Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Shelbyville, TN (2026)

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

Shelbyville, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $11,770 to $27,098 per year for indexed programs. Shelbyville has a population of about 24,125. Median household income is $52,290 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $99,260 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Shelbyville

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Shelbyville. Distances are calculated from Shelbyville 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 Shelbyville. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 43.5 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score52.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 49.0 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score91.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville, AL 54.3 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score65.0
Published tuition$11,770 - $27,098
Online programsYes

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#4

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 70.5 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score61.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 81.6 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score48.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Shelbyville

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Tennessee, statewide)
Public Relations Specialist$60,900
Management Analyst$99,260
Technical Writer$79,550
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$62,390
Editor$59,550
Training and Development Specialist$62,280
Human Resources Specialist$67,370

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.

Shelbyville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,125Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,290Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+11.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Liberal Arts-related employment in Bedford County38 workers, 6 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Shelbyville-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Shelbyville, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Shelbyville. The closest is Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN (43.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bryan College-Dayton (81.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles in Tennessee?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles in Tennessee are: Management Analyst ($99,260), Technical Writer ($79,550), Human Resources Specialist ($67,370). Wages for Shelbyville workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Murfreesboro instead of Shelbyville?

Murfreesboro, TN is 24.4 miles from Shelbyville 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 Shelbyville an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Shelbyville’s median household income of $52,290 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Shelbyville 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 Shelbyville

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

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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