Best Economics Schools Near Oak Ridge, TN (2026)

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

Oak Ridge, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $32,305 to $48,301 per year for indexed programs. Oak Ridge has a population of about 32,088. Median household income is $71,000 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning economics-related role is Economist at a median $117,650 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Economics Schools to Oak Ridge

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics programs near Oak Ridge, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Oak Ridge 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 Oak Ridge. 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

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 20.6 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Maryville College

Maryville, TN 23.6 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,279
Avg net price $19,360/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 69.1 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.8 BOC Score
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: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 84.9 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
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: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The University of the South

Sewanee, TN 105.4 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
63.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,911
Avg net price $27,872/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 110.0 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Milligan University

Milligan, TN 114.0 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,641
Avg net price $21,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 115.9 miles from Oak Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
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: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Economics Wages Near Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge is part of the Knoxville, TN metro area (BLS area code 28940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Economist$117,650TN statewide$127,052
Financial and Investment Analyst$85,570Knoxville, TN$92,408
Statistician$98,230TN statewide$106,080
Management Analyst$97,470Knoxville, TN$105,259

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.

Oak Ridge at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,088Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,000Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+39.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Oak Ridge-Area Cities With Economics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Oak Ridge, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering economics programs near Oak Ridge. The closest is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville in Knoxville, TN (20.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Western Carolina University (76.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Oak Ridge?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Oak Ridge are: Economist ($117,650), Statistician ($98,230), Management Analyst ($97,470). 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 Farragut instead of Oak Ridge?

Farragut, TN is 8.9 miles from Oak Ridge and has its own set of local economics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Oak Ridge an affordable place to study economics?

Oak Ridge’s median household income of $71,000 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Oak Ridge 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 Economics Programs

Other Programs Available in Oak Ridge

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

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.

Back to Best Economics Schools in Tennessee: Online Programs (2026)