Best Journalism Schools Near Harrisburg, PA (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 22 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $6,600 to $64,980 per year for indexed programs. Harrisburg has a population of about 50,092. Median household income is $47,783 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $70,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Harrisburg

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

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, PA 36.0 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,723
Avg net price $28,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wilson College

Chambersburg, PA 46.6 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
44.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,326
Avg net price $21,741/yr
Tuition
In‑state$27,100
Out‑of‑state$27,100
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 62.7 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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: 76

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA 82.4 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
78.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $105,584
Avg net price $36,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 83.0 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Widener University

Chester, PA 85.7 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA 93.6 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
68.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,727
Avg net price $28,198/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 104

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA 101.1 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,652
Avg net price $32,568/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania journalism page.

Journalism Wages Near Harrisburg

Harrisburg is part of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area (BLS area code 25420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and JournalistN/APA statewide–
Editor$62,930Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$63,759
Public Relations Specialist$70,510Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$71,439

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.

Harrisburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population50,092Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$47,783Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Harrisburg-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Harrisburg, PA?

Our directory has 22 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Harrisburg. The closest is Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA (17.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lehigh University (82.3 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Harrisburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Harrisburg are: Public Relations Specialist ($70,510), Editor ($62,930). 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 York instead of Harrisburg?

York, PA is 22.9 miles from Harrisburg and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Harrisburg an affordable place to study journalism?

Harrisburg’s median household income of $47,783 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Harrisburg 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 Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in Harrisburg

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

Data verified: August 11, 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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