College Scorecard · cost, debt & earnings
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University Park, PA · Public · Bachelor-granting · 42,284 undergrads · 61% admitted
Do students finish?
86% complete
Most students who start here finish.
What does it cost?
$39,694/yr net
Average annual price after grants & scholarships. ~$158,776 over four years if you finish on time.
What former students go on to earn
The middle 50% of students who received federal aid, measured 10 years after they entered (an earlier entering class — not a guarantee, and not limited to those who graduated). Earnings vary enormously by field of study.
$63,435 median, 10 yrs after entry
25th pct $40,301 median $63,435 75th pct $93,790
79% earn more than a typical high-school graduate (the dashed line above, $28,000 — a fixed, somewhat dated federal benchmark) ten years on.
Your major matters more than your school
The school-wide figure above blends every major together — but pay varies enormously by program. Pick a degree level (and search your major) to compare like-for-like.
Read these on their own terms. Program pay is measured 1 year after completing the program
(early career, graduates only) — not the same as the school-wide number above, which is 10 years after a
student first enrolled. Don't compare a program figure to the school figure; use the programs to compare majors to each other.
96 Bachelor's programs · $15,149 to $80,718 (1 yr out)
MajorPay · 1yr outMedian debt
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.Master's $110,382 $97,044
Information Science/Studies.Master's $109,295 $33,905
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.Master's $100,372 $21,500
Computer Engineering.Master's $100,190 $41,000
Computer and Information Sciences, General.Master's $99,798 $41,000
Statistics.Master's $96,917 —
Systems Engineering.Master's $96,574 $32,822
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.Master's $95,304 $41,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations.Master's $92,512 $41,000
Geography and Cartography.Master's $87,475 —
Finance and Financial Management Services.Master's $82,006 —
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.Master's $81,629 —
Social Sciences, General.Master's $81,247 —
Psychology, Other.Master's $81,025 $41,000
Petroleum Engineering.Bachelor's $80,718 $22,837
Chemistry.Doctoral $77,929 —
Computer Engineering.Bachelor's $76,448 $26,471
Medicine.Master's $76,084 —
Computer and Information Sciences, General.Bachelor's $73,647 $25,000
Human Resources Management and Services.Master's $72,738 $41,000
Communication and Media Studies.Doctoral $72,603 —
Health and Medical Administrative Services.Master's $72,509 $44,873
Mining and Mineral Engineering.Bachelor's $71,938 —
Chemical Engineering.Bachelor's $70,502 $26,706
Psychology, General.Doctoral $70,397 —
Industrial Engineering.Bachelor's $69,173 $24,250
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.Bachelor's $68,716 $26,969
Architectural Engineering.Master's $68,141 —
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.Bachelor's $67,759 $23,250
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering.Bachelor's $67,461 $26,000
Architectural Engineering.Bachelor's $67,154 $31,000
Polymer/Plastics Engineering.Bachelor's $66,366 $27,000
Mechanical Engineering.Bachelor's $65,376 $26,723
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management.Bachelor's $65,214 $26,000
Materials Sciences.Bachelor's $64,925 $23,224
Accounting and Related Services.Master's $63,873 $20,500
Nuclear Engineering.Bachelor's $62,046 $24,623
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy.Bachelor's $62,018 —
Engineering, Other.Bachelor's $61,978 $25,500
Civil Engineering.Bachelor's $61,387 $26,000
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other.Bachelor's $61,252 $21,489
Finance and Financial Management Services.Bachelor's $61,200 $25,000
Geography and Cartography.Post-bac cert. $61,048 —
Agricultural Engineering.Bachelor's $60,836 $27,000
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering.Master's $60,554 —
Information Science/Studies.Bachelor's $60,548 $25,950
Medicine.Professional $59,741 $215,577
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations.Bachelor's $59,349 $25,000
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians.Bachelor's $58,773 $27,000
Community Organization and Advocacy.Master's $58,377 $48,937
Computer Science.Bachelor's $58,206 $27,000
Management Information Systems and Services.Bachelor's $57,465 $26,000
Public Administration.Master's $56,081 $41,000
Statistics.Bachelor's $55,709 $21,500
Biomedical/Medical Engineering.Bachelor's $55,595 $24,164
Engineering, General.Bachelor's $55,455 $25,949
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering.Bachelor's $55,225 $26,869
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.Master's $54,328 $41,000
Law.Professional $54,072 $65,436
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services.Associate's $53,956 —
Landscape Architecture.Bachelor's $53,453 $29,966
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians.Associate's $52,817 —
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other.Bachelor's $52,573 —
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.Bachelor's $52,296 $25,000
Surveying Engineering.Bachelor's $52,230 —
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.Master's $52,015 —
Mathematics.Bachelor's $52,010 $23,875
Architecture.Bachelor's $51,482 $30,440
Marketing.Bachelor's $51,414 $24,947
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor's $51,228 $25,218
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences.Bachelor's $50,624 $25,648
Physics.Bachelor's $50,536 $23,299
Curriculum and Instruction.Master's $49,813 $23,151
Business Administration, Management and Operations.Bachelor's $49,437 $24,973
Food Science and Technology.Bachelor's $49,091 $25,000
