Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg

Public · Moderately Selective · PA

Photo: Jethro Nolt (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationPA · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads4,031

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate18.3%

6-yr grad rate26.1%

Drop-out rate17.9%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$16k

Out-of-state tuition$27k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity54%

Gender diversity40.4%

International14.1%

Identity—

Overview

Penn State Harrisburg, in Middletown near the state capital, is the largest of Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses, offering the full four-year Penn State degree rather than functioning as a feeder campus students later transfer out of.

Academics

Engineering and engineering technology are particular strengths, alongside public affairs and public policy programs that benefit directly from proximity to Pennsylvania's state government agencies just minutes away. Class sizes are notably smaller than at University Park while the degree itself carries the same Penn State name.

Campus & student life

Most students who start at Penn State Harrisburg stay through graduation rather than transferring to University Park, giving the campus a more self-contained four-year identity than some other Commonwealth Campuses; the setting is suburban rather than a traditional big-college town.

Getting in

Admission is generally more accessible than University Park's, and the campus is a known path for students who want the Penn State degree and network without the flagship's scale or competitiveness.

After graduation

Public-affairs graduates have a direct pipeline into Pennsylvania state government roles given the campus's location, and engineering-technology graduates place into the central Pennsylvania industrial and logistics corridor; all graduates share the Penn State alumni network.

harrisburg.psu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate97.6%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1120–1310 · ACT 22–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying