At a Glance
Penn State admits 60.6% of applicants.
What You'll Actually Pay
See what families at different income levels actually pay after aid.
What families actually pay, by income level
After grants and scholarships. Before loans. Public school prices shown at in-state rates.
Source: College Scorecard / IPEDS, 2024-25
Where the Sticker Price Goes
Based on average need-based grant. Actual cost varies by family income — see chart above.
Shown at in-state rates.
Debt at Graduation
21.9%
receive need-based grant aid
$48,037
average debt at graduation
Penn State graduates carry an average of $48,037 in debt.
Merit Aid
4,228
students received merit aid
$5,605
average merit award
Getting In
Penn State admits 60.6% of applicants.
SAT — Middle 50% of those who submitted · 31% of the class submitted
ACT — Middle 50% of those who submitted · 5% of the class submitted
37% were in the top 10% of their high school class.
What They Value
Academic
Nonacademic
Pennsylvania State University gives essays less weight than many schools — academics drive most admissions decisions here. Demonstrated interest is Not Considered here — campus visits and emails to admissions won't affect your odds.
Student Life
31.4% of Penn State classes have fewer than 20 students.
Share of undergraduate class sections at each size, from CDS Section I-3. More red = more large lectures.
At Penn State, 31.4% of your classes will have fewer than 20 students.
Class size data reflects all undergraduate sections including labs, seminars, and lectures. Large research universities often have smaller upper-division and graduate-level sections that improve the overall distribution. First and second-year students typically experience larger classes than these averages suggest.
Source: Common Data Set 2024–25, Section I-3 (class sizes)
15:1
student:faculty ratio
Campus Life
From out of state (freshman class)
39.1%
Live on campus
35.11%
In Greek life
~15%
Greek-life participation from Penn State FSL (2025) — not reported in Penn State's 2024–25 Common Data Set.
Who Attends
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduates, as reported in each school's Common Data Set. "Unknown / Other" includes students who did not report or selected "other."
Penn State's student body is 62.6% white.
Popular Majors
Will They Graduate?
Penn State graduates 70.6% of students in 4 years.
Graduating late means paying for extra semesters. The 6-year rate tells you who eventually finishes — the 4-year rate tells you what it actually costs.
Penn State graduates 70.6% of students in 4 years.
What finishing late actually costs
Based on each school's published cost of attendance. Public school costs shown at in-state rates.
Penn State
70.6%
4-yr grad rate
Extra year cost: $39,694*
* In-state cost of attendance. Out-of-state students pay significantly more.
Graduation rate data from Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2018 cohort (most recent available). 4-year rate = students completing in 4 years or less. 6-year rate = students completing within 6 years.
86%
Overall 6-yr rate
81%
Pell recipient rate
There's a 5 point gap between overall and Pell Grant graduation rates. Worth asking the school about support resources.
Freshman Retention
92.6%
92.6% of first-year students return for sophomore year.
City & Culture
Beyond the data — what it's actually like to spend four years in University Park.
State College — nicknamed 'Happy Valley' — is the archetypal remote college town: a small, walkable borough tucked into the ridges of central Pennsylvania that essentially exists because of Penn State. On a football Saturday the town swells past 100,000 and Beaver Stadium becomes one of the largest population centers in the state. The isolation cuts both ways — it's safe, affordable, and completely dominated by campus life, but it's also a real drive to anywhere, with the nearest major cities all 2.5 to 4 hours away.
Notable Alumni
William Schreyer
Longtime chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch, who studied commerce and finance at Penn State and later gave the gift that named its Schreyer Honors College.
Class of 1948
Guion Bluford
The first African American in space, who earned his aerospace engineering degree at Penn State before flying four Space Shuttle missions.
Class of 1964
Keegan-Michael Key
Emmy-winning co-creator and star of the sketch series Key & Peele, who earned his MFA in theater from Penn State.
Class of 1996
Kelly Ayotte
Governor of New Hampshire and former U.S. Senator, who earned her political science degree at Penn State.
Class of 1990
Franco Harris
Pro Football Hall of Fame running back known for the 'Immaculate Reception,' who starred for the Nittany Lions before a 12-season NFL career.
Alumni selected for name recognition and range of fields. Not from the Common Data Set.
The City
College town
University Park, PA
Best For
Traditions
THON
A year-long, student-run effort that culminates in a 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon at the Bryce Jordan Center, raising money for pediatric cancer care. It is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.
White Out at Beaver Stadium
For marquee home football games the entire crowd of 100,000-plus dresses in white, turning Beaver Stadium into one of the most iconic environments in college football.
The Nittany Lion Shrine
A limestone statue of the school's mountain-lion mascot carved in 1942, the symbolic heart of campus and one of the most-photographed spots at Penn State.
The Berkey Creamery
Penn State's on-campus creamery is one of the largest university creameries in the country, famous for ice cream made from the university's own dairy program.
Weekend Escapes
Within driving distance from University Park
Pittsburgh, PA
2.5 hoursThe closest major city, with pro sports, museums, and a lively food and nightlife scene.
Rothrock State Forest
30 minutesRidge-and-valley forest just outside town with hiking, mountain biking, and the popular Mount Nittany trail nearby.
Raystown Lake
1 hourCentral Pennsylvania's largest lake, a go-to for boating, swimming, and camping in warm weather.
Philadelphia, PA
3.5 hoursA full-scale East Coast city for history, food, and pro sports when you want a bigger getaway.
Washington, DC
3.5 hoursThe nation's capital, packed with free museums and monuments, is a doable long-weekend trip.
Getting There & Game Days
Nearest airport
University Park Airport (SCE)
15 minutes from campus
For international flights: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) — about 3.5 hours by car.
Pro sports nearby
- Pittsburgh Steelers NFL
- Pittsburgh Penguins NHL
- Pittsburgh Pirates MLB
- Philadelphia Eagles NFL
- Philadelphia Phillies MLB
Career Proximity
University Park is geographically remote, so its career pipeline is driven far more by Penn State's scale than by local employers. The alumni network is one of the largest in the country and corporate recruiting is heavy, especially in engineering, business, and technology. State College does have a notable presence of its own — the Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, a Navy-affiliated research center on campus, and AccuWeather, headquartered just outside town — but most students intern in bigger metros over the summer.
Top Industries Nearby
Major Employers
- Penn State Applied Research Laboratory
- AccuWeather
- Penn State (university and health system)
Pittsburgh — about 2.5 hours away; University Park is otherwise fairly isolated from major job centers
Who Thrives Here
Penn State runs on scale and spirit: more than 42,000 undergraduates, THON — one of the country's largest student-run philanthropies — and White Out Saturdays at a stadium that becomes one of the largest gatherings in Pennsylvania. Admissions are accessible for a flagship, with 60.6% of applicants admitted and a test-optional policy, and the outcomes are steady: 92.6% of first-years return and 86% graduate within six years, though the four-year rate trails at 70.6%. The culture is a genuine fit signal rather than colour — only about a third of undergraduates live on campus, so students build a life in the town of State College, and the isolation of central Pennsylvania means Happy Valley really is the whole world for four years, which energizes some students and closes in on others. The honest caution is cost: in-state tuition runs $20,644, but Penn State meets only 65.9% of demonstrated need and its borrowers graduate with $48,037 on average — well above its public peers.