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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 97%. The freshman retention rate at Penn State Harrisburg is 82.1% and the six-year graduation rate is 72%.
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
4,047
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
15:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
72%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
If you know as much as possible about the institution's criteria for admission, your chances of getting accepted will significantly improve. Learn some important info about admission policy and requirements at Penn State Harrisburg.
According to the most recent information reported, this institution uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 9,092 in 2025. Looking at entrance difficulty level for all or most incoming freshmen, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is very difficult to get into. This renowned school with a rich history offers an unparalleled learning experience to its students.
Test Scores
23.29% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 2.64% submitted ACT scores, out of the total number of those who submitted test scores. 9.24% of the enrolled students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 53.36% between 1,200 and 1,399, 32.35% between 1,000 and 1,199, 4.62% between 800 and 999, and 0.42% of the students between 600 and 799. The percent of freshmen who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 41, 19 between 24-29, 41 in the range between 18-23, and 4.17 between 12-17.
The ACT composite average score for all the enrolled students in 2025 was 25 while the average GPA was 3.41. 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. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for Penn State Harrisburg was 82.1%, a testament to the outstanding educational experience provided by this institution.
Another important metric to consider is the graduation rate. This rate indicates how many students finish their degrees within a certain timeframe. At this academic institution, the proportion of students graduating in six years is 72%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
It is never easy to figure out which school is the right place for you. You can better comprehend the culture and life of the school by learning more about the student body.
Main Student Body
The overall number of students enrolled at Penn State Harrisburg in 2025 was 4,493.
That year, the institution had 24.62% of out-of-state students. The total number of undergraduate students enrolled at the school was 4,047, 570 of which were international students. 222 students were accepted as transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 2,319 male and 1,616 female full-time students in 2025. 96 full-time graduate men and 109 full-time graduate women attended this school.
Student Population Diversity
The significance of student diversity cannnot be denied, when it comes to the overall feeling of inclusion and beloning among the students of any school. In a diverse learning space, you will be exposed to people from different backgrounds, which promotes the feeling of inclusion and acceptance. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
This school had 582 Asian students and 408 Afro-American students in 2025. 387 undergraduates at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 156 identified with more than one race. There were also 70 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
The financial aspect is one of the most important things to think about before applying to any college or university. 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.
If you are an area resident, your tuition was $15,388. Tuition fees were $26,638 for students coming from a different state. Tuition costs at Penn State Harrisburg for international students amounted to $26,638. Full-time students in 2025 were required to pay additional fees in the amount of $616.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $26,638 | $616 | $27,254 |
| In-State | $15,388 | $616 | $16,004 |
Books and Supplies
Another important financial factor to consider is the estimated price of books and supplies for a college or university. The estimated price of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is $1,200.
Boarding
Before you apply to a college or university, you should, among other things, think about the price of a dorm room and cafeteria meals. What is the typical amount colleges and universities charge for room and board?
The cost of room and board (on campus) per academic year at Penn State Harrisburg was $15,346 in 2025. Room-only (on campus) cost per academic year at this school stood at $9,006, according to the data from 2025. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was $11,936.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 15,388 |
| Room and Board | $ 15,346 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,200 |
| Total Expense | $ 31,934 |
Financial Aid
Be it a grant, loan, scholarship, or work-study program, any type of financial support can be a great deal for a number of students. Check out some recent data to get the info about need-based and non-need-based monetary aid available at Penn State Harrisburg.
The most recent figures show that financial help was given to 614 freshmen. Students of this school received an average of $13,295 in financial help.
Need-based
Financial aid that a student can receive if they are determined to have financial need and meet other eligibility requirements is known as need-based aid.
1,309 students gained 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 found to be 2,108. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution stood at $6,754,346, and state $3,951,951. The students of Penn State Harrisburg received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $8,794,137, and external in the amount of $1,813,902.
$4,575
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. Most students get non-need-based financial aid as Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the TEACH Grant.
1,540 students, including freshmen, got institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid at this institution in 2025. Institutional grants or scholarships that are not based on financial need were given to 497 full-time freshman. Federal non-need-based scholarships and grants totaled $6,754,346 for students at this institution, while state aid came to $20,000. The total amount of non-need-based institutional scholarships/grants was $2,541,267. 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 $3,011,556 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.
According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at Penn State Harrisburg was 15:1: that means 15 students per one teacher. The total number of faculty teaching at the institution is 382. Out of that number, there were 226 men and 156 women.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
It is not all about learning and grades at Penn State Harrisburg: campus life is a crucial component of your educational experience. Check out some info about campus life at Penn State Harrisburg.
Student Organizations
A student organization is run by students at a university or a college institution, whose membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.
For those interested in acting, there is a drama club you can become part of. Interested in media and communication? Penn State Harrisburg publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
At Penn State Harrisburg, there are many amenities required for a comfortable and safe life on campus.
24/7 emergency phone and alarm devices are available. There are electronically operated dormitory entrances. 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 97%.
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The most recent data indicate that the freshman retention rate for Penn State Harrisburg is 82.1%.
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.
