Best Professional Writing Schools Near Harrisonburg, VA (2026)

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

Harrisonburg, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering professional writing programs, with tuition ranging from $16,090 to $58,702 per year for indexed 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 Virginia, the top-earning professional writing-related role is Technical Writer at a median $93,600 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Professional Writing Schools to Harrisonburg

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

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 0.2 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,954
Avg net price $23,322/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 2.4 miles from Harrisonburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,869
Avg net price $24,588/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Professional Writing Wages Near Harrisonburg

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Virginia, statewide)
Writer and Author$85,000
Technical Writer$93,600
Editor$80,590

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

MetricValueSource
Population51,492Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,752Census 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 Professional Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited professional writing schools are near Harrisonburg, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering professional writing programs near Harrisonburg. The closest is James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA (0.2 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 professional writing roles in Virginia?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying professional writing-related roles in Virginia are: Technical Writer ($93,600), Writer and Author ($85,000), Editor ($80,590). Wages for Harrisonburg workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

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 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 Harrisonburg an affordable place to study professional writing?

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 Professional Writing Programs

Other Programs Available in Harrisonburg

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

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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