More selective than 82% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $39,694. College Scorecard.
Higher than 92% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 54% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 77% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Pennsylvania State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 85,956 applicants, Pennsylvania State University admitted 46,605 and 9,040 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1420 on the SAT or 27–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Pennsylvania State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Pennsylvania residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant
What Pennsylvania State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Pennsylvania State University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Pennsylvania. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $19,845 | $83,349 | 3.0 years |
| $30–48k | $20,049 | $84,206 | 3.0 years |
| $48–75k | $25,667 | $107,801 | 3.9 years |
| $75–110k | $31,834 | $133,703 | 4.8 years |
| $110k+ | $37,831 | $158,890 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (70% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($63,435) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $27,638 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Pennsylvania State University majors, earnings & careers
Pennsylvania State University offers 141 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 31
- Engineering · 24
- Humanities & Languages · 18
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 17
- Business & Finance · 16
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Arts & Design · 8
- Technology & Computing · 7
- Education · 6
- Communications & Media · 5
Highest-earning majors at Pennsylvania State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $120,729 | $26,000 |
| Petroleum Engineering | $113,669 | $22,368 |
| Computer Engineering | $112,269 | $26,708 |
| Industrial Engineering | $104,758 | $25,000 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | $104,205 | $24,028 |
| Chemical Engineering | $103,728 | $26,831 |
| Engineering, Other | $102,134 | $26,000 |
| Computer Science | $101,854 | $28,000 |
Quick list of all 141 majors
- Accounting$88,192
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$99,159
- Agricultural / Animal / Plant / Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other$80,105
- Agricultural Business$73,471
- Agricultural Engineering$87,564
- Agricultural Mechanization—
- Agricultural Public Services—
- Agriculture$52,932
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs$47,620
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$54,488
- Animal Sciences$49,772
- Anthropology$50,640
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services$69,540
- Applied Mathematics—
- Archeology—
- Architectural Engineering$94,483
- Architecture$76,181
- Area Studies—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics$66,759
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology$69,083
- Biochemistry$77,336
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other$81,617
- Biological and Physical Sciences$69,102
- Biology$64,910
- Biology / Biotechnology Technologies / Technicians$75,919
- Biomedical Engineering$100,416
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$66,876
- Business$65,292
- Business / Corporate Communications$55,840
- Business Administration$72,218
- Business Economics—
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$104,205
- Chemical Engineering$103,728
- Chemistry$65,230
- Civil Engineering$81,403
- Classics—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other$66,866
- Communications$55,505
- Computer and Information Sciences$120,729
- Computer Engineering$112,269
- Computer Science$101,854
- Criminal Justice$56,877
- Dance—
- Data Processing—
- Data Science—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$81,228
- Education$44,984
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$53,362
- Education (Subject Teaching)$52,131
- Education, Other—
- Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research—
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Electrical Engineering$93,277
- Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians$81,835
- Engineering$88,063
- Engineering Science$100,176
- Engineering, Other$102,134
- English$50,299
- Entrepreneurship$78,476
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Engineering$80,855
- Environmental Science / Conservation$60,193
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$72,063
- Film and Photography$43,919
- Finance$96,714
- Food Science and Technology$83,112
- Forestry—
- Geography$68,993
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science$81,092
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$58,105
- Health Administration$75,396
- History$52,871
- Hospitality Management$63,798
- Human Development and Family Studies$45,943
- Human Resources$81,755
- Industrial Engineering$104,758
- Information Science / Studies$91,671
- Information Technology$98,637
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- International Relations$71,001
- Journalism$62,336
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$67,399
- Landscape Architecture$74,363
- Legal Studies / Paralegal$60,745
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,195
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$95,935
- Management Science / Analytics$73,308
- Marketing$79,343
- Materials Sciences$92,864
- Mathematics$77,336
- Mechanical Engineering$87,997
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$79,342
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Mining and Mineral Engineering$91,411
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$50,866
- Music$44,241
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other$45,833
- Nuclear Engineering$94,365
- Nursing$91,032
- Nutrition Science$63,010
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$55,741
- Petroleum Engineering$113,669
- Pharmacology and Toxicology—
- Philosophy$65,675
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics$81,763
- Plant Sciences$52,329
- Political Science$68,918
- Polymer / Plastics Engineering$87,636
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$49,543
- Psychology (Research)$48,348
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Public Relations and Advertising$76,246
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$51,635
- Religious Studies—
- Science, Technology and Society—
- Security / Homeland Security$66,084
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences$59,883
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology$49,197
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$62,831
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$62,072
- Statistics$86,636
- Studio Art$40,036
- Surveying Engineering$77,094
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre$44,913
- Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences—
- Visual and Performing Arts$45,170
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in State College
Overall prices in the State College, PA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,537. Housing costs 14% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 44 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Centre County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Centre County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Pennsylvania State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 61% | $32,875 | 86% | $63,435 | This school |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 58% | $30,434 | 86% | $66,125 | |
| Temple University | 80% | $28,198 | 75% | $63,727 | |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 78% | $23,331 | 71% | $61,258 | |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | — | $25,110 | 53% | $52,567 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Pennsylvania State University would cost you $2,441 more per year than University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Pennsylvania State University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$1,870).
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus gives aided families $852 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | Pennsylvania State University | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $20,644 | $21,926 | −$1,282 |
| Books & supplies | $1,840 | $584 | +$1,256 |
| Housing & meals | $13,030 | $13,420 | −$390 |
| Personal & travel | $4,788 | $2,918 | +$1,870 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$608 | −$743 | +$135 |
| Sticker price | $39,694 | $38,105 | +$1,589 |
| Average grants | −$6,819 | −$7,671 | +$852 |
| You pay | $32,875 | $30,434 | +$2,441 |
“+” means Pennsylvania State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Pennsylvania State University
What is the Pennsylvania State University acceptance rate?
Pennsylvania State University accepts 61% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 46,605 of 85,956 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1420 on the SAT or 27–32 on the ACT.
How much does Pennsylvania State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $39,694 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $32,875 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $19,845 and families earning $110k+ pay $37,831.
How much do Pennsylvania State University graduates earn?
Former Pennsylvania State University students earn a median $63,435 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Pennsylvania State University graduation rate?
86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for their second year.
How long does a Pennsylvania State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Pennsylvania State University costs about $107,801 after grants ($25,667 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $63,435 ten years after starting, $27,638 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 3.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Pennsylvania State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).