Best Online Elementary Education Programs in Athens, OH (2026)

Athens, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs. Athens has a population of about 23,211. Median household income is $37,059 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 67.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Ohio, the top-earning elementary education-related role is Secondary School Teacher at a median $78,800 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Elementary Education Schools to Athens

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

#1

Ohio State University-Newark Campus

Newark, OH 54.6 miles from Athens BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $14,767/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 26%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Franklin University

Columbus, OH 64.4 miles from Athens BOC Score 35.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,892
Avg net price $25,243/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 40%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH 67.1 miles from Athens BOC Score 80.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $17,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Mount Vernon, OH 75.1 miles from Athens BOC Score 55.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,555
Avg net price $22,421/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,158
Out‑of‑state$37,158
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Ohio Wesleyan University

Delaware, OH 84.5 miles from Athens BOC Score 53.7
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,624
Avg net price $20,897/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Cedarville University

Cedarville, OH 96.2 miles from Athens BOC Score 66.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,443
Avg net price $24,468/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Wittenberg University

Springfield, OH 100.4 miles from Athens BOC Score 55.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,947
Avg net price $18,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus

Mansfield, OH 104.8 miles from Athens BOC Score 29.6
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 17%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $16,197/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Elementary Education Wages Near Athens

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Ohio, statewide)
Elementary School Teacher$77,370
Middle School Teacher$77,090
Secondary School Teacher$78,800
Teaching Assistant$35,920

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.


Athens at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population23,211Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$37,059Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+67.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Athens-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited elementary education schools are near Athens, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Athens. The closest is West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg, WV (32.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ohio State University-Main Campus (67.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying elementary education roles in Ohio?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles in Ohio are: Secondary School Teacher ($78,800), Elementary School Teacher ($77,370), Middle School Teacher ($77,090). Wages for Athens workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Parkersburg instead of Athens?

Parkersburg, WV is 30.1 miles from Athens and has its own set of local elementary education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Athens an affordable place to study elementary education?

Athens’s median household income of $37,059 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Athens while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Athens

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

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.