Best Higher Education Administration Schools in Wilkes-Barre, PA

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

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs, with tuition ranging from $10,567 to $83,756 per year for indexed programs. Wilkes-Barre has a population of about 44,217. Median household income is $47,970 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $102,000 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Wilkes-Barre

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

Marywood University

Scranton, PA 18.0 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 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

#2

DeSales University

Center Valley, PA 55.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 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

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#3

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA 56.2 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 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

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA 79.8 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 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

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#5

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA 85.7 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 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

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 88.2 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 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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#7

Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA 88.6 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 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

#8

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 90.5 miles from Wilkes-Barre
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania higher education administration page.

Higher Education Administration Wages Near Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes-Barre is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). 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 $102,000 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $108,974
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $59,220 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $63,269
Instructional Coordinators $69,000 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $73,718
Training and Development Specialists $61,970 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $66,207
Education Administrators, All Other $95,190 PA statewide $101,699
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $37,070 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $39,605
Social and Community Service Managers $75,710 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $80,887
Human Resources Specialists $65,360 Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA $69,829

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.

Wilkes-Barre at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,217 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,970 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilkes-Barre-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near Wilkes-Barre, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near Wilkes-Barre. The closest is Marywood University in Scranton, PA (18.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Gwynedd Mercy University (79.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Wilkes-Barre are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($102,000), Education Administrators, All Other ($95,190), Social and Community Service Managers ($75,710). 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 Scranton instead of Wilkes-Barre?

Scranton, PA is 15.4 miles from Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre an affordable place to study higher education administration?

Wilkes-Barre’s median household income of $47,970 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre

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

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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