Best General Studies Schools Near Cookeville, TN (2026)

Cookeville, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $19,800 to $31,270 per year for indexed programs. Cookeville has a population of about 35,544. Median household income is $48,501 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $106,970 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest General Studies Schools to Cookeville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Cookeville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cookeville 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 Cookeville. 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.

Sort:
#1

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 1.9 miles from Cookeville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,501
Avg net price $14,246/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


General Studies Wages Near Cookeville

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Tennessee, statewide)
General and Operations Managers $106,970
Management Analysts $99,260
Human Resources Specialists $67,370
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $69,790
Writers and Authors $58,870
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,860
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $66,390
Social and Community Service Managers $88,240

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.


Cookeville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,544 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,501 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Cookeville-Area Cities With General Studies Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Cookeville, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Cookeville. The closest is Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN (1.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bryan College-Dayton (53.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles in Tennessee?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles in Tennessee are: General and Operations Managers ($106,970), Management Analysts ($99,260), Social and Community Service Managers ($88,240). Wages for Cookeville workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Lebanon instead of Cookeville?

Lebanon, TN is 46.7 miles from Cookeville and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Cookeville an affordable place to study general studies?

Cookeville’s median household income of $48,501 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cookeville 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Cookeville

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

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 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.