# Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks

Public college in Reading, PA. IPEDS ID 214704.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-berks · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-berks.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 99% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $24,356 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 32%; beats 12% of PA colleges and 14% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $63,435; beats 54% of PA colleges and 77% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $19,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $16,429 |
| 30-48k | $15,862 |
| 48-75k | $23,583 |
| 75-110k | $25,465 |
| 110k+ | $29,541 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.32 years on average (16% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $63,435 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $16,429 | $70,973 | 2.6 years |
| 30-48k | $15,862 | $68,524 | 2.5 years |
| 48-75k | $23,583 | $101,879 | 3.7 years |
| 75-110k | $25,465 | $110,009 | 4.0 years |
| 110k+ | $29,541 | $127,617 | 4.6 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $32,242 in-state; about $43,228 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $15,972 in-state, $26,958 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $14,232; books: $1,840

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 550–640; SAT math: 540–635; ACT: 18–27 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 5,844 applicants, 5,676 admitted, 591 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 99%, ACT 18–27 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 97%, ACT 26–29 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (25 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $84,050 | $120,729 | $26,000 |
| Information Technology | $73,941 | $98,637 | $26,917 |
| Information Science / Studies | $66,209 | $91,671 | $26,000 |
| Accounting | $63,425 | $88,192 | $26,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $69,772 | $87,997 | $27,000 |
| Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians | $65,043 | $81,835 | $27,000 |
| Human Resources | $58,884 | $81,755 | $27,000 |
| Biochemistry | $43,288 | $77,336 | $26,178 |
| Biology / Biotechnology Technologies / Technicians | not reported | $75,919 | not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | $35,639 | $69,102 | $26,000 |
| Political Science | $41,201 | $68,918 | $26,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $30,133 | $67,399 | $27,000 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | $39,582 | $66,866 | $26,500 |
| Business | $45,110 | $65,292 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $33,417 | $64,910 | $26,000 |
| Hospitality Management | $39,808 | $63,798 | $24,500 |
| Criminal Justice | $37,240 | $56,877 | $26,000 |
| Communications | $34,181 | $55,505 | $25,875 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $45,795 | $53,362 | $26,263 |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | $33,153 | $51,635 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $32,408 | $49,543 | $27,000 |
| Theatre | $27,886 | $44,913 | $27,000 |
| Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | $35,700 | not reported | $26,187 |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business → Management analyst: median wage $96,260 (Reading, PA), $93,830 (PA), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer: median wage $98,540 (Reading, PA), $97,920 (PA), $104,110 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).