Best Legal Services Schools Near Cleveland, TN (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Cleveland, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering legal services programs, with tuition ranging from $4,772 to $17,756 per year for indexed programs. Cleveland has a population of about 48,185. Median household income is $55,904 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, TN metro area, the top-earning legal services-related role is Lawyer at a median $131,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

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

Chattanooga State Community College

Chattanooga, TN 21.5 miles from Cleveland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,598
Avg net price $5,283/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,772
Out‑of‑state$17,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

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

#2

Roane State Community College

Harriman, TN 50.3 miles from Cleveland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,407
Avg net price $4,270/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pellissippi State Community College

Knoxville, TN 66.1 miles from Cleveland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,440
Avg net price $4,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

South College

Knoxville, TN 73.6 miles from Cleveland
  • 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

#5

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 75.2 miles from Cleveland
  • 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

#6

Walters State Community College

Morristown, TN 115.0 miles from Cleveland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,085
Avg net price $5,387/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 125.7 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 126.5 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 103

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 legal services page.

Cleveland is part of the Cleveland, TN metro area (BLS area code 17420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Paralegal and Legal Assistant$48,640Cleveland, TN$55,210
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$39,010Cleveland, TN$44,279
Lawyer$131,980Cleveland, TN$149,807

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.

Cleveland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,185Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,904Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering legal services programs near Cleveland. The closest is Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, TN (21.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South College (73.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying legal services-related roles near Cleveland are: Lawyer ($131,980), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($48,640), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($39,010). 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 Cleveland?

Chattanooga, TN is 22.8 miles from Cleveland and has its own set of local legal services programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Cleveland’s median household income of $55,904 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cleveland 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.

Other Programs Available in Cleveland

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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