Best Environmental Science Schools Near Hanover, PA (2026)

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

Hanover, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $24,400 to $82,902 per year for indexed programs. Hanover has a population of about 16,483. Median household income is $64,135 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the York-Hanover, PA metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $102,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Hanover

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

York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA 16.4 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
66.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,012
Avg net price $18,556/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,588
Out‑of‑state$25,588
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 23.8 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,064
Avg net price $26,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA 29.3 miles from Hanover
  • 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

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Harrisburg, PA 31.6 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
45.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 87%
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,374
Avg net price $15,376/yr
Tuition
In‑state$24,400
Out‑of‑state$24,400
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA 33.2 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,351
Avg net price $23,726/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, PA 35.7 miles from Hanover
  • 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

#7

Wilson College

Chambersburg, PA 36.6 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,326
Avg net price $21,741/yr
Tuition
In‑state$27,100
Out‑of‑state$27,100
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA 38.8 miles from Hanover
  • 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

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Hanover

Hanover is part of the York-Hanover, PA metro area (BLS area code 49620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$76,500York-Hanover, PA$79,688
Conservation Scientist$61,480PA statewide$64,042
Environmental Engineer$102,260York-Hanover, PA$106,521
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$78,540PA statewide$81,812

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.

Hanover at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population16,483Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,135Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hanover-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Hanover, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Hanover. The closest is York College of Pennsylvania in York, PA (16.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (31.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Hanover?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Hanover are: Environmental Engineer ($102,260), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($78,540), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($76,500). 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 Hanover?

York, PA is 17.0 miles from Hanover and has its own set of local environmental science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Hanover an affordable place to study environmental science?

Hanover’s median household income of $64,135 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hanover 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 Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Hanover

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

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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