Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Chattanooga, TN (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Chattanooga, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering theology 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 Tennessee, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $74,090 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Theology Schools to Chattanooga

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

#3

Pentecostal Theological Seminary

Cleveland, TN 22.5 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 23%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

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

#4

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

#5

The University of the South

Sewanee, TN 39.1 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
63.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,911
Avg net price $27,872/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Johnson University

Knoxville, TN 103.6 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,596
Avg net price $22,063/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 112.6 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,378
Avg net price $16,813/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 113.0 miles from Chattanooga
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Theology 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clergy$59,040Chattanooga, TN-GA$64,525
Director of Religious Activities and Education$61,940TN statewide$67,694
Religious Worker, All Other$43,980TN statewide$48,066
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$74,090TN statewide$80,973

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

MetricValueSource
Population182,832Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$61,028Census 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 Theology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Chattanooga, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Chattanooga. The closest is Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA (10.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bryan College-Dayton (33.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Chattanooga?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Chattanooga are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($74,090), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($61,940), Clergy ($59,040). 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 theology 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 theology?

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 Theology Programs

Other Programs Available in Chattanooga

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

Data verified: September 1, 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 Theology & Ministry Schools in Tennessee (2026)