Best Education Schools Near Gadsden, AL (2026)

Gadsden, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering education programs. Gadsden has a population of about 33,086. In the Gadsden, AL metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $92,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Gadsden

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

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL 19.3 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,235
Avg net price $14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Talladega College

Talladega, AL 40.1 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
29.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,229
Avg net price $15,560/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Strayer University-Alabama

Birmingham, AL 56.8 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
21.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Tuition
In‑state$13,920
Out‑of‑state$13,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL 56.9 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,501
Avg net price $18,749/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 130

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

#5

Samford University

Birmingham, AL 58.3 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,469
Avg net price $32,622/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville, AL 61.0 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,767
Avg net price $18,796/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,132
Out‑of‑state$26,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 62

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

#7

Huntsville Bible College

Huntsville, AL 61.0 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL 62.1 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 58%
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,628
Avg net price $17,621/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,024
Out‑of‑state$18,634
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 46

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

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


Education Wages Near Gadsden

Gadsden is part of the Gadsden, AL metro area (BLS area code 23460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$58,960Gadsden, AL$68,798
Elementary School Teacher$57,890Gadsden, AL$67,550
Middle School Teacher$61,770AL statewide$72,077
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$63,730AL statewide$74,364
Education Administrator, K-12$92,140Gadsden, AL$107,515
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$74,990Gadsden, AL$87,503
Tutor$35,500AL statewide$41,424
Educational and Career Counselor$56,140Gadsden, AL$65,508

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.


Gadsden at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Etowah County275 workers, 14 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Gadsden-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Gadsden, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Gadsden. The closest is Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL (19.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Berry College (51.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Gadsden?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Gadsden are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($92,140), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($74,990), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($63,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Albertville instead of Gadsden?

Albertville, AL is 20.8 miles from Gadsden and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Gadsden

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

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.