Best Paralegal Studies Schools Near Cleveland, TN (2026)

Cleveland, Tennessee has 9 accredited schools offering paralegal programs, with tuition ranging from $3,540 to $18,630 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 paralegal-related role is Lawyer at a median $131,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Paralegal Schools to Cleveland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer paralegal 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.

#1

Chattanooga State Community College

Chattanooga, TN 21.6 miles from Cleveland BOC Score 48.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 44

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

#2

Roane State Community College

Harriman, TN 50.4 miles from Cleveland BOC Score 59.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

South College

Knoxville, TN 71.6 miles from Cleveland BOC Score 45.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pellissippi State Community College

Knoxville, TN 83.4 miles from Cleveland BOC Score 54.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Walters State Community College

Morristown, TN 115.1 miles from Cleveland BOC Score 52.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Nashville State Community College

Nashville, TN 129.5 miles from Cleveland BOC Score 39.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,519
Avg net price $6,777/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Southwest Tennessee Community College

Memphis, TN 282.0 miles from Cleveland BOC Score 35.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,071
Avg net price $4,754/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Paralegal Wages Near Cleveland

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

Other Cleveland-Area Cities With Paralegal Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited paralegal schools are near Cleveland, TN?

Our directory has 9 accredited schools offering paralegal programs near Cleveland. The closest is Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, TN (21.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Gwinnett College-Lilburn (98.2 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying paralegal roles near Cleveland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying paralegal-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 paralegal programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Cleveland an affordable place to study paralegal?

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.


Learn More About Paralegal Programs

Other Programs Available in Cleveland

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

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.