Best Nutrition Schools Near Harrisburg, PA (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering nutrition programs, with tuition ranging from $20,644 to $41,790 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 nutrition-related role is Food Scientist and Technologist at a median $92,690 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Nutrition Schools to Harrisburg

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nutrition 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

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 9.9 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#2

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 55.6 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,416
Avg net price $15,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 62.8 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: 214

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, PA 62.8 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#5

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA 71.4 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 71.5 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#7

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA 74.9 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,460
Avg net price $18,659/yr
Tuition
In‑state$46,314
Out‑of‑state$46,314
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

King's College

Wilkes-Barre, PA 85.4 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,498
Avg net price $23,093/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nutrition 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)
Dietitian and Nutritionist$65,930Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$66,798
Dietetic Technician$34,080Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$34,529
Health Education Specialist$84,070Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$85,177
Food Scientist and Technologist$92,690Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$93,911

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 Nutrition Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nutrition schools are near Harrisburg, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nutrition programs near Harrisburg. The closest is Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Morgan State University (66.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nutrition roles near Harrisburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nutrition-related roles near Harrisburg are: Food Scientist and Technologist ($92,690), Health Education Specialist ($84,070), Dietitian and Nutritionist ($65,930). 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 nutrition 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 nutrition?

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 Nutrition Programs

Other Programs Available in Harrisburg

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

Data verified: September 1, 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.

Back to Best Nutrition Schools in Pennsylvania: Online Programs (2026)