Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Bristol, TN

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

Bristol, Tennessee has 1 accredited school offering higher education administration programs. Bristol has a population of about 27,490. 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 Tennessee, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, All Other at a median $118,330 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Bristol

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration 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 — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 104.1 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

South College

Knoxville, TN 106.4 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,642
Avg net price $17,858/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Lee University

Cleveland, TN 177.1 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,222
Avg net price $18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 256.9 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,565
Avg net price $15,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Union University

Jackson, TN 375.7 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,990
Avg net price $27,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN 443.8 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,458
Avg net price $12,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Tennessee schools on the Tennessee higher education administration page.

Higher Education Administration 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)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $87,260 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $100,995
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $60,350 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $69,850
Instructional Coordinators $65,340 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $75,625
Training and Development Specialists $65,610 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $75,937
Education Administrators, All Other $118,330 TN statewide $136,956
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $72,390 TN statewide $83,785
Social and Community Service Managers $83,070 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $96,146
Human Resources Specialists $64,620 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $74,792

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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near Bristol, TN?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near Bristol. The closest is Appalachian State University in Boone, NC (37.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (37.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying higher education administration roles near Bristol?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Bristol are: Education Administrators, All Other ($118,330), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($87,260), Social and Community Service Managers ($83,070). 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 higher education administration 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 higher education administration?

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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Bristol

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

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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