Best Online Human Services Programs in East Ridge, TN (2026)

East Ridge, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $19,800 to $31,270 per year for indexed 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 the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $78,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to East Ridge

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer human services 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:

  • 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.

#1

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 36.8 miles from East Ridge BOC Score 48.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,434
Avg net price $20,614/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,800
Out‑of‑state$19,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 18

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

#2

American Baptist College

Nashville, TN 120.4 miles from East Ridge BOC Score 37.4
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,216
Avg net price $9,216/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,604
Out‑of‑state$13,604
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:Accreditor: Association for Biblical Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, TN 124.9 miles from East Ridge BOC Score 48.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,382
Avg net price $20,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,700
Out‑of‑state$34,700
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 39

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

#4

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 184.3 miles from East Ridge BOC Score 51.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Bethel University

McKenzie, TN 200.9 miles from East Ridge BOC Score 39.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,482
Avg net price $12,595/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,712
Out‑of‑state$18,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 22

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

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


Human Services 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant$39,520Chattanooga, TN-GA$43,191
Social and Community Service Manager$78,400Chattanooga, TN-GA$85,683
Child, Family and School Social Worker$52,330Chattanooga, TN-GA$57,191
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$55,270Chattanooga, TN-GA$60,404

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

MetricValueSource
Population22,034Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,988Census 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 Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near East Ridge, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near East Ridge. The closest is Bryan College-Dayton in Dayton, TN (36.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Spelman College (98.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles near East Ridge?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near East Ridge are: Social and Community Service Manager ($78,400), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($55,270), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($52,330). 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 human services 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 human services?

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 Human Services Programs

Other Programs Available in East Ridge

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

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.