Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,432 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 3.8 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penn State?

Graduate Research Assistant (391) , Research Assistant (323) , Teaching Assistant (95) , 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 316 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 259 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 190 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 101 reviews)); "The campus is beautiful and the seasons can be wonderful" ((in 81 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 332 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 178 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 75 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 27 reviews)); "Poor leadership and human resources does nothing about it" ((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 , Stroudsburg

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Penn State

Penn State reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,988 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 4,988 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

4.0

Oct 28, 2014

Graduate Research Assistant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great resources for conducting research Peaceful community

Cons

Location in University Park can be a little isolated

4.0

Oct 26, 2014

Overall a good place to work

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Nice work-life balance, relaxed environment

Cons

personal growth, training are a bit lagging than other places

4.0

Oct 24, 2014

Grad school experience was a 7 out of 10

Graduate research/teaching assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Other grad students were engaged in developing each others skills (e.g. initiating reading groups, study times, professional development). The main support I received were from other students and not department faculty or administrators. I was able to secure a full stipend to cover cost of tuition and minimal living costs from my department.

Cons

The Faculty in my department were somewhat out of touch with the best ways to help individual grad students. Furthermore, I was a teaching assistant and saw the indifference that some faculty instructors show their students. Many of them (not all!) are more interested in their research. Even newer faculty, who may have a "pass" were not supported by more established faculty in order to improve their skills. Overall, this was the most discouraging.

Viewing 4591 - 4593 of 4,988 Reviews

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