Best Online Communications Programs in Shelbyville, TN (2026)

Shelbyville, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs, with tuition ranging from $42,540 to $62,570 per year for indexed programs. Shelbyville has a population of about 24,125. Median household income is $52,290 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $127,390 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Communications Schools to Shelbyville

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

#1

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 24.7 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 43.5 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 52.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,378
Avg net price $16,813/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 46.2 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 48.0 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 61.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,930
Avg net price $33,147/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,540
Out‑of‑state$42,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 44

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

#5

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 49.0 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 91.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN 50.8 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 34.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,730
Avg net price $15,796/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 70.5 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 61.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,501
Avg net price $14,246/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 72.2 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 54.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,151
Avg net price $14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Communications Wages Near Shelbyville

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Tennessee, statewide)
Public Relations Specialist$60,900
Public Relations Manager$127,390
News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist$62,390
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$69,790

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.


Shelbyville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,125Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,290Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+11.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Shelbyville-Area Cities With Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Shelbyville, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Shelbyville. The closest is Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN (24.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Vanderbilt University (49.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles in Tennessee?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles in Tennessee are: Public Relations Manager ($127,390), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($69,790), News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist ($62,390). Wages for Shelbyville workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Murfreesboro instead of Shelbyville?

Murfreesboro, TN is 24.4 miles from Shelbyville and has its own set of local communications programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Shelbyville an affordable place to study communications?

Shelbyville’s median household income of $52,290 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Shelbyville 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 Communications Programs

Other Programs Available in Shelbyville

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.