Best Journalism Schools Near Lebanon, TN (2026)

Lebanon, Tennessee has 7 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $9,006 to $42,540 per year for indexed programs. Lebanon has a population of about 41,951. Median household income is $71,320 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $64,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Journalism Schools to Lebanon

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

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 24.6 miles from Lebanon
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 25.5 miles from Lebanon
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
61.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,930
Avg net price $33,147/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,540
Out‑of‑state$42,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 44

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

#3

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 26.2 miles from Lebanon
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN 60.5 miles from Lebanon
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
44.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,301
Avg net price $9,735/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,006
Out‑of‑state$14,766
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 38

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

#5

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 108.0 miles from Lebanon
  • 4 year
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,723
Avg net price $24,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 136.0 miles from Lebanon
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN 138.7 miles from Lebanon
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,485
Avg net price $21,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Union University

Jackson, TN 145.0 miles from Lebanon
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Journalism Wages Near Lebanon

Lebanon is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area (BLS area code 34980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$62,770Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$65,182
Editor$64,250Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$66,719
Public Relations Specialist$62,870Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$65,286

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.


Lebanon at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population41,951Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,320Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lebanon-Area Cities With Journalism Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Lebanon, TN?

Our directory has 7 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Lebanon. The closest is Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN (23.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Campbellsville University (96.2 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Lebanon?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Lebanon are: Editor ($64,250), Public Relations Specialist ($62,870), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($62,770). 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 Mount Juliet instead of Lebanon?

Mount Juliet, TN is 9.2 miles from Lebanon and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lebanon an affordable place to study journalism?

Lebanon’s median household income of $71,320 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lebanon 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 Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in Lebanon

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.