Best Higher Education Administration Schools in State College, PA

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

State College, Pennsylvania has 4 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs, with tuition ranging from $20,644 to $83,756 per year for indexed programs. State College has a population of about 40,669. Median household income is $47,132 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $103,740 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to State College

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

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 0.5 miles from State College
  • 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

#2

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, PA 0.5 miles from State College
  • 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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#3

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA 52.1 miles from State College
  • 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

#4

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 63.3 miles from State College
  • 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

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#5

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA 112.5 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,125
Avg net price $30,434/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 239

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA 114.7 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 79%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,742
Avg net price $37,730/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Marywood University

Scranton, PA 124.0 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,817
Avg net price $23,388/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, PA 129.0 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,004
Avg net price $25,890/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 50

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 State College

State College is part of the State College, PA metro area (BLS area code 44300). 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 $103,740 PA statewide $107,169
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $56,930 State College, PA $58,812
Instructional Coordinators $77,160 State College, PA $79,711
Training and Development Specialists $75,070 State College, PA $77,552
Education Administrators, All Other $95,190 PA statewide $98,337
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $74,910 PA statewide $77,386
Social and Community Service Managers $69,450 State College, PA $71,746
Human Resources Specialists $64,220 State College, PA $66,343

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.

State College at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,669 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,132 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 70.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other State College-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near State College. The closest is Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus in University Park, PA (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Messiah University (63.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near State College are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($103,740), Education Administrators, All Other ($95,190), Instructional Coordinators ($77,160). 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 Lewistown instead of State College?

Lewistown, PA is 20.0 miles from State College 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 State College an affordable place to study higher education administration?

State College’s median household income of $47,132 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in State College 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 State College

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

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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