Best Behavioral Health Science Schools Near Columbus, GA

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Columbus, Georgia has 3 accredited schools offering behavioral health science programs, with tuition ranging from $6,088 to $21,981 per year for indexed programs. Columbus has a population of about 204,383. Median household income is $56,622 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbus, GA-AL metro area, the top-earning behavioral health science-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $68,360 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Behavioral Health Science Schools to Columbus

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer behavioral health science programs near Columbus, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbus 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 Columbus. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

University of West Georgia

Carrollton, GA 74.6 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
51.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 52%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,587
Avg net price $12,786/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,088
Out‑of‑state$17,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Clark Atlanta University

Atlanta, GA 89.6 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,712
Avg net price $37,702/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Emory University

Atlanta, GA 94.0 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,137
Avg net price $22,585/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 112

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Georgia Highlands College

Rome, GA 116.3 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,184
Avg net price $6,928/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Thomas University

Thomasville, GA 128.8 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,716
Avg net price $18,499/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Georgia schools on the Georgia behavioral health science page.

Behavioral Health Science Wages Near Columbus

Columbus is part of the Columbus, GA-AL metro area (BLS area code 17980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$55,910Columbus, GA-AL$62,609
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$52,030GA statewide$58,264
Social and Community Service Manager$68,360Columbus, GA-AL$76,551
Social and Human Service Assistant$35,530Columbus, GA-AL$39,787

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.

Columbus at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population204,383Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,622Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbus-Area Cities With Behavioral Health Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited behavioral health science schools are near Columbus, GA?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering behavioral health science programs near Columbus. The closest is University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA (74.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Emory University (94.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying behavioral health science roles near Columbus?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying behavioral health science-related roles near Columbus are: Social and Community Service Manager ($68,360), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($55,910), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($52,030). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Phenix City instead of Columbus?

Phenix City, AL is 9.3 miles from Columbus and has its own set of local behavioral health science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Columbus an affordable place to study behavioral health science?

Columbus’s median household income of $56,622 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbus while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 Behavioral Health Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbus

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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