Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,431 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 (390) , Research Assistant (322) , 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 338 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 256 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 182 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 102 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 99 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 334 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 174 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 75 reviews)); "The organization is not diverse or especially aware of its lack of diversity." ((in 29 reviews)); "Poor leadership and human resources does nothing about it" ((in 24 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

Penn State reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,987 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (4,987 reviews)

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 4,987 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 16, 2014

Beaver Educational Experience

Athletic department

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The campus size allows for max utilization of time and resources because it smaller and concentrated size. Allows the choices for four year degrees or entree programs into majors at different locations. There are several clubs, organizations, varsity athletic programs. The New Wellness Center has created a great energy to the Athletic Department, and can expect a increase of enrollment because additions.

Cons

A few cons of the school are the schools appropriated funds for each program, and the limited number of offered majors. There is accessibility to funds and as well as 5 majors but you get what you pay for. Beaver is limited in resources the great thing with this is your still apart of the Penn State community and can outsource for anything not at hand.

3.0

Jun 14, 2014

Okay

Grad assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I can't comment on all the departments as apparently grad. student employments differs greatly by department. If you can get a research assistantship you will be working with interesting thinkers and learning a great deal. If you realize you are not moving to a big city and don't expect big city living, the State College is an affordable town with a good deal interesting people living here.

Cons

In the college of ed, there are no guarantees of funding at even a minimum level and there is even less a culture of transparency which makes it very difficult to determine who gets funding and why. Another example of failed transparency is the health care debacle which exemplifies PSU cavalier attitude towards grad students. This leads to much insecurity and apprehension as funding renewal season roles around. Little funding and many grad students lead to many avoidable issues.

4.0

Jun 12, 2014

Very political but a great opportunity

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Lots of great people - Lots of benefits - Room to grow (if you're willing to try new things) - Interacting with students is great

Cons

- Very political - It takes things a long time to get done because of how slow some departments are. - You can only really move in the company if you're willing to leave departments.

Viewing 4648 - 4650 of 4,987 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

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Part-Time Assistant Programmer

IT Support Specialist

Penn State

Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Beaver Educational Experience

Okay

Very political but a great opportunity

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Penn State