Best Online Public Health Programs in Reading, PA (2026)

Reading, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering public health programs, with tuition ranging from $46,314 to $57,206 per year for indexed 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 public health-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $102,620 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Public Health Schools to Reading

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public health 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:

  • 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.

#1

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks

Reading, PA 0.3 miles from Reading BOC Score 37.0
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
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: 13

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Reading Area Community College

Reading, PA 0.6 miles from Reading BOC Score 42.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,082
Avg net price $9,228/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences

Reading, PA 1.6 miles from Reading BOC Score 37.0
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,572
Avg net price $28,415/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

American Barber and Beauty Academy

Reading, PA 1.7 miles from Reading BOC Score 66.9
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 84%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Albright College

Reading, PA 1.8 miles from Reading BOC Score 48.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,700
Avg net price $20,024/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Empire Beauty School-Reading

Reading, PA 1.9 miles from Reading BOC Score 37.2
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $23,921
Avg net price $18,160/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Alvernia University

Reading, PA 2.1 miles from Reading BOC Score 53.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,055
Avg net price $28,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Public Health 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Epidemiologist$87,860PA statewide$90,484
Health Education Specialist$74,640Reading, PA$76,869
Medical and Health Services Manager$102,620Reading, PA$105,685
Community Health Worker$50,710PA statewide$52,225

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

MetricValueSource
Population94,836Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$45,599Census 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 Public Health Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public health schools are near Reading, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public health programs near Reading. The closest is Albright College in Reading, PA (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Franklin and Marshall College (29.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public health roles near Reading?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public health-related roles near Reading are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($102,620), Epidemiologist ($87,860), Health Education Specialist ($74,640). 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 public health 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 public health?

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 Public Health Programs

Other Programs Available in Reading

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

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.