Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Harrisburg, PA

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

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs, with tuition ranging from $20,644 to $83,756 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 higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, All Other at a median $124,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Harrisburg

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration 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

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA 46.9 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
67.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $93,807
Avg net price $40,766/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,812
Out‑of‑state$67,812
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

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

#4

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, PA 62.8 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

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#5

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA 71.4 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#6

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 71.5 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,258
Avg net price $23,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

DeSales University

Center Valley, PA 81.4 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,295
Avg net price $31,643/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 83.2 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $100,423
Avg net price $43,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Higher Education Administration 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)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $104,970 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $106,353
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $63,500 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $64,336
Instructional Coordinators $78,990 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $80,030
Training and Development Specialists $67,370 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $68,257
Education Administrators, All Other $124,920 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $126,565
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $76,340 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $77,345
Social and Community Service Managers $76,220 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $77,224
Human Resources Specialists $70,140 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $71,064

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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near Harrisburg, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near Harrisburg. The closest is Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Morgan State University (66.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying higher education administration roles near Harrisburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Harrisburg are: Education Administrators, All Other ($124,920), Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($104,970), Instructional Coordinators ($78,990). 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 higher education administration 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 higher education administration?

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 Higher Education Administration 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.

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