Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus : Overview, Courses, Scholarships & Rankings
About Pennsylvania State University
You hear it before you see it: We Are. Penn State's main campus spreads over tree-lined lawns and brick paths, blending classic halls with modern research spaces. It's known for strengths in engineering, science, business, communications, agriculture, health, and the arts. Students tap into deep libraries, hands-on labs, makerspaces, tutoring and writing centers, plus advising that actually picks up. Busy but grounded, it's the kind of place where professors hold office hours and expect you to show up ready.
Life runs on traditions: the student-run dance marathon, the Creamery line, game day energy, and the Nittany Lion in every photo. Recreation is everywhere, from rec centers to nearby trails. Downtown State College sits steps away with coffee, music, internships, and part-time work. Career prep is practical, with big fairs, alumni mentorship, and recruiters who know the place. Notable alumni include astronaut Guion Bluford, actor Keegan-Michael Key, and NFL standout Saquon Barkley.
Key Institutional Details
Contact & Profile
Academic & Institutional
Academic Programs & Fields of Study
Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus offers 213 degree programs across 29 major academic fields, graduating approximately 14,569 students annually. The most popular fields by graduate volume are Business (24 programs, 2,643 graduates), Engineering (20 programs, 2,180 graduates), Computer & IT (7 programs, 1,552 graduates), Communication (8 programs, 899 graduates) and Biological Sciences (16 programs, 879 graduates). Explore program details, award levels, and graduate demographics below.
Business (24 programs, 2,643 graduates)
Business Administration, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance, General | 533 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.0801 |
| Marketing Management | 393 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.1401 |
| Accounting | 358 |
|
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
52.0301 |
| Business and Management Services | 307 |
|
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
52.9999 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 201 |
|
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
52.1399 |
| Organizational Behavior | 168 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.1003 |
| Real Estate | 118 |
|
Postbac Cert.
Other Award
|
52.1501 |
| Hospitality Management | 111 |
|
Bachelor's
Doctorate (R)
|
52.0999 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 97 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.0799 |
| Labor and Industrial Relations | 97 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
|
52.1002 |
| Management Information Systems | 87 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.1201 |
| Management Science | 52 |
|
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
52.1301 |
| Business Administration and Management | 38 |
|
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
Other Award
|
52.0201 |
| Meeting and Event Planning | 25 |
|
Other Award
|
52.0907 |
| Actuarial Science | 25 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.1304 |
| Project Management | 8 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
52.0211 |
| Business Administration | 6 |
|
Postbac Cert.
Other Award
|
52.0101 |
| Entrepreneurship Studies | 4 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
52.0701 |
| Human Resources Management | 4 |
|
Master's
|
52.1001 |
| Logistics and Supply Chain Management | 3 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
52.0203 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 3 |
|
Other Award
|
52.1299 |
| Business Administration and Management | 2 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
52.0299 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 2 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
52.1099 |
| Marketing Research | 1 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
52.1402 |
Engineering (20 programs, 2,180 graduates)
Engineering Sciences and Applied Technology Solutions
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 450 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.1901 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 209 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.1001 |
| Civil Engineering | 199 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.0801 |
| Architectural Engineering | 197 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.0401 |
| Industrial Engineering | 195 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.3501 |
| Aerospace Engineering | 192 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
Other Award
|
14.0201 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 165 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.0501 |
| Chemical Engineering | 165 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.0701 |
| Engineering | 75 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
Other Award
|
14.9999 |
| Computer Engineering | 70 |
|
Bachelor's
|
14.0901 |
| Petroleum Engineering | 68 |
|
Bachelor's
|
14.2501 |
| Agricultural Engineering | 44 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.0301 |
| Engineering Science | 44 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.1301 |
| Nuclear Engineering | 39 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.2301 |
| Materials Engineering | 35 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.1801 |
| Environmental Health Engineering | 23 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
14.1401 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 5 |
|
Master's
|
14.3601 |
| General Engineering | 2 |
|
Other Award
|
14.0101 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering | 2 |
|
Bachelor's
|
14.2101 |
| Software Engineering | 1 |
|
Bachelor's
|
14.0903 |
Computer & IT (7 programs, 1,552 graduates)
Computer Science, Information Technology and Cybersecurity
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Systems Security and Auditing | 465 |
|
