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Academics

Penn State Harrisburg
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Penn State Harrisburg?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

15:1
Student to faculty ratio
24
Average class size
51%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Penn State Harrisburg has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
141
10-19
209
20-29
270
30-39
154
40-49
29
50-99
24
100+
8

Honors Programs

Penn State Harrisburg has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Penn State Harrisburg's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Penn State Harrisburg:

82%
First-year retention rate
51%
4-year grad rate
72%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Penn State Harrisburg's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Mechanical Engineering
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Civil Engineering, General
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other
31.8
36.84
41.88
46.92
51.96
57

The Full List

Major Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
  • Plant Sciences, General 1
Area
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 5
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 41
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other 13
Business
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 30
  • Finance, General 28
  • Business Administration and Management, General 16
  • Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 10
  • Accounting 7
  • Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 6
Communication
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 10
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 48
  • Information Science/Studies 18
  • Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance 11
  • Computer and Information Sciences, Other 8
  • Informatics 5
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 24
  • Social Studies Teacher Education 8
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 57
  • Civil Engineering, General 39
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 33
  • Structural Engineering 10
  • Nuclear Engineering 1
  • Computer Engineering, General 0
  • Computer Software Engineering 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 11
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Human Development and Family Studies, General 9
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other 36
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 8
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 7
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 0
Homeland Security
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 19
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Humanities/Humanistic Studies 3
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Applied Mathematics, General 3
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Biological and Physical Sciences 5
Parks
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 22
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 22
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 5
Social Sciences
  • Political Science and Government, General 14
  • Sociology, General 7
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 0
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