Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College

Public · Moderately Selective · PA

Photo: Mr. Matte (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationPA · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads3,240

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate31.6%

6-yr grad rate43.6%

Drop-out rate16.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$16k

Out-of-state tuition$27k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity24.8%

Gender diversity37.6%

International4.9%

Identity—

Overview

Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, is the largest of Penn State's branch campuses that awards its own four-year bachelor's degrees rather than funneling students to University Park after two years. Set on a wooded campus above Lake Erie, it offers a mid-sized alternative to the flagship's scale while still carrying the Penn State name, degree, and alumni network.

Academics

Engineering and engineering technology are Behrend's signature strength, taught in a school-within-a-school structure with its own labs, faculty, and industry partnerships, alongside solid business and sciences programs. Class sizes run noticeably smaller than at University Park, and undergraduates get access to research opportunities and direct faculty attention that can be harder to come by at the main campus's much larger scale.

Campus & student life

The campus sits directly on Lake Erie's shore with wooded trails and a nature preserve on-site, giving it an outdoorsy, self-contained feel distinct from the college-town energy of State College. Athletics compete at the Division III level, a contrast to University Park's Division I programs, and the school pulls a mix of local Erie-area students and others who specifically wanted a smaller Penn State experience.

Getting in

Applicants apply directly to the Behrend campus, or list it as a preference within the Penn State system, and admission standards run somewhat more accessible than University Park's — a common path for students who want the Penn State degree without the flagship's competitiveness.

After graduation

Graduates carry the full weight of the Penn State name and its large, well-connected alumni network into the job market, and Behrend's engineering and business graduates in particular place well with employers across the Erie region and greater Pennsylvania who recruit from Penn State broadly.

Worth knowing

Because it grants full four-year degrees on-site — unlike most other Penn State commonwealth campuses, which mainly serve as two-year feeders into University Park — Behrend students don't need to transfer to finish their degree, though some programs still offer that option for students who want it.

behrend.psu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate96.8%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1120–1310 · ACT 25–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 1

AdmissionRolling

Applying