Reading, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs. Reading has a population of about 94,836. Median household income is $45,599 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Reading, PA metro area, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $95,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Homeland Security Schools to Reading
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer homeland security programs near Reading, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Reading 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Reading.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
99%
Graduation rate
28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,435
Avg net price
$24,356/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 13
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,082
Avg net price
$9,228/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,572
Avg net price
$28,415/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,700
Avg net price
$20,024/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 62%
- Programs offered: 16
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$23,921
Avg net price
$18,160/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,055
Avg net price
$28,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania homeland security page.
Homeland Security Wages Near Reading
Reading is part of the Reading, PA metro area (BLS area code 39740). 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) |
|---|
| Emergency Management Director | $81,550 | PA statewide | $83,986 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $95,190 | Reading, PA | $98,033 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $87,060 | Reading, PA | $89,660 |
| Transportation Security Screener | $67,330 | PA statewide | $69,341 |
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.
Reading at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 94,836 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $45,599 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 11.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.1 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Reading-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs
- Pottstown, PA – 16.1 mi away (109,052 pop)
- Lebanon, PA – 26.1 mi away (77,839 pop)
- Pottsville, PA – 27.8 mi away (41,479 pop)
- Lancaster, PA – 28.5 mi away (401,205 pop)
- Allentown, PA – 29.6 mi away (678,169 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited homeland security schools are near Reading, PA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Reading. The closest is Immaculata University in Immaculata, PA (28.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Montgomery County Community College (36.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying homeland security roles near Reading?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near Reading are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($95,190), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($87,060), Emergency Management Director ($81,550). 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 Pottstown instead of Reading?
Pottstown, PA is 16.1 miles from Reading and has its own set of local homeland security programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Reading an affordable place to study homeland security?
Reading’s median household income of $45,599 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Reading 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 Homeland Security Programs
Other Programs Available in Reading
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Data verified: July 30, 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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