Public · University Park, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus: cost, debt and earnings by major
200 programs with reported graduate earnings. Click one for net cost, payback and 10-year return.
- Average net price, all families
- $33,675
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Odds of finishing
- 85%
- Within 150% of normal time · Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Admission rate
- 61%
- Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Undergraduates
- 42,284
- Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Median debt of graduates
- $24,500
- NSLDS FY2024, FY2025 pooled cohorts
- Borrowers in default after 2 years
- 4.0%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-2019, 2019-2020
Net price by family income
| $0–30,000 | $22,193 |
|---|---|
| $30,001–48,000 | $21,267 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $25,458 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $31,948 |
| $110,000+ | $39,140 |
What families paid per year after grants, AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26.
Undergraduate certificate programs (16)
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$108,264
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management$102,874
- Real Estate$100,940
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$93,527
- Accounting and Related Services$87,526
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$82,162
- Management Information Systems and Services$81,794
- Business Administration, Management and Operations$79,292
- Engineering, General$74,477 (1 yr)
- Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants$63,384
- Journalism$63,138
- Plant Sciences$62,775 (1 yr)
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$53,216 (1 yr)
- Finance and Financial Management Services$52,980 (1 yr)
- Hospitality Administration/Management$51,779 (1 yr)
- Geography and Cartography$38,806 (1 yr)
Associate's programs (11)
- Information Science/Studies$69,394
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$65,110
- Business/Commerce, General$61,596
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services$60,464
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians$57,997
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$54,654
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services$46,356
- Forestry$42,466
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$40,545
- Human Resources Management and Services$40,234 (1 yr)
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$37,069
Bachelor's programs (107)
- Computer and Information Sciences, General$120,729
- Petroleum Engineering$113,669
- Computer Engineering$112,269
- Industrial Engineering$104,758
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$104,205
- Chemical Engineering$103,728
- Engineering, Other$102,134
- Computer Science$101,854
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering$100,416
- Engineering Science$100,176
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$99,159
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management$98,637
- Finance and Financial Management Services$96,714
- Management Information Systems and Services$95,935
- Architectural Engineering$94,483
- Nuclear Engineering$94,365
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$93,277
- Materials Sciences$92,864
- Information Science/Studies$91,671
- Mining and Mineral Engineering$91,411
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$91,032
- Accounting and Related Services$88,192
- Engineering, General$88,063
- Mechanical Engineering$87,997
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering$87,636
- Agricultural Engineering$87,564
- Statistics$86,636
- Computer Software and Media Applications$84,115 (1 yr)
- Food Science and Technology$83,112
- Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians$81,835
- Physics$81,763
- Human Resources Management and Services$81,755
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other$81,617
- Civil Engineering$81,403
- Economics$81,228
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$81,092
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering$80,855
- Marketing$79,343
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians$79,342
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations$78,476
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$77,336
- Mathematics$77,336
- Surveying Engineering$77,094
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$76,246
- Architecture$76,181
- Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians$75,919
- Health and Medical Administrative Services$75,396
- Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians$74,494 (1 yr)
- Landscape Architecture$74,363
- Agricultural Business and Management$73,471
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$73,308
- Business Administration, Management and Operations$72,218
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$72,063
- International Relations and National Security Studies$71,001
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services$69,540
- Biological and Physical Sciences$69,102
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology$69,083
- Geography and Cartography$68,993
- Political Science and Government$68,918
- Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy$68,734 (1 yr)
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$67,399
- Radio, Television, and Digital Communication$66,876
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other$66,866
- Astronomy and Astrophysics$66,759
- Security Science and Technology$66,084
- Philosophy$65,675
- Business/Commerce, General$65,292
- Chemistry$65,230
- Biology, General$64,910
- Hospitality Administration/Management$63,798
- Nutrition Sciences$63,010
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$62,831
- Journalism$62,336
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$62,072
- Non-Professional Legal Studies$60,745
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research$60,193
- Social Sciences, General$59,883
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$58,195
- Design and Applied Arts$58,105
- Criminal Justice and Corrections$56,877
- Business/Corporate Communications$55,840
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$55,741
- Communication and Media Studies$55,505
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$54,488
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$53,362
- Agriculture, General$52,932
- History$52,871
- Plant Sciences$52,329
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$52,131
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions$51,635
- Anthropology$50,640
- English Language and Literature, General$50,299
- Agricultural Public Services$50,118 (1 yr)
- Animal Sciences$49,772
- Psychology, General$49,543
- Sociology$49,197
- Research and Experimental Psychology$48,348
- Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs$47,620
- Forestry$46,652 (1 yr)
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$45,943
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other$45,833
- Visual and Performing Arts, General$45,170
- Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$44,913
- Music$44,241
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts$43,919
- Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences$41,859 (1 yr)
- Fine and Studio Arts$40,036
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs (11)
- Information Science/Studies$141,703
- Business Administration, Management and Operations$140,589
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations$134,369 (1 yr)
- Business/Commerce, General$134,050
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$129,315 (1 yr)
- Statistics$128,684
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other$115,795 (1 yr)
- Educational Administration and Supervision$111,979
- Geography and Cartography$83,548
- Human Resources Management and Services$80,436
- Special Education and Teaching$69,106
Master's programs (45)
- Computer and Information Sciences, General$166,387
- Information Science/Studies$158,815
- Physics$150,865
- Systems Engineering$145,507
- Computer Engineering$140,393
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$139,676
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations$138,103 (1 yr)
- Computational Science$137,367
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$129,975
- Statistics$129,392
- Business Administration, Management and Operations$127,665
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management$119,536 (1 yr)
- Manufacturing Engineering$118,435 (1 yr)
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$117,728
- Mechanical Engineering$114,915 (1 yr)
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$111,392 (1 yr)
- Health and Medical Administrative Services$111,065
- Accounting and Related Services$110,498
- Engineering, Other$107,278
- Homeland Security$106,535
- Human Resources Management and Services$103,541
- Geography and Cartography$102,798
- Applied Mathematics$102,245 (1 yr)
- Psychology, Other$99,841
- Architectural Engineering$98,877
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$92,359 (1 yr)
- Marketing$91,554 (1 yr)
- Public Health$90,383
- Public Administration$87,710
- Community Organization and Advocacy$84,981
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$83,910 (1 yr)
- International/Globalization Studies$81,832
- Educational/Instructional Media Design$80,769 (1 yr)
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$69,663
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$69,658 (1 yr)
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$68,105
- Educational Administration and Supervision$63,797
- Special Education and Teaching$63,109
- Curriculum and Instruction$62,403
- Nutrition Sciences$60,104 (1 yr)
- Public Policy Analysis$58,138 (1 yr)
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services$57,055
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology$56,114
- Criminal Justice and Corrections$47,359 (1 yr)
- Music$32,151 (1 yr)
Doctoral programs (7)
- Materials Engineering$121,313 (1 yr)
- Chemistry$115,630
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$114,544 (1 yr)
- Research and Experimental Psychology$81,836 (1 yr)
- Biology, General$78,257 (1 yr)
- Communication and Media Studies$75,616
- Curriculum and Instruction$74,098
First professional programs (2)
Graduate certificate programs (1)
- Geography and Cartography$72,514 (1 yr)