Best Online Healthcare Programs in Harrisburg, PA (2026)

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has a population of about 50,092. The city’s median household income is $47,783 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. There are 5 accredited healthcare programs within 100 miles of Harrisburg, with tuition ranging from $50,320 to $63,990 per year. In the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area, the top-earning healthcare-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $103,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Healthcare Schools to Harrisburg

The five accredited institutions below are the closest options indexed in our directory that offer healthcare programs. Distances are calculated from Harrisburg city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHarrisburg, PA1.6 miContact school for pricing
Central Penn CollegeSummerdale, PA3.2 miContact school for pricing
Messiah UniversityMechanicsburg, PA7.4 miContact school for pricing
Elizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown, PA17.6 miContact school for pricing
Lebanon Valley CollegeAnnville, PA19.9 mi$50,320 - $63,990

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


Healthcare 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)
Medical and Health Services Manager$103,420Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$104,782
Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar$61,900Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$62,715
Medical Records Specialist$48,750Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$49,392
Medical Secretary or Administrative Assistant$42,850Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$43,414
Healthcare Social Worker$64,630Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$65,481
Epidemiologist$83,800PA statewide$84,904

Source: BLS, May 2024 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
Healthcare-related employment in Dauphin County39,478 workers, 1,221 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Harrisburg-Area Cities With Healthcare Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited healthcare programs are near Harrisburg, PA?

Our directory lists 5 healthcare programs within 100 miles of Harrisburg. The closest is Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, PA (1.6 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Lebanon Valley College (19.9 miles). 0 of these programs are offered fully online.

What are the highest-paying healthcare roles near Harrisburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying healthcare-related roles near Harrisburg are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($103,420), Epidemiologist ($83,800), Healthcare Social Worker ($64,630). 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 healthcare 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 healthcare?

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.