year Master’s or Doctoral students admitted to a graduate-level math program.

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

• Bryan School of Business & Economics Scholarships: The Bryan School, which facilitates the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics, will then determine which of its many scholarships you’re eligible for.

Data Science Events in North Carolina

Data Science Meetups & Communities in North Carolina

Here are six data science communities to consider joining:

1. Analytics.Club Raleigh: 1,400+ members in the Raleigh area meet regularly for partner events and skill sessions.
2. Data, Cloud, and AI in Raleigh: Sponsored by IBM and its Big Data University (a site with free courses in the discipline), this group meets throughout the year for hour-long presentations on new technologies
3. Charlotte Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI: This group of self-proclaimed “Data Wizards” explores various data visualization tools, drawing on members’ specialized knowledge to give the entire group a broader understanding of available techniques.
4. CLT AI: Big data company Tresata, which hosts CHUG, is trying to grow a local talent pool. With 800+ members signed, it’s chugging right along toward that goal.
5. NC Women in Machine Learning and Data Science: Female data scientists in the Research Triangle meet for research presentations, lightning talks, and even just to socialize with peers without getting bombarded by vendors.
6. Research Triangle Analysts (RTA): The 3,000+ strong RTA throws around the word “math” willy-nilly, using it to predict everything from NCAA Tournament results to the gratuity after one of its bar-based socials.

Data Science Conferences & Workshops in North Carolina

Does the idea of community give you a headache? You can condense Meetup presentations and workshops into just a few days if that suits your needs. We found several North Carolina conferences for big data lovers:

1. Analytics Frontiers: This conference, sponsored/hosted by UNC Charlotte, brings together business executives, scientists, and thought leaders to talk about innovations in data science.
2. Elon Business Analytics Day/Business Analytics Summit: In the same vein as Data4Decisions, Elon University hosts a one-day event for students and professionals who want to network while learning from industry leaders.
3. SPEIA Basketball Analytics Summit: Who said quants don’t have fun? Held annually, teams of students meet on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus to hear research on sports analytics and compete in basketball-themed competitions, using their data analysis skills to answer questions like “Is the three-point shot undervalued?” Check the official site for the current date/location.

Data Science Jobs in North Carolina

North Carolina accommodates three major markets for data scientists:

• Charlotte: Charlotte’s finance and fintech footprint creates steady demand for analytics and data roles—especially at large employers like Bank of America (HQ in Charlotte). The city also has a growing ecosystem of smaller analytics-focused companies, including Tresata.
• The Research Triangle (Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill): The Triangle is one of the state’s biggest tech and research hubs. IBM has a long-standing presence in the RTP area, and IBM has publicly stated it spent $300M+ on R&D in North Carolina over a five-year period (reported in 2016). For job hunting, Research Triangle Park is home to major employers such as IBM and Lenovo, plus other large tech organizations listed in the RTP directory (e.g., Cisco, Dell EMC, RTI International). SAS—a major analytics employer—is headquartered nearby in Cary.
• The Piedmont Triad (Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point): The region’s innovation economy is supported by research districts, including the Innovation Quarter (Winston-Salem) and Gateway Research Park (Greensboro), which create a pipeline for applied research and data-adjacent roles (often tied to life sciences, health, and engineering).

Data Scientist Salaries in North Carolina

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2024, data scientists in North Carolina averaged $118,020 per year.

Information last updated: December 2025

Interested in STEM Careers?

If you’re looking for information on career paths that involve STEM, see our guides below:

Data Science and Analytics Careers:

Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Information Careers:

• Computer Engineer
• Computer Scientist
• Information Security Analyst
• Computer and Information Research Scientist
• Computer Systems Analyst

Marketing and User Research Careers:

• Marketing Analyst
• Market Research Analyst
• Digital Marketer
• UX Designer

Compare Careers and STEM Fields:

• Data Analyst vs. Data Scientist
• Computer Science vs. Computer Engineering
• Cybersecurity vs. Computer Science
• Data Analytics vs. Business Analytics
• Data Science vs. Machine Learning

Related Graduate STEM Degrees

Related Undergraduate STEM Degrees

• Online Bachelor’s in Data Science
• Online Bachelor’s in Computer Science
• Sponsored: Computer Science at Simmons

Data Science Programs in North Carolina

Below is a list of universities in North Carolina that offer Masters of Data Science programs (and/or closely related programs, like MS in Analytics / Masters in Business Analytics). The university’s website will have the most up to date information on specific programs.

If you represent a university and would like to contact us about editing any of our listings, or adding new programs, please send an email to info@mastersindatascience.org.