East Ridge, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs. East Ridge has a population of about 22,034. Median household income is $55,988 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $81,800 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Homeland Security Schools to East Ridge
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer homeland security programs near East Ridge, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from East Ridge 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 East Ridge.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$31,102
Avg net price
$23,958/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 7%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,151
Avg net price
$14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 35
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$25,954
Avg net price
$33,625/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 31%
- Programs offered: 11
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,723
Avg net price
$24,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 59
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,222
Avg net price
$18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Tennessee schools on the Tennessee homeland security page.
Homeland Security Wages Near East Ridge
East Ridge is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area (BLS area code 16860). 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) |
|---|
| Emergency Management Director | $81,800 | TN statewide | $89,399 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $74,600 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $81,530 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $51,330 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $56,098 |
| Transportation Security Screener | $63,130 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $68,995 |
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.
East Ridge at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 22,034 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $55,988 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 23.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other East Ridge-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs
- Chattanooga, TN – 4.9 mi away (403,618 pop)
- Dalton, GA – 21.5 mi away (87,688 pop)
- Cleveland, TN – 23.9 mi away (71,601 pop)
- Calhoun, GA – 38.5 mi away (33,092 pop)
- Rome, GA – 50.6 mi away (61,019 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited homeland security schools are near East Ridge, TN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near East Ridge. The closest is Lee University in Cleveland, TN (23.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lanier Technical College (94.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying homeland security roles near East Ridge?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near East Ridge are: Emergency Management Director ($81,800), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($74,600), Transportation Security Screener ($63,130). 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 Chattanooga instead of East Ridge?
Chattanooga, TN is 4.9 miles from East Ridge and has its own set of local homeland security programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is East Ridge an affordable place to study homeland security?
East Ridge’s median household income of $55,988 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Ridge 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 Homeland Security Programs
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Data verified: July 30, 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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