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Hershey, Pennsylvania (cropped)Photo: Bronayur at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Hershey

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg is 7.3 miles from Hershey

No college sits inside Hershey’s boundary, but Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg’s campus in Middletown, with 4,591 students on campus, is 7.3 miles from the center of town, and Harrisburg Area Community College is 12.8 miles away in Harrisburg. About 10% of Hershey’s residents are enrolled in college, above Pennsylvania (6%).

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Hershey. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
5
18,625 students on campus
Nearest college
7.3 mi
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
Residents in college
10%
Above PA (6%)
Nearest community college
12.8 mi
Harrisburg Area · $6,975 tuition
Nearest public university
7.3 mi
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg · $15,972 in-state
Median household income
$79K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Hershey

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A university 7.3 miles awayPennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg has 4,591 students on campus in Middletown, 26% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgLiving in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg charges $15,972 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $26,958. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 12.8 miles awayHarrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg: tuition and fees $6,975 a year for Pennsylvania residents.Students are 10% of residentsAbove Pennsylvania (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Hershey

Three private colleges within 12.5 miles, one public college within 7.3 miles, and Harrisburg Area Community College 12.8 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miHarrisburg AreaHershey
University or collegeCommunity college
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgUniversity or college · Public · 4,591 on campus · 7.3 mi · Middletown98%admitted$23knet price26%graduate$63kearningsEarnings are reported for all 22 campuses that file with it.Lebanon Valley CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,964 on campus · 7.7 mi · Annville84%admitted$27knet price65%graduate$63kearningsElizabethtown CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,923 on campus · 9.4 mi · Elizabethtown78%admitted$27knet price76%graduate$62kearningsHarrisburg University of Science and TechnologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,306 on campus · 12.5 mi · Harrisburg87%admitted$15knet price34%graduate$52kearningsHarrisburg Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 6,841 on campus · 12.8 mi · Harrisburg$14knet price21%graduate$42kearningsTuition and fees: $6,975 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Hershey’s median household income ($78,587) falls.

Harrisburg Area Community College12.8 mi · Harrisburg · sticker $18,369 · tuition $6,975$16,995a year
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology12.5 mi · Harrisburg · sticker $35,893$19,420a year
Elizabethtown College9.4 mi · Elizabethtown · sticker $50,865$25,064a year
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg7.3 mi · Middletown · sticker $32,521$25,103a year
Lebanon Valley College7.7 mi · Annville · sticker $66,497$26,236a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Hershey: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Pennsylvania State University-Penn State HarrisburgLebanon Valley CollegeElizabethtown CollegeHarrisburg University of Science and TechnologyHarrisburg Area
Harrisburg Area Community College21% graduate$42k earnings$18k typical debt
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg26% graduate$63k earnings*$25k typical debt
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology34% graduate$52k earnings$27k typical debt
Lebanon Valley College65% graduate$63k earnings$27k typical debt
Elizabethtown College76% graduate$62k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg (22).

Questions about college near Hershey

Is Hershey a college town?

No. About 10 of every 100 Hershey residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above Pennsylvania (6). The nearest campus, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg, is 7.3 miles away in Middletown.

What colleges are near Hershey?

Within 15 miles: Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg (7.3 miles, 4,591 students on campus), Lebanon Valley College (7.7 miles, 1,964), Elizabethtown College (9.4 miles, 1,923), Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (12.5 miles, 3,306) and Harrisburg Area Community College (12.8 miles, 6,841).

What is the closest community college to Hershey, and what does it cost?

Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, 12.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,975 a year for Pennsylvania residents; the federal net price, $14,471, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg cost if we live in Pennsylvania?

Tuition and fees are $15,972 a year in-state and $26,958 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $16,219 (under $30,000 income) to $29,834 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Hershey. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →