More selective than 42% 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 $30,785. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 54% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 36% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 60% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,545 applicants, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania admitted 5,599 and 1,097 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SU 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 SU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania took 4.3 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 | $18,709 | $81,197 | 4.0 years |
| $30–48k | $18,515 | $80,355 | 3.9 years |
| $48–75k | $21,386 | $92,815 | 4.5 years |
| $75–110k | $25,469 | $110,535 | 5.4 years |
| $110k+ | $28,387 | $123,200 | 6.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (36% 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 ($56,351) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,554 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.
SU majors, earnings & careers
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania offers 41 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Science & Math · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Engineering · 4
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at SU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | $91,610 | — |
| Computer Engineering | $90,384 | $27,000 |
| Management Information Systems | $73,570 | $26,900 |
| Finance | $71,432 | $26,000 |
| Accounting | $70,459 | $26,949 |
| Mathematics | $69,153 | $26,483 |
| Business Administration | $68,919 | $25,919 |
| Entrepreneurship | $67,926 | $24,000 |
Quick list of all 41 majors
- Accounting$70,459
- Biology$62,124
- Business Administration$68,919
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$90,384
- Criminal Justice$56,376
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,039
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$41,226
- Entrepreneurship$67,926
- Environmental Science / Conservation$57,130
- Finance$71,432
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Health Administration—
- History$52,310
- International / Global Studies—
- Journalism$47,760
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$54,330
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems$73,570
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$64,955
- Mathematics$69,153
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Physics$91,610
- Political Science$55,295
- Psychology$51,607
- Public Administration—
- Social Work$49,794
- Sociology$47,841
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$50,069
- Studio Art$39,127
- Sustainability Studies—
- Writing$43,607
— 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 Administration → 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
Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Harrisburg
Overall prices in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,598. Housing costs 4% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 34 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cumberland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cumberland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare SU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | 87% | $23,726 | 56% | $56,351 | This school |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 86% | $20,787 | 58% | $55,246 | |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 92% | $18,134 | 43% | $56,148 | |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 91% | $21,331 | 54% | $53,775 | |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 91% | $16,804 | 56% | $51,019 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania would cost you $2,939 more per year than Millersville University of Pennsylvania, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$2,592).
- Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania gives aided families $933 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | SU | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $13,720 | $11,128 | +$2,592 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,000 | +$200 |
| Housing & meals | $12,952 | $12,600 | +$352 |
| Personal & travel | $3,382 | $3,400 | −$18 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$469 | −$1,215 | +$746 |
| Sticker price | $30,785 | $26,913 | +$3,872 |
| Average grants | −$7,059 | −$6,126 | −$933 |
| You pay | $23,726 | $20,787 | +$2,939 |
“+” means SU 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 SU
What is the SU acceptance rate?
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania accepts 87% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,599 of 6,545 applicants were admitted.
How much does Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $30,785 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,726 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $18,709 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,387.
How much do SU graduates earn?
Former Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania students earn a median $56,351 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SU graduation rate?
56% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a SU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania costs about $92,815 after grants ($21,386 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $56,351 ten years after starting, $20,554 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 4.5 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: “Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/shippensburg-university-of-pennsylvania (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).