Best Professional Writing Schools Near Bristol, TN (2026)

Bristol, Tennessee has 1 accredited school offering professional writing programs. Bristol has a population of about 27,490. Median household income is $55,007 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning professional writing-related role is Technical Writer at a median $79,550 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Professional Writing Schools to Bristol

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer professional writing programs near Bristol, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bristol 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 Bristol. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 19.6 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Maryville College

Maryville, TN 112.4 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,279
Avg net price $19,360/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 184.9 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,501
Avg net price $14,246/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 236.3 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Professional Writing Wages Near Bristol

Bristol is part of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area (BLS area code 28700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$57,600Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$66,667
Technical Writer$79,550TN statewide$92,072
Editor$45,700Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$52,894

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.


Bristol at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,490Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,007Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Bristol-Area Cities With Professional Writing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited professional writing schools are near Bristol, TN?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering professional writing programs near Bristol. The closest is East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN (19.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is East Tennessee State University (19.6 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying professional writing roles near Bristol?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying professional writing-related roles near Bristol are: Technical Writer ($79,550), Writer and Author ($57,600), Editor ($45,700). 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 Johnson City instead of Bristol?

Johnson City, TN is 17.6 miles from Bristol and has its own set of local professional writing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bristol an affordable place to study professional writing?

Bristol’s median household income of $55,007 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bristol 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 Professional Writing Programs

Other Programs Available in Bristol

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.