Best Forensic Psychology Schools Near Columbia, TN (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Columbia, Tennessee is home to about 43,971 residents. Median household income is $61,204 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning forensic psychology-related role is Psychologists, All Other at a median $138,070 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Forensic Psychology Schools to Columbia

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

Graduation rate 53%

Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,434

Avg net price $20,614/yr

Tuition

In‑state$19,800

Out‑of‑state$19,800

Contact

721 Bryan Drive Dayton, TN 37321
(423) 775-2041
Visit website

Key stats

Retention rate: 68%
Programs offered: 30

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

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

Forensic Psychology Wages Near Columbia

Columbia is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area (BLS area code 34980). 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)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$77,110	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	$80,073
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$58,010	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	$60,239
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$78,460	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	$81,475
Forensic Science Technicians	$78,480	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	$81,495
Psychologists, All Other	$138,070	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	$143,375
Social and Human Service Assistants	$43,860	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	$45,545
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$94,420	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	$98,048
Rehabilitation Counselors	$46,490	Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	$48,276

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.

Columbia at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	43,971	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$61,204	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	23.9%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	96.3 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Forensic Psychology Programs

Spring Hill, TN – 11.3 mi away (40,552 pop)
Franklin, TN – 23.4 mi away (74,794 pop)
Brentwood, TN – 29.7 mi away (42,517 pop)
Shelbyville, TN – 34.6 mi away (21,083 pop)
Smyrna, TN – 38.1 mi away (48,596 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying forensic psychology roles near Columbia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic psychology-related roles near Columbia are: Psychologists, All Other ($138,070), First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives ($94,420), Forensic Science Technicians ($78,480). 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 Spring Hill instead of Columbia?

Spring Hill, TN is 11.3 miles from Columbia and has its own set of local forensic psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Columbia an affordable place to study forensic psychology?

Columbia’s median household income of $61,204 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia 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 Forensic Psychology Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbia

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

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