Best Sociology Schools Near Hanover, PA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Hanover, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs, with tuition ranging from $25,588 to $37,319 per year for indexed programs. Hanover has a population of about 16,483. Median household income is $64,135 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $99,660 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to Hanover

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

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA 13.5 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,517
Avg net price $31,490/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA 16.4 miles from Hanover
  • 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

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#3

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 23.8 miles from Hanover
  • 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

#4

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA 29.3 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
72.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,204
Avg net price $37,607/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,650
Out‑of‑state$65,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg

Middletown, PA 30.0 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
41.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 98%
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $23,330/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 31.2 miles from Hanover
  • 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

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#7

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA 33.2 miles from Hanover
  • 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

#8

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, PA 35.7 miles from Hanover
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,246
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Sociology Wages Near Hanover

Hanover is part of the York-Hanover, PA metro area (BLS area code 49620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists N/A PA statewide –
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $99,660 PA statewide $103,812
Social and Human Service Assistants $41,580 York-Hanover, PA $43,312
Survey Researchers $63,310 PA statewide $65,948
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $52,850 York-Hanover, PA $55,052
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $65,020 York-Hanover, PA $67,729
Social Science Research Assistants $54,610 PA statewide $56,885
Social and Community Service Managers $63,570 York-Hanover, PA $66,219

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.

Hanover at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 16,483 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,135 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Hanover-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near Hanover, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Hanover. The closest is Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA (13.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Messiah University (23.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Hanover?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Hanover are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($99,660), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($65,020), Social and Community Service Managers ($63,570). 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 Hanover?

York, PA is 17.0 miles from Hanover and has its own set of local sociology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Hanover an affordable place to study sociology?

Hanover’s median household income of $64,135 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hanover 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 Sociology Programs

Other Programs Available in Hanover

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 Sociology Schools in Pennsylvania: Online Programs (2026)