Best Financial Planning Schools Near Bristol, TN (2026)

Bristol, Tennessee is home to about 27,490 residents. Median household income is $55,007 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area, the top-earning financial planning-related role is Financial Managers at a median $132,280 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Financial Planning Schools to Bristol

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

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN 367.2 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,485
Avg net price $21,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Financial Planning Wages Near Bristol

Bristol is part of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area (BLS area code 28700). 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)
Personal Financial Advisors $89,500 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $103,588
Financial Managers $132,280 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $153,102
Financial and Investment Analysts $82,920 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $95,972
Accountants and Auditors $75,940 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $87,894
Financial Examiners $87,110 TN statewide $100,822
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $47,760 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $55,278
Loan Officers $60,250 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $69,734
Credit Counselors $38,730 TN statewide $44,826

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.


Bristol at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 27,490 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,007 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Bristol-Area Cities With Financial Planning Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying financial planning roles near Bristol?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying financial planning-related roles near Bristol are: Financial Managers ($132,280), Personal Financial Advisors ($89,500), Financial Examiners ($87,110). 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 Johnson City instead of Bristol?

Johnson City, TN is 17.6 miles from Bristol and has its own set of local financial planning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bristol an affordable place to study financial planning?

Bristol’s median household income of $55,007 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bristol 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 Financial Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Bristol

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

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 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.