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Best Environmental Policy Schools Near Chattanooga, TN (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Chattanooga, Tennessee is home to about 182,832 residents. Median household income is $61,028 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning environmental policy-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $124,530 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Environmental Policy Schools to Chattanooga
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental policy programs near Chattanooga, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chattanooga 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:
BOCSCORE
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 Chattanooga.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Chattanooga is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area (BLS area code 16860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$76,840
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$83,978
Compliance Officers
$68,000
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$74,317
Management Analysts
$96,870
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$105,869
Economists
$117,650
TN statewide
$128,579
Political Scientists
N/A
TN statewide
–
Conservation Scientists
$70,500
TN statewide
$77,049
Natural Sciences Managers
$124,530
TN statewide
$136,098
Environmental Engineers
$88,040
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$96,219
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.
Chattanooga at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
182,832
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$61,028
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
35.5%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
91.5 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Chattanooga-Area Cities With Environmental Policy Programs
What are the highest-paying environmental policy roles near Chattanooga?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental policy-related roles near Chattanooga are: Natural Sciences Managers ($124,530), Economists ($117,650), Management Analysts ($96,870). 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 East Ridge instead of Chattanooga?
East Ridge, TN is 4.9 miles from Chattanooga and has its own set of local environmental policy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Chattanooga an affordable place to study environmental policy?
Chattanooga’s median household income of $61,028 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chattanooga 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.
Data verified: September 7, 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.
