Specialized school
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks
Reading, PA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $24,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $25,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.32%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.77%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,174 · ACT 22.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$3,318
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 paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $32,242 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,940 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 59% · Women 41% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 29% |
| Total students | 1,944 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $24,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $32,242 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 32% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 55% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 56% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 68% |
| First-year retention | 77% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $63,435 |
| Admission rate | 99% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $65 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,237 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 29% |
| Average SAT | 1174 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 550–640 |
| SAT math | 540–635 |
| ACT composite | 18–27 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computing and information science | |
| Information technology | |
| Information science | |
| Accounting | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Electromechanical technology | |
| Human resources | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians | |
| Biological and physical sciences | |
| Political science | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Other communication, journalism, and related programs | |
| Business (general) | |
| Biology | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Communication studies | |
| Teacher education | |
| Rehabilitation and therapy | |
| Psychology | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Linguistics, 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).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Engineering technologies | |
| Parks, recreation and fitness |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 6% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 7% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,474 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · United East Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 13 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 6%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 70%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Dorm space | For about 41% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE)About 34 miles away · about 1 hour 5 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)About 51 miles away |
| Town population | 95,242Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PhiladelphiaAbout 50 miles away · about 1 hour 25 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 31°F in January · 76°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Reading Spaatz Field, PA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B-). 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-Penn State Berks cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $24,000 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-Penn State Berks?
- Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks admitted 99% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks’s graduates do?
- 32% 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 214704
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Report an error or a newer source
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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