Best Professional Writing Schools Near Waynesboro, PA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Waynesboro, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering professional writing programs, with tuition ranging from $25,588 to $37,319 per year for indexed programs. Waynesboro has a population of about 11,044. Median household income is $58,311 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning professional writing-related role is Technical Writer at a median $87,620 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Professional Writing Schools to Waynesboro

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

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA 21.3 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,351
Avg net price $23,726/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA 47.2 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
66.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,012
Avg net price $18,556/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,588
Out‑of‑state$25,588
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 59.1 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,399
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown

Johnstown, PA 75.2 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
48.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,125
Avg net price $18,202/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks

Reading, PA 94.8 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
37.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 99%
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $24,356/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 106.2 miles from Waynesboro
  • 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

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, PA 108.6 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,775
Avg net price $21,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg

Greensburg, PA 109.4 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
40.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,125
Avg net price $17,945/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Professional Writing Wages Near Waynesboro

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Pennsylvania, statewide)
Writer and Author$77,410
Technical Writer$87,620
Editor$63,460

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.

Waynesboro at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population11,044Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$58,311Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)94.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Waynesboro-Area Cities With Professional Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited professional writing schools are near Waynesboro, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering professional writing programs near Waynesboro. The closest is Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in Shippensburg, PA (21.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Goucher College (57.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying professional writing roles in Pennsylvania?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying professional writing-related roles in Pennsylvania are: Technical Writer ($87,620), Writer and Author ($77,410), Editor ($63,460). Wages for Waynesboro workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Hagerstown instead of Waynesboro?

Hagerstown, MD is 10.7 miles from Waynesboro and has its own set of local professional writing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Waynesboro an affordable place to study professional writing?

Waynesboro’s median household income of $58,311 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waynesboro 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 Professional Writing Programs

Other Programs Available in Waynesboro

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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