Best Public Relations Schools Near Harrisburg, PA (2026)

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

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs, with tuition ranging from $25,588 to $37,319 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 public relations-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $124,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Relations Schools to Harrisburg

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

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 17.7 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#3

York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA 24.2 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#4

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, PA 34.4 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,096
Avg net price $25,480/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, PA 36.1 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: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA 36.9 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

#7

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, PA 60.2 miles from Harrisburg
  • 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

Juniata College

Huntingdon, PA 61.6 miles from Harrisburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,918
Avg net price $23,988/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Relations 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)
Public Relations Specialist$70,510Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$71,439
Public Relations Manager$124,250Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$125,887
News Analyst, Reporter, and JournalistN/APA statewide–

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 Public Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public relations schools are near Harrisburg, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public relations programs near Harrisburg. The closest is Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Susquehanna University (36.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public relations roles near Harrisburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public relations-related roles near Harrisburg are: Public Relations Manager ($124,250), Public Relations Specialist ($70,510). 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 public relations 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 public relations?

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 Public Relations Programs

Other Programs Available in Harrisburg

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

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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