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
|
11.1003 |
| Information Science | 439 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
11.0401 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 434 |
|
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
11.0101 |
| Informatics | 83 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
11.0104 |
| Computer Science | 80 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
11.0701 |
| Human-Centered Technology Design | 45 |
|
Bachelor's
|
11.0105 |
| Data Processing Technology | 6 |
|
Bachelor's
|
11.0301 |
Communication (8 programs, 899 graduates)
Media Communications, Journalism and Public Relations
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations and Advertising | 319 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.0999 |
| Journalism | 183 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.0401 |
| Digital Media and Multimedia | 176 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.0702 |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 77 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
09.0101 |
| Mass Communication and Media Studies | 71 |
|
Bachelor's
Doctorate (R)
|
09.0102 |
| Journalism | 68 |
|
Other Award
|
09.0499 |
| Communication and Journalism, Other | 4 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.9999 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | 1 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.0900 |
Biological Sciences (16 programs, 879 graduates)
Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Biomedical Research
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences | 351 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.9999 |
| Biology and Biological Sciences | 306 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.0101 |
| Biochemistry | 104 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.0202 |
| Biomedical Sciences | 20 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.0102 |
| Ecology | 14 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.1301 |
| Toxicology | 13 |
|
Bachelor's
|
26.1004 |
| Biotechnology | 9 |
|
Master's
|
26.1201 |
| Neuroscience | 9 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.1501 |
| Plant Pathology | 8 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.0305 |
| Entomology | 8 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.0702 |
| Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology | 7 |
|
Bachelor's
|
26.0503 |
| Animal Physiology | 7 |
|
Doctorate (R)
|
26.0707 |
| Bioinformatics | 7 |
|
Doctorate (R)
|
26.1103 |
| Anatomy | 6 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.0403 |
| Pathology and Experimental Pathology | 5 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.0910 |
| Epidemiology | 5 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
26.1309 |
Social Sciences (9 programs, 829 graduates)
Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science Studies
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 362 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
45.0603 |
| Political Science and Government | 210 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
45.1001 |
| International Relations | 97 |
|
Bachelor's
|
45.0901 |
| Sociology | 75 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
45.1101 |
| Anthropology | 37 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
45.0201 |
| Geographic Information Science and Cartography | 17 |
|
Other Award
|
45.0702 |
| Development Economics and International Development | 15 |
|
Bachelor's
|
45.0604 |
| Criminology | 8 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
45.0401 |
| Social Sciences | 8 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
45.9999 |
Health (12 programs, 723 graduates)
Healthcare Professions, Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Sciences and Disorders | 158 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
51.0201 |
| Nursing and Nursing Administration | 142 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
Other Award
|
51.3899 |
| Medicine | 135 |
|
Doctorate (P)
|
51.1201 |
| Health Administration and Management | 104 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
51.0701 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 53 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.2399 |
| Pre-Medicine | 48 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.1102 |
| Public Health | 41 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
51.2201 |
| Physician Assistant | 31 |
|
Master's
|
51.0912 |
| Medical Science | 6 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
51.1401 |
| International Public Health | 3 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
51.2210 |
| Athletic Training | 1 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.0913 |
| Geriatric Nursing | 1 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
51.3821 |
Education (19 programs, 581 graduates)
Educational Sciences, Teaching Methods and Pedagogy
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Level Teacher Education | 229 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.1206 |
| Secondary Education and Teaching | 99 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.1205 |
| Special Education Teaching | 36 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
13.1001 |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 34 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
13.0301 |
| Education, General | 29 |
|
Other Award
|
13.9999 |
| School Counseling and Guidance | 27 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
13.1101 |
| Music Teacher Education | 22 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
13.1312 |
| Higher Education Administration | 19 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
13.0406 |
| Trade and Industrial Teacher Education | 19 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
13.1320 |
| Educational Assessment and Research | 16 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.0699 |
| Art Education | 13 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
13.1302 |
| Educational Leadership and Administration | 9 |
|
Postbac Cert.
