Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College is a less selective public university in Erie, Pennsylvania. It admits most applicants, graduates 44% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $63,435 ten years after starting college, more than 54% of the Pennsylvania colleges we cover.

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Acceptance rate
97%

More selective than 11% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$24,558 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $34,081. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
44%

Higher than 25% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 31% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$63,435

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-Penn State Erie-Behrend College acceptance rate & admissions

Of 4,827 applicants, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College admitted 4,620 and 866 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1120–1310 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.

4,827
Applied
4,620
Admitted
866
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years1120–1310
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years25–31
First-years who sent SAT scores34%
First-year students who return83%
Pell Grant recipients29%
First-generation students29%
Women / men38% / 62%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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)

Tuition & fees, in-state$15,972
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$26,958
Housing & meals, on campus$14,774
Books & supplies$1,840
Total cost of attendance, in-state$34,081

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$19,500

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

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-Penn State Erie-Behrend College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College took 4.4 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 incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$16,092$70,1612.5 years
$30–48k$17,884$77,9742.8 years
$48–75k$20,539$89,5503.2 years
$75–110k$26,914$117,3454.2 years
$110k+$29,692$129,4574.7 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (32% 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.

Best-value colleges in Pennsylvania for your income →

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College majors, earnings & careers

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College offers 35 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Business & Finance · 9
  • Engineering · 7
  • Science & Math · 6
  • Humanities & Languages · 4
  • Communications & Media · 2
  • Health & Medicine · 2
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 2
  • Arts & Design · 1
  • Education · 1
  • Technology & Computing · 1

Highest-earning majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Computer Engineering$112,269$26,708
Industrial Engineering$104,758$25,000
Computer Science$101,854$28,000
Finance$96,714$25,375
Management Information Systems$95,935$26,000
Electrical Engineering$93,277$27,000
Nursing$91,032$27,000
Accounting$88,192$26,000
Quick list of all 35 majors
  • Accounting$88,192
  • Arts and Entertainment Management—
  • Biological and Physical Sciences$69,102
  • Biology$64,910
  • Broadcasting / Digital Media$66,876
  • Business Administration$72,218
  • Business Economics—
  • Chemistry$65,230
  • Communications$55,505
  • Computer Engineering$112,269
  • Computer Science$101,854
  • Economics$81,228
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$53,362
  • Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
  • Electrical Engineering$93,277
  • English$50,299
  • Environmental Science / Conservation$60,193
  • Finance$96,714
  • History$52,871
  • Industrial Engineering$104,758
  • International Business—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,195
  • Management Information Systems$95,935
  • Management Science / Analytics$73,308
  • Marketing$79,343
  • Mathematics$77,336
  • Mechanical Engineering$87,997
  • Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$79,342
  • Nursing$91,032
  • Nutrition Science$63,010
  • Physics$81,763
  • Political Science$68,918
  • Polymer / Plastics Engineering$87,636
  • Psychology$49,543
  • 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 →

Nursing → Registered nurse

$80,000
Erie
$96,430
Pennsylvania
$97,550
U.S.

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

Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer

$106,890
Erie
$97,920
Pennsylvania
$104,110
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Erie

Cost of living
9% below the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Erie, PA area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$851/mo

2 bedrooms $1,091. Housing costs 43% below the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
35° / 81°

January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 104 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Moderate

Highest: winter weather (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Erie County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)3,323
First-year students from Pennsylvania74%
Next most common home statesNew York, New Jersey, Maryland
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2487% bachelor's · 1% associate · 12% certificates
Student bodyWhite 75% · Hispanic 5% · Asian 5% · Black 4%International 5%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Erie County at a glance

Population269,052
Median household income$63,354
Adults with a bachelor's degree30%
Median age40

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College with similar schools

Similar public colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College97%$24,55844%$63,435This school
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania92%$18,13443%$56,148
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg95%$17,94540%$66,125
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg98%$23,33026%$63,435
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington97%$18,07120%$63,435

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College would cost you $6,424 more per year than East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$4,436).
  • East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania gives aided families $260 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Pennsylvania residentPennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend CollegeEast Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaDifference
Tuition & fees$15,972$11,536+$4,436
Books & supplies$1,840$1,000+$840
Housing & meals$14,774$11,154+$3,620
Personal & travel$4,788$5,858−$1,070
Living-at-home adjustment−$3,293−$1,631−$1,662
Sticker price$34,081$27,917+$6,164
Average grants−$9,523−$9,783+$260
You pay$24,558$18,134+$6,424

“+” means Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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-Penn State Erie-Behrend College

What is the Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College acceptance rate?

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College accepts 97% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,620 of 4,827 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1120–1310 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.

How much does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $34,081 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $24,558 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,092 and families earning $110k+ pay $29,692.

How much do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates earn?

Former Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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-Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduation rate?

44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 83% return for their second year.

How long does a Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College costs about $89,550 after grants ($20,539 a year for 4.4 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 3.2 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-Penn State Erie-Behrend College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-erie-behrend-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).