Best Creative Writing Schools Near Harrisburg, PA (2026)

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

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $67,812 to $83,756 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 creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $103,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Harrisburg

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing 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.

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 Harrisburg. 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

Lebanon Valley College

Annville, PA 19.9 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,621
Avg net price $26,979/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA 33.7 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
63.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,124
Avg net price $36,425/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, PA 36.1 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,723
Avg net price $28,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA 46.9 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
67.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $93,807
Avg net price $40,766/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,812
Out‑of‑state$67,812
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA 74.9 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,460
Avg net price $18,659/yr
Tuition
In‑state$46,314
Out‑of‑state$46,314
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, PA 75.7 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,107
Avg net price $28,905/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

DeSales University

Center Valley, PA 81.4 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,295
Avg net price $31,643/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA 83.8 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,555
Avg net price $20,150/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania creative writing page.

Creative Writing 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$77,740Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$78,764
Editor$62,930Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$63,759
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$103,540Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$104,904

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

MetricValueSource
Population50,092Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$47,783Census 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 Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Harrisburg, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Harrisburg. The closest is Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA (19.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is McDaniel College (48.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near Harrisburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Harrisburg are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($103,540), Writer and Author ($77,740), Editor ($62,930). 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 creative writing 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 creative writing?

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 Creative Writing Programs

Other Programs Available in Harrisburg

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

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.

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