Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Johnson City, TN (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Johnson City, Tennessee has 3 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $2,545 to $14,199 per year for indexed programs. Johnson City has a population of about 71,455. Median household income is $55,429 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Johnson City, TN metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $88,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Johnson City

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Johnson City. Distances are calculated from Johnson City city center.

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 Johnson City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Blue Ridge Community College

Flat Rock, NC 71.5 miles from Johnson City BOC Score57.3
Published tuition$2,660 - $13,097
Online programsYes

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#2

Surry Community College

Dobson, NC 92.7 miles from Johnson City BOC Score57.8
Published tuition$2,545 - $14,199
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

Furman University

Greenville, SC 97.8 miles from Johnson City BOC Score74.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Johnson City

Johnson City is part of the Johnson City, TN metro area (BLS area code 27740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$51,890Johnson City, TN$59,033
Management Analyst$88,610Johnson City, TN$100,808
Technical Writer$79,550TN statewide$90,501
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$62,390TN statewide$70,978
Editor$59,550TN statewide$67,747
Training and Development Specialist$58,000Johnson City, TN$65,984
Human Resources Specialist$61,730Johnson City, TN$70,228

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.

Johnson City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population71,455Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,429Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Johnson City-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Johnson City, TN?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Johnson City. The closest is Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, NC (71.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Furman University (97.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Johnson City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Johnson City are: Management Analyst ($88,610), Technical Writer ($79,550), News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist ($62,390). 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 Kingsport instead of Johnson City?

Kingsport, TN is 15.5 miles from Johnson City and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Johnson City an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Johnson City’s median household income of $55,429 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Johnson City 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Johnson City

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

Data verified: June 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.

Back to Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Tennessee (2026)

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