Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Lancaster, PA

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

Lancaster, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs. Lancaster has a population of about 57,683. Median household income is $63,421 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lancaster, PA metro area, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $102,060 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Lancaster

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster 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 Lancaster. 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 37.2 miles from Lancaster
  • 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

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 37.7 miles from Lancaster
  • 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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#3

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA 38.7 miles from Lancaster
  • 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

#4

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 50.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 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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#5

Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA 51.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,555
Avg net price $20,150/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Widener University

Chester, PA 51.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,920
Avg net price $25,759/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA 57.2 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,145
Avg net price $27,483/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 58.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 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 higher education administration page.

Higher Education Administration Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Lancaster, PA metro area (BLS area code 29540). 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 $102,060 Lancaster, PA $103,825
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $60,220 Lancaster, PA $61,261
Instructional Coordinators $81,180 Lancaster, PA $82,584
Training and Development Specialists $62,740 Lancaster, PA $63,825
Education Administrators, All Other $95,190 PA statewide $96,836
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $74,910 PA statewide $76,205
Social and Community Service Managers $77,390 Lancaster, PA $78,728
Human Resources Specialists $66,330 Lancaster, PA $67,477

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 57,683 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,421 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near Lancaster. The closest is Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA (37.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Morgan State University (50.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Lancaster are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($102,060), Education Administrators, All Other ($95,190), Instructional Coordinators ($81,180). 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 Lebanon instead of Lancaster?

Lebanon, PA is 21.6 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study higher education administration?

Lancaster’s median household income of $63,421 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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 Lancaster

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

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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