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The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, Pennsylvania · Public, a small city · 42,284 undergraduates

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Is it hard to get into Penn State?

The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.

Acceptance rate
60.6%
85,956 applied
SAT, middle half
1240 to 1420
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
27 to 32
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
19% of admitted students enrolled
What they look at
  • High school GPARequired
  • Courses takenRequired
  • College-prep programConsidered
  • EssayConsidered

How much does Penn State cost?

Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.

Tuition and fees, Pennsylvania residents
$21,098
Tuition and fees, out of state
$43,490
A full year, sticker price
$41,003
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$33,675
Students who got federal aid

What a year cost, by family income

Family incomeAverage paid after grants
Under $30,000$22,193
$30,001 to $48,000$21,267
$48,001 to $75,000$25,458
$75,001 to $110,000$31,948
Over $110,000$39,140
Room and board on campus
$15,346 a year; $18,276 off campus
Books and supplies
$1,200 a year
The school's own grants
35% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $8,733

Tuition over the years

Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.

$0K$13K$26K$39K$52K201220142016201820202022Out of statePennsylvania residents

How much do Penn State students borrow?

Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.

Typical debt at graduation
$24,500
About $278 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
42.3%
Get a Pell Grant
16.3%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
1.8%

What do Penn State graduates earn?

Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.

Six years after starting
$60,829
Ten years after starting
$71,762
Middle half: $46,681 to $105,484
Best-paid program, five years out
$132,938
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$43,404
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other

Do Penn State students finish?

Of the students who started full time, first time.

Back for second year
92.6%
Graduate in six years
85.4%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
86% graduated
9% transferred, 1% still enrolled

Who goes to Penn State?

Women
47.3%
First in their family at college
28.8%
Part-time
2%
Students per teacher
16
Background
White 63%, Hispanic 9%, Black 5%, Asian 8%, Two or more 4%, International 9%
Housing
Campus housing, 14,238 beds

What do Penn State graduates earn, by program?

Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.

Computer science

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Computer and Information Sciences, General972$84,461$132,938$22,250
Computer Science0$70,117$102,715$22,750
Computer Software and Media Applications7$84,115HiddenHidden
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management548$73,501$107,163$26,000
Data Processing14HiddenHiddenHidden
Information Science/Studies916$68,240$101,568$23,500

Engineering

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering276$79,268$104,174$27,000
Agricultural Engineering57$70,081$92,298$26,157
Architectural Engineering189$78,742$100,769$31,000
Biomedical/Medical Engineering248$77,736$102,109$27,000
Chemical Engineering269$84,660$104,860$26,973
Civil Engineering325$70,399$86,403$25,000
Computer Engineering154$85,528$130,081$27,000
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering287$82,304$99,584$26,000
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians0$74,494HiddenHidden
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians0$71,604Hidden$26,730
Engineering Science54$85,125$104,030$26,750
Engineering, General0$67,873$91,597$27,000
Engineering, Other59$69,862$97,076$15,625
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering47$72,799$81,918$26,944
Industrial Engineering273$81,854$111,461$25,625
Mechanical Engineering759$75,796$94,999$24,250
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians0$70,820$84,323$27,000
Mining and Mineral Engineering9Hidden$81,080Hidden
Nuclear Engineering55$76,869$101,306$26,000
Petroleum Engineering145$79,009$101,692Hidden
Polymer/Plastics Engineering0$74,572$91,578$27,000
Surveying Engineering1Hidden$86,406Hidden

Business and commerce

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Accounting and Related Services437$64,480$92,609$25,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations0$56,682$83,106$26,375
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other132$72,869$110,044$24,250
Business/Commerce, General0$52,236$69,387$23,873
Business/Corporate Communications0$39,635$60,499$25,000
Business/Managerial Economics0HiddenHiddenHidden
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations187$62,105$93,286$23,250
Finance and Financial Management Services1,110$69,230$115,485$22,147
Hospitality Administration/Management219$54,818$67,958$24,140
Human Resources Management and Services483$62,246$84,018$25,000
International Business0HiddenHiddenHidden
Management Information Systems and Services162$68,666$97,951$25,000
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods98$63,116$83,075$23,074
Marketing754$58,892$95,515$24,352

Nursing

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing243$82,877$92,712$23,749

Health sciences and kinesiology

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions14Hidden$61,987Hidden
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services253$27,725$69,194$24,781
Health and Medical Administrative Services178$55,314$80,275$24,959
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities0HiddenHiddenHidden
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs114HiddenHidden$14,375
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions121$38,413$53,917$23,375
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness431$38,359$73,303$25,526

