Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,437 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months. 78% of employees would recommend working at Penn State to a friend and 56% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Penn State have been left by employees working as Student Grader , Undergraduate Teaching Assistant and Lab Assistant .

Does Penn State pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Penn State employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Penn State. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Penn State?

78% of Penn State employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penn State 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penn State?

Graduate Research Assistant (392) , Research Assistant (323) , Teaching Assistant (96) , Graduate Student (74) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (71) , Graduate Assistant (68) , Intern (53) , Postdoctoral Scholar (48) , Assistant Professor (46) , Student Worker (44) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (44) , Postdoctoral Fellow (43) , PhD Student (39) , Learning Assistant (38) , Postdoctoral Researcher (35)

What are the pros of working at Penn State according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefits and protected by the union is a plus" ((in 315 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 262 reviews)); "The hours are flexible and you can choose when you want to come into lab as long as you get your work done." ((in 189 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 98 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 89 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Penn State according to real employee reviews?

"Very low pay and no chance for a raise unless you change jobs within the university." ((in 325 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 178 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 73 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 25 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 23 reviews))

What are employees saying about Penn State layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Penn State layoffs and their outlook for job security at Penn State in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Penn State locations?

State College , University Park , Erie , Penn State University , Hershey , Harrisburg , Abington , Philadelphia , Altoona , Malvern , Middletown , Penn , Pittsburgh , Reading , York , Media , Monaca , Scranton , Allentown , New York , Lancaster , Washington , Center Valley , McKeesport , University Park , Los Angeles , Schuylkill Haven , University Park , Reston , Lehigh Valley

Penn State reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,993 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Penn State has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,993 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Penn State employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

3.0

Aug 12, 2015

Police Officer

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great Schedule for police work. Firearms training was 4 times the state standard. The work environment is safe for police work Your fellow officers are very supportive.

Cons

Poor management structure that is based on a corporate mentality. Former chief had little to no patrol experience. The department was top heavy. The primary function of a police operation is patrol, but they put it last. Working the football season is a nightmare. Recently the management problem has been exposed and they are currently restructuring.

1.0

Aug 7, 2015

Global Programs

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits (health and dental, retirement, vacation/sick days) with an exceptional purpose.

Cons

Inflexible and short sighted leadership unwilling to negotiated fair or decent wages with employees; promotions based on nepotism; unfriendly and negative atmosphere; most employees fearful of reporting unethical behavior due to potential negative recourse.

4.0

Aug 6, 2015

Grad student in the Huck Institute of Life Sciences

Nsf graduate research fellow

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great resources for research in terms of both lab facilities and digital journal access, decent medical, dental and vision insurance for graduate students

Cons

Disorganized and confusing administration with mash-up of departments, institutes, etc. Lots of redundant paperwork. For those of us on multi-year contracts, each year is like groundhog day with having to essentially be a new employee all over again, which can be frustrating, especially when you're in your third or fourth year and someone says they have no record of you.

Viewing 4414 - 4416 of 4,993 Reviews

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Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Police Officer

Global Programs

Grad student in the Huck Institute of Life Sciences

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Jobs at Penn State