Best ABA Schools Near Columbia, TN (2026)

Columbia, Tennessee has 4 accredited schools offering applied behavior analysis programs, with tuition ranging from $12,132 to $27,392 per year for indexed programs. Columbia has a population of about 43,971. Median household income is $61,204 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning applied behavior analysis-related role is Special Education Teacher, All Other at a median $63,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Applied Behavior Analysis Schools to Columbia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer applied behavior analysis programs near Columbia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbia 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:

  • 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 Columbia. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 36.2 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 38.7 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,565
Avg net price $15,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN 90.3 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,485
Avg net price $21,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Tennessee schools on the Tennessee applied behavior analysis page.


Applied Behavior Analysis Wages Near Columbia

Columbia is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area (BLS area code 34980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$50,810Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$52,762
Therapist, All Other$59,390Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$61,672
Special Education Teacher, All Other$63,300Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$65,732
Counselor, All Other$45,870Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$47,632

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.


Columbia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population43,971Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$61,204Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Applied Behavior Analysis Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited applied behavior analysis schools are near Columbia, TN?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering applied behavior analysis programs near Columbia. The closest is Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN (36.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Freed-Hardeman University (90.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying applied behavior analysis roles near Columbia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying applied behavior analysis-related roles near Columbia are: Special Education Teacher, All Other ($63,300), Therapist, All Other ($59,390), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($50,810). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Spring Hill instead of Columbia?

Spring Hill, TN is 11.3 miles from Columbia and has its own set of local applied behavior analysis programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Columbia an affordable place to study applied behavior analysis?

Columbia’s median household income of $61,204 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Applied Behavior Analysis Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbia

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Columbia:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.