Best Higher Education Administration Schools in Harrisonburg, VA

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

Harrisonburg, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs. Harrisonburg has a population of about 51,492. Median household income is $59,752 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Harrisonburg, VA metro area, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $134,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Harrisonburg

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

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA 22.2 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,427
Avg net price $12,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 34.2 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 76.9 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 88.9 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 118.8 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,698
Avg net price $24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 153

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk, VA 177.9 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Higher Education Administration Wages Near Harrisonburg

Harrisonburg is part of the Harrisonburg, VA metro area (BLS area code 25500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $134,270 Harrisonburg, VA $141,486
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $60,010 Harrisonburg, VA $63,235
Instructional Coordinators $77,430 Harrisonburg, VA $81,591
Training and Development Specialists $55,920 Harrisonburg, VA $58,925
Education Administrators, All Other $108,820 VA statewide $114,668
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $76,370 Harrisonburg, VA $80,474
Social and Community Service Managers $75,330 Harrisonburg, VA $79,378
Human Resources Specialists $62,310 Harrisonburg, VA $65,659

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.

Harrisonburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,492 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,752 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Harrisonburg-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near Harrisonburg, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near Harrisonburg. The closest is Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA (22.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is George Mason University (88.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Harrisonburg are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($134,270), Education Administrators, All Other ($108,820), Instructional Coordinators ($77,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Staunton instead of Harrisonburg?

Staunton, VA is 21.7 miles from Harrisonburg 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 Harrisonburg an affordable place to study higher education administration?

Harrisonburg’s median household income of $59,752 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Harrisonburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Harrisonburg

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

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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