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians.Associate's $49,089 $16,500
Human Resources Management and Services.Bachelor's $48,779 $27,000
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.Associate's $48,326 $12,625
Educational Administration and Supervision.Master's $48,179 $29,612
Agricultural Business and Management.Bachelor's $47,444 $26,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.Master's $47,226 —
Student Counseling and Personnel Services.Master's $46,674 $41,000
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services.Bachelor's $45,940 $25,784
Economics.Bachelor's $45,928 $24,500
Special Education and Teaching.Master's $45,891 $31,107
Hospitality Administration/Management.Bachelor's $45,612 $23,455
Health and Medical Administrative Services.Bachelor's $45,122 $25,000
Non-Professional Legal Studies.Bachelor's $44,201 $31,750
International/Globalization Studies.Master's $43,974 $45,147
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.Bachelor's $42,918 $23,250
Business/Commerce, General.Bachelor's $42,524 $25,593
Forestry.Bachelor's $41,479 $20,089
Information Science/Studies.Associate's $41,003 $21,000
Chemistry.Bachelor's $40,776 $27,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.Bachelor's $40,637 $25,500
Business/Commerce, General.Associate's $40,242 $17,701
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians.Bachelor's $39,610 —
International Relations and National Security Studies.Bachelor's $39,513 $24,375
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.Certificate $39,262 $17,273
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.Bachelor's $39,223 $26,000
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Master's $39,000 —
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.Associate's $38,928 $14,000
Geography and Cartography.Bachelor's $38,349 $26,000
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology.Bachelor's $38,061 $26,000
Design and Applied Arts.Bachelor's $37,726 $25,625
Political Science and Government.Bachelor's $37,482 $25,000
Agriculture, General.Bachelor's $36,386 $26,000
Business/Corporate Communications.Bachelor's $35,169 $25,000
Natural Resources Conservation and Research.Bachelor's $34,969 $26,000
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.Bachelor's $34,958 $23,250
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other.Bachelor's $34,758 $25,431
Plant Sciences.Bachelor's $34,546 $22,048
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Bachelor's $34,135 $25,500
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management.Bachelor's $33,729 $23,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.Bachelor's $33,395 $26,500
Journalism.Bachelor's $33,090 $24,367
Biological and Physical Sciences.Bachelor's $33,036 $25,887
Communication and Media Studies.Bachelor's $32,077 $25,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.Associate's $31,892 $16,500
Animal Sciences.Bachelor's $31,682 $25,000
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions.Bachelor's $30,749 $26,000
Sociology.Bachelor's $30,335 $26,000
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness.Bachelor's $30,320 $26,940
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Bachelor's $30,110 $25,750
Psychology, General.Bachelor's $29,652 $26,000
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services.Bachelor's $29,005 $27,000
Biology, General.Bachelor's $28,620 $25,717
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other.Bachelor's $28,554 $27,000
Research and Experimental Psychology.Bachelor's $27,946 $25,375
Anthropology.Bachelor's $27,870 $27,000
History.Bachelor's $27,051 $26,000
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other.Bachelor's $26,833 $25,601
Visual and Performing Arts, General.Bachelor's $25,485 $24,225
English Language and Literature, General.Bachelor's $25,116 $25,000
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services.Associate's $24,148 $22,250
Film/Video and Photographic Arts.Bachelor's $23,725 $23,250
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.Bachelor's $23,662 $23,250
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs.Bachelor's $22,902 —
Astronomy and Astrophysics.Bachelor's $22,853 $24,614
Fine and Studio Arts.Bachelor's $21,352 $27,000
Music.Bachelor's $20,571 $26,438
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.Bachelor's $18,839 $27,000
Nutrition Sciences.Bachelor's $15,149 $25,000
No matching program at this level. Try “All levels” or a different search — and note the Dept. of Education omits programs with too few graduates.
The Dept. of Education omits programs with too few graduates (to protect privacy), so not every major appears. Pay is a median for federally-aided graduates. Full program detail on the official Scorecard.
Typical federal loan debt
$19,500
≈ 31% of one year's typical earnings here
This counts federal student loans only — not private loans, Parent PLUS loans, or family savings, so the true cost of borrowing is usually higher.
What these numbers are — and are not
Every figure here is an institution-wide median from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. It is not a prediction of what you would earn or owe — a computer-science and a fine-arts graduate of the same school can earn wildly different amounts, and your field of study matters more than your school. It is not a figure for any one program, not proof the school caused the outcome (selective schools admit students who would earn more anyway), and not a "best college" ranking. Earnings and debt cover federally-aided students.
→ The number that actually answers "worth it" is earnings by major — see the by-major breakdown above (143 programs at this school).
Also available: structured data (JSON-LD) · plain text · JSON. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2026-06-10 release). · school website