# Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg

Public college in Middletown, PA. IPEDS ID 214713.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-harrisburg · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-penn-state-harrisburg.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 98% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $23,330 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 26%; beats 9% of PA colleges and 9% 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 | $16,219 |
| 30-48k | $16,221 |
| 48-75k | $21,176 |
| 75-110k | $25,103 |
| 110k+ | $29,834 |

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 4.37 years on average (19% 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 | $16,219 | $70,877 | 2.6 years |
| 30-48k | $16,221 | $70,886 | 2.6 years |
| 48-75k | $21,176 | $92,539 | 3.3 years |
| 75-110k | $25,103 | $109,700 | 4.0 years |
| 110k+ | $29,834 | $130,375 | 4.7 years |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $32,521 in-state; about $43,507 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $15,972 in-state, $26,958 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $15,870; books: $1,840

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 550–650; SAT math: 570–660; ACT: 22–31 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 10,296 applicants, 9,924 admitted, 1,210 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 98%, ACT 22–31 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 96%, ACT 26–30 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: gpa; important: rigor; considered: test scores, talent, geography, state residency
- Early decision: no; early action: yes; waitlist: no
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.29
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 60% of need met; 121 of 526 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 190 students, average $4,417
- Source: https://opair.psu.edu/files/2026/09/CDS_2025_2026_Harrisburg_v3.pdf

## Majors (34 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $84,050 | $120,729 | $26,000 |
| Computer Engineering | $85,446 | $112,269 | $26,708 |
| Information Technology | $73,941 | $98,637 | $26,917 |
| Finance | $68,552 | $96,714 | $25,375 |
| Electrical Engineering | $74,958 | $93,277 | $27,000 |
| Information Science / Studies | $66,209 | $91,671 | $26,000 |
| Nursing | $77,955 | $91,032 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $63,425 | $88,192 | $26,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $69,772 | $87,997 | $27,000 |
| Human Resources | $58,884 | $81,755 | $27,000 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | $35,324 | $81,617 | $26,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $67,966 | $81,403 | $26,838 |
| Economics | $55,418 | $81,228 | $25,000 |
| Marketing | $50,729 | $79,343 | $25,000 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $50,587 | $76,246 | $24,693 |
| Health Administration | $49,749 | $75,396 | $26,000 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $58,140 | $73,308 | $26,000 |
| Business Administration | $51,562 | $72,218 | $27,000 |
| 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 |
| Biology | $33,417 | $64,910 | $26,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $37,834 | $58,195 | $27,750 |
| Criminal Justice | $37,240 | $56,877 | $26,000 |
| Communications | $34,181 | $55,505 | $25,875 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $45,795 | $53,362 | $26,263 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $50,006 | $52,131 | $26,000 |
| English | $29,848 | $50,299 | $26,000 |
| Psychology | $32,408 | $49,543 | $27,000 |
| Sociology | $35,016 | $49,197 | $26,000 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $34,030 | $45,943 | $28,000 |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | $27,000 |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $96,770 (Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA), $96,430 (PA), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer: median wage $95,000 (Harrisburg-Carlisle, 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).