Best Health Science Schools Near Decatur, AL (2026)

Decatur, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering health science programs. Decatur has a population of about 57,974. In the Decatur, AL metro area, the top-earning health science-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $91,450 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Health Science Schools to Decatur

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

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

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#1

Athens State University

Athens, AL 16.2 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,273
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 44

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

#2

Oakwood University

Huntsville, AL 23.0 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,488
Avg net price $25,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of North Alabama

Florence, AL 42.4 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,415
Avg net price $12,170/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL 74.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,501
Avg net price $18,749/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 130

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

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#5

Samford University

Birmingham, AL 77.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,469
Avg net price $32,622/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL 87.1 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,235
Avg net price $14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL 99.3 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,221
Avg net price $22,420/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,180
Out‑of‑state$34,172
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 115

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

#8

University of West Alabama

Livingston, AL 153.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,232
Avg net price $12,684/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama health science page.


Health Science Wages Near Decatur

Decatur is part of the Decatur, AL metro area (BLS area code 19460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical and Health Services Manager $91,450 Decatur, AL $104,874
Health Education Specialist $65,210 AL statewide $74,782
Health Information Technologist N/A AL statewide
Health Technologist and Technician $43,600 AL statewide $50,000

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.


Decatur at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Decatur-Area Cities With Health Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited health science schools are near Decatur, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering health science programs near Decatur. The closest is Athens State University in Athens, AL (16.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville (70.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying health science roles near Decatur?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying health science-related roles near Decatur are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($91,450), Health Education Specialist ($65,210), Health Technologist and Technician ($43,600). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Athens instead of Decatur?

Athens, AL is 14.7 miles from Decatur and has its own set of local health science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

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 Health Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Decatur

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.