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 310 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 255 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 184 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 97 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 90 reviews))

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

"Very boring and structured as well as low paying." ((in 327 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 171 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 75 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 25 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 22 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

5.0

Jun 25, 2015

Grad Student

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

incredible town to live it, tons of fun. lots of bars, young people, entertainment. greats chool with good professional reputation and network as well

Cons

tons of work being a grad student. but thats expected if you go to grad school, wont change going somehwere else, unless you sacrifice competitivness of program perhaps

4.0

Jun 25, 2015

Instructional Design

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Pros about working for Penn State University: Steady work environment, great people, wonderful benefits, standard hours, low-stress

Cons

Cons about working for Penn State University: Salary is much lower than average, many projects are a "fire drill" for completion, too many people have a direct say in final products, not an environment where people say "no" which makes project completion a problem. "Trying to please everyone" is not a good work method

4.0

Jun 24, 2015

Administrative Assistant

Administrative support assistant ii

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of opportunity for growth, access to professional development, discount on education

Cons

Salary structure could use some improvement

Viewing 4450 - 4452 of 4,993 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

Student Library Assistant

Part-Time Wage Payroll

Part-Time Horse Barn Worker

Penn State

Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Grad Student

Instructional Design

Administrative Assistant

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Jobs at Penn State