Best Health Science Schools Near Columbus, GA (2026)

Columbus, Georgia has 2 accredited schools offering health science programs. Columbus has a population of about 204,383. Median household income is $56,622 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbus, GA-AL metro area, the top-earning health science-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $112,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Health Science Schools to Columbus

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

Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley, GA 57.2 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
45.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,666
Avg net price $10,338/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Emory University

Atlanta, GA 94.5 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
83.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,137
Avg net price $22,585/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Georgia

Athens, GA 132.4 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
88.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,726
Avg net price $13,936/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Health Science Wages Near Columbus

Columbus is part of the Columbus, GA-AL metro area (BLS area code 17980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical and Health Services Manager$112,440Columbus, GA-AL$125,913
Health Education Specialist$56,070Columbus, GA-AL$62,788
Health Information Technologist$70,170GA statewide$78,578
Health Technologist and Technician$43,810Columbus, GA-AL$49,059

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.


Columbus at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population204,383Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,622Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbus-Area Cities With Health Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited health science schools are near Columbus, GA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering health science programs near Columbus. The closest is Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, GA (57.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Emory University (94.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying health science-related roles near Columbus are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($112,440), Health Information Technologist ($70,170), Health Education Specialist ($56,070). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Phenix City instead of Columbus?

Phenix City, AL is 9.3 miles from Columbus 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.

Is Columbus an affordable place to study health science?

Columbus’s median household income of $56,622 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbus while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 Health Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbus

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

Data verified: August 25, 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.