Best Online Elementary Education Programs in Cleveland, TN (2026)

Cleveland, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs, with tuition ranging from $19,800 to $31,270 per year for indexed programs. Cleveland has a population of about 48,185. Median household income is $55,904 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, TN metro area, the top-earning elementary education-related role is Secondary School Teacher at a median $63,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Elementary Education Schools to Cleveland

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

#1

Lee University

Cleveland, TN 1.0 miles from Cleveland BOC Score 48.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,222
Avg net price $18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Elementary Education Wages Near Cleveland

Cleveland is part of the Cleveland, TN metro area (BLS area code 17420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Elementary School Teacher$59,330Cleveland, TN$67,344
Middle School Teacher$61,760Cleveland, TN$70,102
Secondary School Teacher$63,380Cleveland, TN$71,941
Teaching Assistant$23,940Cleveland, TN$27,174

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.


Cleveland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,185Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,904Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cleveland-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited elementary education schools are near Cleveland, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Cleveland. The closest is Lee University in Cleveland, TN (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (25.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying elementary education roles near Cleveland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles near Cleveland are: Secondary School Teacher ($63,380), Middle School Teacher ($61,760), Elementary School Teacher ($59,330). 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 Chattanooga instead of Cleveland?

Chattanooga, TN is 22.8 miles from Cleveland 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 Cleveland an affordable place to study elementary education?

Cleveland’s median household income of $55,904 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cleveland 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Cleveland

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.