Best Sociology Schools Near Columbia, TN (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Columbia, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs, with tuition ranging from $42,540 to $62,570 per year for indexed programs. Columbia has a population of about 43,971. Median household income is $61,204 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning sociology-related role is Social and Community Service Managers at a median $89,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to Columbia

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

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 38.2 miles from Columbia
  • 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

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 38.7 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,565
Avg net price $15,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN 39.5 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,730
Avg net price $15,796/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Fisk University

Nashville, TN 40.0 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
21.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,454
Avg net price $32,020/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 41.6 miles from Columbia
  • 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

#6

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN 65.2 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,301
Avg net price $9,735/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,006
Out‑of‑state$14,766
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 65

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

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#7

Bethel University

McKenzie, TN 89.6 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
39.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,482
Avg net price $12,595/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,712
Out‑of‑state$18,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 38

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

#8

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 94.5 miles from Columbia
  • 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

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

Sociology Wages Near Columbia

Columbia is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area (BLS area code 34980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists N/A TN statewide –
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $85,070 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN $88,339
Social and Human Service Assistants $43,860 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN $45,545
Survey Researchers $70,400 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN $73,105
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $55,630 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN $57,767
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $77,240 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN $80,208
Social Science Research Assistants $46,410 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN $48,193
Social and Community Service Managers $89,840 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN $93,292

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.

Columbia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 43,971 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,204 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near Columbia, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Columbia. The closest is Belmont University in Nashville, TN (38.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Middle Tennessee State University (41.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Columbia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Columbia are: Social and Community Service Managers ($89,840), Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($85,070), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($77,240). 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 Spring Hill instead of Columbia?

Spring Hill, TN is 11.3 miles from Columbia and has its own set of local sociology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Columbia an affordable place to study sociology?

Columbia’s median household income of $61,204 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia 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 Sociology Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbia

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 Sociology Schools in Tennessee: Online Programs (2026)