Best Sports Management Schools Near Chattanooga, TN (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Chattanooga, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering sports management programs, with tuition ranging from $19,800 to $31,270 per year for indexed programs. Chattanooga has a population of about 182,832. Median household income is $61,028 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area, the top-earning sports management-related role is Entertainment and Recreation Manager at a median $66,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Sports Management Schools to Chattanooga

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

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 11.2 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,723
Avg net price $24,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lee University

Cleveland, TN 22.4 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,222
Avg net price $18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 33.0 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,434
Avg net price $20,614/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,800
Out‑of‑state$19,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 30

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

#4

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 45.4 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,989
Avg net price $14,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 82.7 miles from Chattanooga
  • 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

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 96.4 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Cumberland University

Lebanon, TN 98.3 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,687
Avg net price $18,759/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

The University of Tennessee Southern

Pulaski, TN 101.4 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,924
Avg net price $12,798/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Sports Management Wages Near Chattanooga

Chattanooga is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area (BLS area code 16860). 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)
Coach and Scout $36,490 Chattanooga, TN-GA $39,880
Entertainment and Recreation Manager $66,300 Chattanooga, TN-GA $72,459
Meeting and Event Planner $52,080 Chattanooga, TN-GA $56,918
Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor $46,630 Chattanooga, TN-GA $50,962

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.

Chattanooga at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 182,832 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,028 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Chattanooga-Area Cities With Sports Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sports management schools are near Chattanooga, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sports management programs near Chattanooga. The closest is Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA (10.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Tennessee Wesleyan University (45.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sports management roles near Chattanooga?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sports management-related roles near Chattanooga are: Entertainment and Recreation Manager ($66,300), Meeting and Event Planner ($52,080), Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor ($46,630). 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 East Ridge instead of Chattanooga?

East Ridge, TN is 4.9 miles from Chattanooga and has its own set of local sports management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Chattanooga an affordable place to study sports management?

Chattanooga’s median household income of $61,028 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chattanooga 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 Sports Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Chattanooga

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

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