Life sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Agricultural Business and Management159$54,078$73,931$22,598
Agricultural Public Services22$50,118HiddenHidden
Agriculture, General61$42,740$54,778$20,000
Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs149$37,406$77,289$22,500
Animal Sciences146$42,284$60,025$21,500
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services63$57,028$68,977$25,000
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology193$47,090$82,063$26,182
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other671$44,357$84,900$25,000
Biology, General541$38,378$69,494$23,250
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy2$68,734Hidden$34,750
Food Science and Technology66$59,787$84,538$20,500
Forestry30$46,652$60,863$22,458
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology20HiddenHiddenHidden
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other78$30,902$43,404$24,959
Natural Resources Conservation and Research74$47,703$63,028$21,500
Pharmacology and Toxicology21HiddenHiddenHidden
Plant Sciences71$37,667$55,259$25,000
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences58$41,859$76,119$25,250

Math and physical sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Applied Mathematics0HiddenHiddenHidden
Astronomy and Astrophysics60HiddenHidden$27,000
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology91$51,331$71,772$24,000
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians49$61,604$76,480$20,000
Chemistry105$48,918$71,648$23,182
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences164$56,396$86,327$24,250
Materials Sciences115$75,929$92,880$21,670
Mathematics292$67,059$84,810$23,250
Physics118$55,968$85,810$20,500
Statistics139$55,273$91,358$23,250

Social sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Anthropology70$33,249$57,300$26,000
Archeology0HiddenHiddenHidden
Area Studies22Hidden$50,794$24,250
Communication and Media Studies217$45,444$56,278$22,488
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other7$38,911$68,017$23,000
Criminal Justice and Corrections475$41,573$58,618$24,180
Economics711$60,469$88,456$21,500
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies37$44,102$64,792$27,000
Geography and Cartography0$45,907$58,095Hidden
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services132$38,150$46,930$26,000
International Relations and National Security Studies235$47,319$79,690$21,500
Journalism358$44,298$66,227$25,000
Non-Professional Legal Studies0$53,147$79,482$25,000
Political Science and Government365$46,124$72,401$23,250
Psychology, General958$37,593$54,626$23,642
Public Policy Analysis0HiddenHiddenHidden
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication669$55,985$81,151$24,218
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication304$49,422Hidden$22,250
Research and Experimental Psychology0$33,367$51,210$20,500
Security Science and Technology86$54,657$67,019$27,000
Social Sciences, General1$57,562Hidden$29,750
Sociology98$43,918$55,063$24,211

Arts and humanities

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics27HiddenHiddenHidden
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics26HiddenHiddenHidden
English Language and Literature, General145$35,537$49,494$23,361
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics12HiddenHiddenHidden
History110$37,190$53,610$21,921
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services14HiddenHiddenHidden
Philosophy69$39,593Hidden$26,000
Religion/Religious Studies3HiddenHiddenHidden
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics117$50,926$73,900$23,000
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics5HiddenHiddenHidden

Education (teaching)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research28HiddenHiddenHidden
Special Education and Teaching32HiddenHiddenHidden
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods602$44,879$56,568$26,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas83$47,516$54,754$22,250

Fine and performing arts

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management0HiddenHiddenHidden
Dance0HiddenHiddenHidden
Design and Applied Arts60$41,905$71,735$22,648
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft74$36,889Hidden$25,250
Film/Video and Photographic Arts161$35,470$51,645$21,500
Fine and Studio Arts94$30,936$46,576$26,000
Music67$32,085$53,626$26,081
Visual and Performing Arts, General17Hidden$45,592Hidden

Architecture and design

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Architecture107$62,516$77,907$29,000
Landscape Architecture58$59,043$68,832$27,000

General arts and science (major chosen later)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biological and Physical Sciences195$40,786$78,287$23,601
Data Science280HiddenHidden$26,000
Geography and Environmental Studies44HiddenHiddenHidden
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities20$34,927$54,823$24,179
Medieval and Renaissance Studies2HiddenHiddenHidden
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General0HiddenHidden$25,375
Nutrition Sciences131$29,775$63,936$23,250
Science, Technology and Society24HiddenHiddenHidden
Sustainability Studies15HiddenHiddenHidden

Other programs

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management159$44,488$55,180$23,810

Compare Penn State with other universities

Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.

Or the list of every university, by state.

Where these numbers come from

College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.

How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.

Careerhelp is not affiliated with The Pennsylvania State University. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.

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