Best Elementary Education Schools Near Reading, PA (2026)

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

Reading, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs. Reading has a population of about 94,836. Median household income is $45,599 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Reading, PA metro area, the top-earning elementary education-related role is Middle School Teacher at a median $81,120 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Elementary Education Schools to Reading

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer elementary education programs near Reading, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Reading 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 Reading. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, PA 14.1 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,775
Avg net price $21,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Valley Forge

Phoenixville, PA 25.2 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,016
Avg net price $32,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA 34.1 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $105,584
Avg net price $36,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA 38.0 miles from Reading
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#5

Neumann University

Aston, PA 41.2 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,817
Avg net price $27,804/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA 43.5 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,881
Avg net price $29,689/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg

Middletown, PA 44.0 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
41.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 98%
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $23,330/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA 47.1 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,648
Avg net price $38,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Elementary Education Wages Near Reading

Reading is part of the Reading, PA metro area (BLS area code 39740). 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)
Elementary School Teacher $79,860 Reading, PA $82,245
Middle School Teacher $81,120 Reading, PA $83,543
Secondary School Teacher $80,250 Reading, PA $82,647
Teaching Assistant $34,450 Reading, PA $35,479

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.

Reading at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,836 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $45,599 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 11.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Reading-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited elementary education schools are near Reading, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Reading. The closest is Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in Kutztown, PA (14.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rosemont College (38.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying elementary education roles near Reading?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles near Reading are: Middle School Teacher ($81,120), Secondary School Teacher ($80,250), Elementary School Teacher ($79,860). 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 Pottstown instead of Reading?

Pottstown, PA is 16.1 miles from Reading and has its own set of local elementary education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Reading an affordable place to study elementary education?

Reading’s median household income of $45,599 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Reading 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Reading

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

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.

Back to Best Elementary Education Schools in Pennsylvania (2026)