Penn State reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,976 total reviews)
avatar

Eric J. Barron

77% approve of CEO

58% positive business outlook

Penn State has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,976 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
Jun 28, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I enjoyed working as a math grader at Penn State for three years as an undergraduate student. The hours were flexible since I graded papers at my apartment and just turned in my papers at the end of the week.

Cons

Some professors that I worked with did not have a grasp of time and often asked for too many problems to be graded per homework assignment.

3.0
Jun 24, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

In many respects it is an open environment where you have some freedom to try new things, and experiment. As a university there is a culture that values deliberation, so if you can make your case you might have a shot at getting to implement a new way of doing things. In my experience there hasn't been a whole lot of micromanagement or harsh treatment of employees, and deadlines are generally aspirational instead of firm. That sort of treatment varies from department to department, though.

Cons

Starved for resources, both people-wise and money-wise. There is more work to be done than is possible to accomplish, and leadership often fails to set priorities that let lower-level staff know what should be left behind. The pay is abysmal compared to industry, but this is technically the non-profit sector so that is to be expected. Compared to other public universities, salaries are pretty good. Unless you are a 18-25 and single, State College is kind of a crappy place to live, and the cost of living is outrageous compared to other communities 20 miles away.

3.0
Jun 16, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I enjoyed helping people through their IT issues and felt very appreciated for my efforts. It was an enjoyable job.

Cons

My co-workers were not competent. I worked harder than others and accomplished more in less time. It made me unhappy over time because I felt like I was doing an unfair share of the work and not receiving any additional praise or compensation for my efforts. The salary is very much below similar positions within the university as well as outside.

Viewing 4954 - 4956 of 4,976 Reviews

Glassdoor has 5,420 Penn State reviews submitted anonymously by Penn State employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Penn State is right for you.