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Best Space Studies Schools Near Harrisonburg, VA (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Harrisonburg, Virginia has 2 accredited schools offering space studies 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 space studies-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $150,570 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Space Studies Schools to Harrisonburg
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer space studies 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:
BOCSCORE
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.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Sort:
#1
University of Virginia-Main Campus
📍
Charlottesville, VA
•
34.2 miles from Harrisonburg
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Virginia schools on the Virginia space studies page.
Space Studies Wages Near Harrisonburg
Occupation
Median Annual Wage (Virginia, statewide)
Astronomers
$128,930
Physicists
$145,040
Aerospace Engineers
$143,210
Natural Sciences Managers
$150,570
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
$83,880
Engineers, All Other
$148,160
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
$119,940
Physical Scientists, All Other
N/A
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
Metric
Value
Source
Population
51,492
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$59,752
Census 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 Space Studies Programs
How many accredited space studies schools are near Harrisonburg, VA?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering space studies programs near Harrisonburg. The closest is University of Virginia-Main Campus in Charlottesville, VA (34.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is George Mason University (88.9 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying space studies roles in Virginia?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying space studies-related roles in Virginia are: Natural Sciences Managers ($150,570), Engineers, All Other ($148,160), Physicists ($145,040). 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 space studies 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 space studies?
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.
Data verified: September 7, 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.
