College · Public · University Park, PA · City
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
University Park, PA
Admit rate91%
6-yr median pay$56k
Net price / yr$20k
Undergrad size7,877
§ I · The real read
What it's actually like.
The bet
Net price of $20k/yr for a shot at a $56k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.
Getting in
Admit rate of 91% means this is workable if your grades and essays are solid. Admitted students average SAT 1248.
If you get in
7,877 undergrads. Small. You will know your cohort.
Where you live
City campus — public transit, off-campus food, weekends happen nearby.
§ II · Cost & aid
Sticker vs. real.
Sticker cost of attendance is $28k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $20k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.
Sticker · 4 yrs$111k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$78k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$33k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.4x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.
Where the money goes · annual sticker.
- Tuition · in-state
- $15.4k
- Books & supplies
- $1,200
How students pay for it.
Pell grants31%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans41%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$25k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $10k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes
Do people finish? Do they land?
1-yr retention66%
Watch this number.
Graduation · 6 yr34%
A meaningful chunk do not finish — ask why.
6-yr median pay$56k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$63k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out1%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity
Setting, size, and who this school is.
- Setting
- City
- Control
- Public
- Undergrad size
- 7,877
- Location
- University Park, PA
- Region
- Mid East (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA)
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Also known as
- Penn State
§ · Who studies here
The student body at a glance.
- White63%
- Hispanic14%
- Black9%
- Asian6%
- Two or more races4%
- International3%
- Unknown2%
First-gen students29%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time56%
Many students enroll part-time — often working.
Veterans0%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$62k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 46
What you can study.