Best Film Schools Near Harrisburg, PA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $25,588 to $37,319 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 film-related role is Writers and Authors at a median $77,740 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Harrisburg

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film 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

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 9.9 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#2

York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA 24.2 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

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#3

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

#4

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA 35.6 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,517
Avg net price $31,490/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 62.8 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#6

Lycoming College

Williamsport, PA 67.4 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,210
Avg net price $19,140/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

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

#8

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 92.1 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $111,371
Avg net price $28,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Film 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)
Film and Video Editors $56,680 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $57,427
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $40,030 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $40,557
Producers and Directors $73,280 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $74,245
Special Effects Artists and Animators $71,760 PA statewide $72,705
Audio and Video Technicians $57,970 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $58,734
Sound Engineering Technicians $49,490 PA statewide $50,142
Writers and Authors $77,740 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $78,764
Graphic Designers $58,150 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $58,916

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 Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Harrisburg, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering film programs near Harrisburg. The closest is Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Berks Career & Technology Center (47.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Harrisburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Harrisburg are: Writers and Authors ($77,740), Producers and Directors ($73,280), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($71,760). 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 film 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 film?

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 Film Programs

Other Programs Available in Harrisburg

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 Film Schools in Pennsylvania: Online Programs (2026)