What is Pennsylvania State University’s Compass Score?

Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 10% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.

How much does Pennsylvania State University cost after financial aid?

The average net price is $32,875 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.

How hard is it to get into Pennsylvania State University?

Pennsylvania State University admitted 61% of applicants in the most recent federal data.

How do Pennsylvania State University’s graduates do?

86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $63,435; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.

National university

#15 Best colleges in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $32,875 a year

Median debt at graduation: $25,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

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Upcoming admissions events

Transfer Student Virtual Information SessionOctober 20, 2026 · 7:00 PM · VirtualMore about Transfer Student Virtual Information Session Add to calendar
National Transfer Student Week Campus VisitOctober 23, 2026 · 9:30 AM · University Park, PAMore about National Transfer Student Week Campus Visit Add to calendar
Brandywine Penn State DayOctober 24, 2026 · 9:00 AM · MediaMore about Brandywine Penn State Day Add to calendar
Harrisburg Penn State DayOctober 24, 2026 · 9:30 AM · Middletown, PAMore about Harrisburg Penn State Day Add to calendar

View all upcoming events (8 more) · From the college's admissions website.

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

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In Pennsylvania

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Academic Excellence

Exceptional · Top 9%

From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

Graduation rate 35% of score86%
First-year retention 20% of score93%
Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreSAT 1,337 · ACT 29.5
Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of score16 to 1
Instructional spending per student 15% of score$15,699

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family income	Price after aid
Up to $30,000	$19,845
$30,001–$48,000	$20,049
$48,001–$75,000	$25,667
$75,001–$110,000	$31,834
Over $110,000	$37,831

Full cost of attendance before aid: $39,694 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS)	42,223
Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)	Men 53% · Women 47%
First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition	29%
Total students	50,399
Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid	$32,875
Cost of attendance (per year)	$39,694
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,000
Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time	86%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)	55%
Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)	56%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)	68%
First-year retention	93%
Median earnings 10 years after entry	$63,435
Admission rate	61%
Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)	$65
Students receiving Pell grants	14%

Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1240–1420ACT 27–32

Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT	1337
SAT reading & writing	620–700
SAT math	620–720
ACT composite	27–32
Test policy	Considered but not required

Value: Solid (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
Major	Median earnings
Computing and information science	$120,729
Petroleum Engineering	$113,669
Computer engineering	$112,269
Industrial Engineering	$104,758
Other business, management, marketing, and related support services	$104,205
Chemical Engineering	$103,728
Other engineering	$102,134
Computer science	$101,854
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$100,416
Engineering Science	$100,176
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	$99,159
Information technology	$98,637
Finance	$96,714
Management information systems	$95,935
Architectural Engineering	$94,483
Nuclear Engineering	$94,365
Electrical engineering	$93,277
Materials Sciences	$92,864
Information science	$91,671
Mining and Mineral Engineering	$91,411
Nursing	$91,032
Accounting	$88,192
Engineering (general)	$88,063
Mechanical engineering	$87,997
Polymer/Plastics Engineering	$87,636
Agricultural Engineering	$87,564
Statistics	$86,636
Food Science and Technology	$83,112
Electromechanical technology	$81,835
Physics	$81,763
Human resources	$81,755
Other biological and biomedical sciences	$81,617
Civil engineering	$81,403
Economics	$81,228
Geology and earth science	$81,092
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering	$80,855
Other agricultural/animal/plant/veterinary science	$80,105
Marketing	$79,343
Mechanical engineering technology	$79,342
Entrepreneurship	$78,476
Biochemistry	$77,336
Mathematics	$77,336
Surveying Engineering	$77,094
Public relations	$76,246
Architecture	$76,181
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians	$75,919
Health administration	$75,396
Landscape Architecture	$74,363
Agricultural business	$73,471
Management science	$73,308
Business administration	$72,218
Ethnic and gender studies	$72,063
International relations	$71,001
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	$69,540
Biological and physical sciences	$69,102
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology	$69,083
Geography	$68,993
Political science	$68,918
Kinesiology and exercise science	$67,399
Broadcasting	$66,876
Other communication, journalism, and related programs	$66,866
Astronomy and Astrophysics	$66,759
Security science	$66,084
Philosophy	$65,675
Business (general)	$65,292
Chemistry	$65,230
Biology	$64,910
Hospitality management	$63,798
Nutrition Sciences	$63,010
Romance languages	$62,831
Journalism	$62,336
Speech-language pathology	$62,072
Pre-law and legal studies	$60,745
Natural resources and conservation	$60,193
Social sciences	$59,883
Liberal arts	$58,195
Design	$58,105
Criminal justice	$56,877
Business/Corporate Communications	$55,840
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management	$55,741
Communication studies	$55,505
Allied health	$54,488
Teacher education	$53,362
Agriculture	$52,932
History	$52,871
Plant Sciences	$52,329
Secondary education	$52,131
Rehabilitation and therapy	$51,635
Interdisciplinary studies	$50,866
Anthropology	$50,640
English	$50,299
Animal Sciences	$49,772
Psychology	$49,543
Sociology	$49,197
Experimental psychology	$48,348
Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs	$47,620
Family and human development	$45,943
Other natural resources and conservation	$45,833
Visual and performing arts	$45,170
Education (general)	$44,984
Theatre	$44,913
Music	$44,241
Film and video	$43,919
Fine arts	$40,036

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agricultural Mechanization, Agricultural Public Services, Applied mathematics, Archeology, Area studies, Arts management, Classics, Dance, Data Processing, Data Science, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Electrical engineering technology, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Forestry, General studies, Geography and Environmental Studies, German, International business, Linguistics, Managerial economics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Other education, Other social sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Physical Sciences, Pre-health, Public Policy Analysis, Religious studies, Science, Technology and Society, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Software and media applications, Special education, Sustainability Studies, Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
Field	Share of degrees
Business	16%
Engineering	15%
Computer and information sciences	11%
Communication	7%
Biology	7%

Campus life

School colors
Setting	City
Part-time undergraduates	2%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older	2%
On-campus room and board (per year)	$14,474
Sports	NCAA Division I · Big Ten Conference
ROTC	Army · Navy · Air Force
Study abroad	Offered
Students per faculty member	16 to 1
Faculty who are full-time	86%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student	$89,674Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Dorm space	For about 34% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flights	State College Regional Airport (SCE)About 4 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or more	PittsburghAbout 114 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January	27°F1991–2020 normal, from STATE COLLEGE, PA US, about 0 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July	72°F1991–2020 normal, from STATE COLLEGE, PA US, about 0 miles away (NOAA)

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
Category	This campus	U.S. rate
Rape	0.33	0.07
Robbery	0.01	0.01
Aggravated assault	0.14	0.04
Burglary	0.09	0.08
Motor vehicle theft	0.18	0.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Pennsylvania State University’s Compass Score?: Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 10% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Pennsylvania State University cost after financial aid?: The average net price is $32,875 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Pennsylvania State University?: Pennsylvania State University admitted 61% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Pennsylvania State University’s graduates do?: 86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $63,435; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.

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About this school’s data

IPEDS unit ID 214777
Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one

The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.

Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 12%University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SCAlso a state flagship university Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJAlso a state flagship university Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 8%Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OHAlso a state flagship university Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 14%University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, COAlso a state flagship university

Compare side by side: Pennsylvania State vs University of South Carolina-Columbia · Pennsylvania State vs Rutgers University-New Brunswick · Pennsylvania State vs Ohio State · Pennsylvania State vs University of Colorado Boulder

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