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Best Online Biology Programs in Harrisburg, PA (2026)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $15,972 to $82,902 per year for indexed programs. Harrisburg has a population of about 50,092. Median household income is $47,783 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $81,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Biology Schools to Harrisburg
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Harrisburg, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Harrisburg city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania biology page.
Biology Wages Near Harrisburg
Harrisburg is part of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area (BLS area code 25420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Scientist | $81,260 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $82,330 |
| Biological Technician | $51,320 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $51,996 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $81,040 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $82,107 |
| Soil and Plant Scientist | $70,550 | PA statewide | $71,479 |
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.
Harrisburg at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,092 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $47,783 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 26.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 98.7 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Harrisburg-Area Cities With Biology Programs
- York, PA – 22.9 mi away (232,796 pop)
- Lebanon, PA – 24.7 mi away (77,839 pop)
- Hanover, PA – 32.4 mi away (67,480 pop)
- Lancaster, PA – 34.7 mi away (401,205 pop)
- Shamokin, PA – 39.4 mi away (29,054 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited biology schools are near Harrisburg, PA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Harrisburg. The closest is Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, PA (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Elizabethtown College (17.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying biology roles near Harrisburg?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Harrisburg are: Medical Scientist ($81,260), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($81,040), Soil and Plant Scientist ($70,550). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in York instead of Harrisburg?
York, PA is 22.9 miles from Harrisburg and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Harrisburg an affordable place to study biology?
Harrisburg’s median household income of $47,783 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Harrisburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Biology Programs
- Is a Biology degree worth it?
- Main Biology degree guide
- Online Biology programs in Pennsylvania
- Biology programs by state
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Data verified: August 10, 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.