Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Hendersonville, TN

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

Hendersonville, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs, with tuition ranging from $42,540 to $62,570 per year for indexed programs. Hendersonville has a population of about 62,390. Median household income is $91,503 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $77,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Theology Schools to Hendersonville

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

Welch College

Gallatin, TN 5.1 miles from Hendersonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,198
Avg net price $25,263/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 14.3 miles from Hendersonville
  • 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

#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 15.8 miles from Hendersonville
  • 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

#4

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 16.0 miles from Hendersonville
  • 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

#5

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 17.8 miles from Hendersonville
  • 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

#6

The University of the South

Sewanee, TN 85.1 miles from Hendersonville
  • 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

#7

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 105.6 miles from Hendersonville
  • 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

#8

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 122.9 miles from Hendersonville
  • 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

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

Theology Wages Near Hendersonville

Hendersonville 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clergy$60,720Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$63,053
Director of Religious Activities and Education$64,340Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$66,812
Religious Worker, All Other$45,290Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$47,030
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$77,910Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$80,903

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.

Hendersonville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population62,390Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$91,503Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+43.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hendersonville-Area Cities With Theology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Hendersonville, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Hendersonville. The closest is Welch College in Gallatin, TN (5.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lipscomb University (17.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Hendersonville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Hendersonville are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($77,910), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($64,340), Clergy ($60,720). 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 Gallatin instead of Hendersonville?

Gallatin, TN is 8.8 miles from Hendersonville 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 Hendersonville an affordable place to study theology?

Hendersonville’s median household income of $91,503 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hendersonville 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 Hendersonville

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

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)