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Penn State Harrisburg
Middletown, PA
Penn State Harrisburg is a campus of Pennsylvania State University, located in Middletown, Pennsylvania. Established in 1966, the campus offers a wide range of academic programs and degrees across various disciplines. With its commitment to research, teaching, and community engagement, Penn State Harrisburg provides a vibrant and enriching environment for students.
The campus boasts state-of-the-art facilities and resources, including modern classrooms, laboratories, and research centers. Penn State Harrisburg offers over 60 undergraduate programs, including business, engineering, humanities, and social sciences, to cater to the diverse interests of its students. In addition to undergraduate studies, the campus also offers graduate programs in fields such as business administration, public affairs, and engineering, providing opportunities for further specialization and career advancement.
Aside from academic excellence, Penn State Harrisburg has a strong focus on community engagement and service. The campus encourages students to participate in service-learning programs and community-based research projects, fostering a sense of social responsibility and civic engagement. Moreover, Penn State Harrisburg offers numerous extracurricular activities, including sports, clubs, and organizations, allowing students to get involved and make the most of their college experience. Overall, Penn State Harrisburg provides a dynamic and diverse educational experience within a supportive and inclusive community.
Penn State Harrisburg is a public comprehensive higher education institution located in Middletown, PA. This school follows a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 96%. The freshman retention rate at Penn State Harrisburg is 81.5% and the six-year graduation rate is 68%.
To find out more about what Penn State Harrisburg has to offer to its students, read on for the latest data reported by this school.
Quick Facts
4,164
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
96%
Acceptance Rate
15:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
68%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
You need to learn as much as you can about the entrance requirements of the institution in order to improve your chances of being accepted. Here are the most vital information you have to know about admission policy and requirements at Penn State Harrisburg.
According to the newest data, this institution uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 9,914 in 2024. As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is very difficult to get into. With a rich history of academic excellence, it offers an unmatched educational experience.
Test Scores
26.69% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 2.23% submitted ACT scores, out of the overall number of those who submitted test scores. 9.29% of the enrolled students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 50.15% between 1,200 and 1,399, 34.06% between 1,000 and 1,199, and 6.5% between 800 and 999. The percent of new students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 41, 41 between 24-29, 19 in the range between 18-23, and 4.17 between 12-17.
The ACT composite average score for all the enrolled students in 2024 was 25 while the average GPA was 3.29. This implies that you'll probably need a GPA above the average to secure admission, as well as an above-average ACT score.
The new students had an average SAT Critical Reading score of 565 and an average SAT Math score of 510.
Retention Rate
What is the freshman retention rate? The freshman retention rate is the percentage of full-time students who entered the institution as freshmen in the previous academic year and returned for the fall term of the current academic year. Why is that information important? Because it tells you if the majority of freshmen enjoyed their first year at a school enough to come back.
As reported in 2024, the freshman retention rate for Penn State Harrisburg was 81.5%, which is considered an above-average retention rate and is indicative of the quality of educational experience at this school.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. This rate shows how many students complete their degrees in a certain number of years. The six-year graduation rate at this institution stands at 68%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
Making the choice of which school is the optimal fit for you is not easy. Gaining a better insight into a school's student body helps you learn more about its culture and life.
Main Student Body
The total number of students enrolled at Penn State Harrisburg in 2024 was 4,651.
That year, the school had an out-of-state student body percentage of 25.16. There was a total of 4,164 those pursuing undergraduate studies, including 676 international students. The school reported to have a total of 254 transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
With a coeducational student body, the school had 2,532 male and 1,603 female full-time students in 2024. 96 full-time graduate men and 109 full-time graduate women attended this school.
Student Population Diversity
Higher Education is dedicated to increasing student diversity and enhancing students' feelings of inclusion and belonging. Diversity promotes critical thinking, challenges preconceived notions, and encourages intellectual growth, so it helps students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
In 2024, out of the total number of students enrolled at the institution, the number of Asian students was 562, and the number of Afro-American students was 409. 344 undergraduates at this school identified as Hispanic/Latino and 163 as multirace. There were also 65 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Before you send an application to any college or university, you should take into account the financial component. Here are some details you should know about the cost of attendance for Penn State Harrisburg.
Tuition and Fees
If you were wondering how much the tuition cost for Penn State Harrisburg is, here are some recent data that will come in handy.
According to the reports from public county and municipal institutions, tuition fees were $15,388 for area residents. For students who don't live in the state in which the university is located, the tuition was $26,374 in 2024. For international students, tuition fees at this school came to $26,374, as well.
| Tuition | Fees | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $26,374 | Not Available | $ 26,374 |
| In-State | $15,388 | Not Available | $15,388 |
Boarding
When choosing a college, you should factor in the price of a dorm room and meals at the school cafeteria. What do colleges and universities typically charge for room and board?
In 2024, room and board cost at Penn State Harrisburg amounted to $14,474 a year. If you only wanted a dorm room, it cost $6,154 for the 2024 academic year.
| Tuition | $ 15,388 |
| Room and Board | $ 14,474 |
| Total Expense | $ 29,862 |
Financial Aid
Getting some financial support in forms of grants, loans, scholarships or work-study programs can be very important for finishing your studies. Check out some recent data to get the info about need-based and non-need-based aid at Penn State Harrisburg.
The most recent figures show that financial help was given to 556 freshmen. Students of this school received an average of $12,390 in financial help.
Need-based
Need-based financial aid is exactly what it sounds like — it’s awarded based on the determined financial need.
1,155 students were granted some form of need-based financial aid. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at Penn State Harrisburg isn't available to international students. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was 2,076. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution was $6,068,557, and state $3,703,003. The students of Penn State Harrisburg received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $7,951,562, and external in the amount of $1,641,971.
$4,243
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. Non-need-based student aid typicaly comes in a form of Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
1,804 students, including freshmen, obtained institutional non-need-based financial aid at this school in 2024. Institutional help in the form of non-need-based scholarships or grants was given to 496 full-time freshmen. Federal non-need-based scholarships and grants totaled $6,068,557 for students at this institution, while state aid came to $34,439. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $2,059,009. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. The amount the students of this school received from external sources (e.g. Kiwanis, National Merit) was $2,200,500 USD.
Majors
Faculty
15:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Getting information about the faculty at a school can help you estimate the quality of education you will receive there.
In 2024, this ratio at Penn State Harrisburg was 15:1. That means that there were 15 times more students than teachers at this school. According to the most recent information, there are 403 teachers at this school. Out of that number, there were 235 male and 168 female faculty members.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Knowing what to expect out of campus life at a college or university can set you up for success. Check out some information about campus life at Penn State Harrisburg.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are run by students of an institution, and its membership usually consists exclusively of current students and/or alumni.
If acting is an interest of yours, there is a drama club you can join. For students looking to explore media and communication, Penn State Harrisburg publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
Penn State Harrisburg offers a number of services important for a comfortable and secure life on campus.
There are emergency phone and alarm devices available around the clock. The dormitory entrances at the school are electronically controlled. There is a security patrol that operates 24 hours a day. The transport/escort service operates during late hours.
All in all, campus life at Penn State Harrisburg is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Penn State Harrisburg.
Career Counselling
At Penn State Harrisburg, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library and job fairs. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
FAQ
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Penn State Harrisburg is located in Middletown, PA.
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Penn State Harrisburg doesn't offer need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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This school uses standardized test scores for admission.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for Penn State Harrisburg is 96%.
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The most recent reported freshman retention rate for Penn State Harrisburg is 81.5%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.