Penn State University Park
Academics
How strong are the academics at Penn State University Park?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
15:1
Student to faculty ratio
35
Average class size
71%
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 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
Most Common
20-29
2-9
529
10-19
1,079
20-29
1,495
30-39
534
40-49
596
50-99
475
100+
415
Honors Programs
Penn State University Park 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'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 University Park:
93%
First-year retention rate
71%
4-year grad rate
86%
6-year grad rate
The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $48,779. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.
$48,779
$48,300 (National Average)
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Penn State University Park's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Finance, General
Psychology, General
Information Science/Studies
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
365
398.6
432.2
465.8
499.4
533
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
- Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations 84
- Pre-Veterinary Studies 80
- Animal Sciences, General 74
- Plant Sciences, General 35
- Food Science 34
- Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology 33
- Agriculture, General 25
- Agriculture, General 25
- AGRICULTURAL / ANIMAL / PLANT / VETERINARY SCIENCE AND RELATED FIELDS 25
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping 17
- Turf and Turfgrass Management 11
- Agricultural and Extension Education Services 10
Architecture And Related Services
- Architecture 64
- Landscape Architecture 29
Area
- Women's Studies 10
- African-American/Black Studies 10
- Asian Studies/Civilization 5
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 1
- Latin American Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other 330
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 299
- Biochemistry 93
- Toxicology 13
- Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology 7
Business
- Finance, General 533
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 393
- Accounting 219
- Organizational Behavior Studies 168
- Hospitality Administration/Management, Other 109
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Other 97
- Management Information Systems, General 87
- Labor and Industrial Relations 76
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other 66
- Actuarial Science 25
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 17
Communication
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other 319
- Journalism 183
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 176
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 68
- Mass Communication/Media Studies 56
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other 4
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 1
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Information Science/Studies 427
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 426
- Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance 272
- Human-Centered Technology Design 45
- Informatics 43
- Data Processing and Data Processing Technology/Technician 6
- Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration 0
- Computer and Information Sciences, Other 0
- Artificial Intelligence 0
Education
- Teacher Education, Multiple Levels 229
- Secondary Education and Teaching 99
- Music Teacher Education 21
- Special Education and Teaching, General 16
- Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other 16
- Art Teacher Education 10
- Foreign Language Teacher Education 6
- Trade and Industrial Teacher Education 2
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 385
- Civil Engineering, General 165
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 150
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 140
- Industrial Engineering 139
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 133
- Chemical Engineering 130
- Architectural Engineering 110
- Computer Engineering, General 70
- Petroleum Engineering 68
- Agricultural Engineering 32
- Engineering, Other 29
- Engineering Science 25
- Nuclear Engineering 22
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 19
- Mining and Mineral Engineering 2
- Computer Software Engineering 1
- Surveying Engineering 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 71
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Human Development and Family Studies, General 53
Foreign Languages
- Spanish Language and Literature 36
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 13
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 13
- French Language and Literature 12
- Comparative Literature 8
- Chinese Language and Literature 7
- German Language and Literature 7
- Italian Language and Literature 5
- Japanese Language and Literature 2
- Korean Language and Literature 1
- Russian Language and Literature 1
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other 132
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 124
- Health/Health Care Administration/Management 86
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other 53
- Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies 48
- Athletic Training/Trainer 1
History
- History, General 58
Homeland Security
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration 253
- Forensic Science and Technology 43
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 0
Liberal Arts And Sciences
- Humanities/Humanistic Studies 7
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 2
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 136
- Statistics, General 64
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Data Science, General 122
- Biological and Physical Sciences 106
- Nutrition Sciences 72
- Geography and Environmental Studies 22
- Science, Technology and Society 12
- Sustainability Studies 6
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other 34
- Natural Resources/Conservation, General 28
- Forest Sciences and Biology 15
- Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other 1
Parks
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 221
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 83
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 36
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
- Physics, General 62
- Materials Science 57
- Chemistry, General 57
- Geology/Earth Science, General 48
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 34
- Astronomy 33
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General 32
Psychology
- Psychology, General 512
Science Technologies/Technicians
- Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician 27
Social Sciences
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 340
- Political Science and Government, General 190
- International Relations and Affairs 97
- Sociology, General 63
- Anthropology, General 34
- Development Economics and International Development 15
- Archeology 0
- Geography 0
- Economics, General 0
- Social Sciences, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production 71
- Art/Art Studies, General 35
- Music, General 27
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 22
- Acting 20
- Graphic Design 14
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 13
- Design and Applied Arts, Other 12
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 10
- Photography 8
- Music Performance, General 1
- Dance, General 0
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