Best Emergency Management Schools Near Altoona, PA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Altoona, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering emergency management programs, with tuition ranging from $20,644 to $82,902 per year for indexed programs. Altoona has a population of about 43,508. Median household income is $50,171 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning emergency management-related role is First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at a median $101,050 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Emergency Management Schools to Altoona

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

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 34.5 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $32,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 214

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, PA 34.5 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $19,550/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA 66.8 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
72.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,204
Avg net price $37,607/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,650
Out‑of‑state$65,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA 81.7 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,125
Avg net price $30,434/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 239

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Pennsylvania College of Technology

Williamsport, PA 87.7 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,567
Avg net price $25,110/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, PA 94.2 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,032
Avg net price $19,608/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, PA 113.3 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,246
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA 152.9 miles from Altoona
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,701
Avg net price $24,258/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Emergency Management Wages Near Altoona

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Pennsylvania, statewide)
Emergency Management Director$81,550
Firefighter$73,460
Emergency Medical Technician$43,310
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$101,050

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.

Altoona at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population43,508Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$50,171Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+19.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Altoona-Area Cities With Emergency Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited emergency management schools are near Altoona, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering emergency management programs near Altoona. The closest is Pennsylvania State University-World Campus in University Park, PA (34.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Community College of Allegheny County (85.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying emergency management roles in Pennsylvania?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying emergency management-related roles in Pennsylvania are: First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($101,050), Emergency Management Director ($81,550), Firefighter ($73,460). Wages for Altoona workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Johnstown instead of Altoona?

Johnstown, PA is 30.0 miles from Altoona and has its own set of local emergency management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Altoona an affordable place to study emergency management?

Altoona’s median household income of $50,171 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Altoona 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 Emergency Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Altoona

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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