Other Award
|
13.0401 |
| Foundations of Education | 7 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
13.0901 |
| Foreign Language Teacher Education | 6 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.1306 |
| English as a Second Language (ESL) Teaching | 6 |
|
Master's
|
13.1401 |
| Instructional Technology | 3 |
|
Doctorate (R)
|
13.0501 |
| Adult and Continuing Education | 3 |
|
Doctorate (R)
|
13.1201 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development in Specific Subject Areas | 3 |
|
Associate's
|
13.1399 |
| Educational Evaluation and Research | 1 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
13.0601 |
Psychology (5 programs, 564 graduates)
Psychological Sciences, Mental Health and Behavioral Studies
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Psychology | 512 |
|
Bachelor's
|
42.0101 |
| Experimental Psychology | 42 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
42.2799 |
| Educational Psychology | 6 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
42.2806 |
| School Psychology | 3 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
42.2805 |
| Counseling Psychology | 1 |
|
Other Award
|
42.2803 |
Interdisciplinary (8 programs, 468 graduates)
Cross-Disciplinary Studies and Integrated Research Programs
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Science | 122 |
|
Bachelor's
|
30.7001 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 108 |
|
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
30.0101 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 79 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
30.1901 |
| Global Studies | 66 |
|
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
|
30.2001 |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | 65 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
Other Award
|
30.4401 |
| Sustainability Studies | 15 |
|
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (R)
|
30.3301 |
| Science, Technology, and Society | 12 |
|
Bachelor's
|
30.1501 |
| Intercultural and Diversity Studies | 1 |
|
Other Award
|
30.2301 |
Admission Requirements & Test Scores
Comprehensive overview of admission criteria, standardized test score ranges, and application requirements for prospective students at Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus.
Application Requirements
Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Test score ranges represent the middle 50% of admitted students (25th-75th percentile). Requirements may vary by program.
Tuition, Fees & Estimated Costs
Overview of tuition rates, housing, and other annual education expenses for undergraduate and graduate students
Financial Aid & Student Support
Summary of scholarships, grants, student loans, and financial aid statistics for undergraduate students
Student Success Metrics
Graduation rates and post-graduation earnings to help assess student outcomes and long-term value of education.
Loan Burden & Repayment Outcomes
Breakdown of loan repayment rates and student debt levels by income and dependency status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus
How much does it cost to attend Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus?
The annual tuition at Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus is $20,234 for in-state students and $40,188 for out-of-state students. When including room and board, books, and other expenses, the total estimated cost is approximately $39,892 for in-state students and $59,846 for out-of-state students. Additional costs include room and board $13,030 (on) / $13,448 (off) and books and supplies $1,840.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2022-2023 academic year. Tuition and cost estimates are approximate and may not include all fees, personal expenses, or transportation costs.
What academic programs and degree levels does Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus offer?
Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus offers 213 academic programs across 29 major fields of study, with available degree levels: Certificate (1-2 yrs), Associate's, Bachelor's, Postbac Cert., Master's, Doctorate (Research), Doctorate (Professional), Other Award.
Most popular program areas include:
- Business Administration, Marketing and Entrepreneurship (24 programs)
- Engineering Sciences and Applied Technology Solutions (20 programs)
- Computer Science, Information Technology and Cybersecurity (7 programs)
- Media Communications, Journalism and Public Relations (8 programs)
- Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Biomedical Research (16 programs)
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated, not all offered programs.
What is the acceptance rate for Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus?
Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus has an 54.2% acceptance rate and a 19.4% yield rate, making it selective.
Admission statistics breakdown:
- Total applicants: 85,956
- Students admitted: 46,605
- Students enrolled: 9,040
Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Admission statistics may vary by program and application cycle.
What financial aid and scholarships are available at Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus?
Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus provides financial aid to 22% of first-time, full-time students, with average grants of $11,577 and average loans of $13,736.
Average financial aid amounts by type:
- Pell grants: $5,381
- State/Local grants: $4,133
- Institutional grants: $8,733
- Federal loans: $5,347
The university supports 3,331 students with grants and 4,173 students with loans annually.
Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Financial aid amounts and percentages may vary by program, enrollment status, and individual circumstances.
What is the average salary for Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus graduates?
Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus graduates earn a median salary of $55,620 after 6 years and $63,435 after 10 years.
The salary range 10 years after graduation spans from $40,301 (25th percentile) to $93,790 (75th percentile), with top earners reaching $94,200 (90th percentile).
Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Salary data reflects graduates who received federal financial aid (approximately 60% of all graduates). Actual earnings may vary significantly based on program, location, and individual circumstances.
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