Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,421 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months. 77% 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?

77% of Penn State employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penn State 4.0 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 (70) , Graduate Assistant (68) , Intern (53) , Postdoctoral Scholar (48) , Assistant Professor (46) , Student Worker (44) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (44) , Postdoctoral Fellow (41) , 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 306 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 265 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 95 reviews)); "Good work environment and lots of learning." ((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 332 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 177 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 74 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 , Austin

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Penn State

Penn State reviews

4.2

77% would recommend to a friend

(4,977 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

73% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Culture & values

4.0

Work/Life balance

3.8

Career opportunities

3.6

Senior management

3.6

Compensation and benefits

Penn State has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,977 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

2.0

Apr 1, 2021

Go in with an exit plan

Residence life coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are amazing, full time salaried earned 2 days of vacation a month. Healthcare benefits are great and their maternity leave policy is fair.

Cons

Not a ton of upward mobility, entry level staff are treated like crap, commitment to diversity and inclusion is lip service, total hand holding of students with very little accountability, staff will get thrown under the bus in Residence Life. Leadership picks favorites and will not reward innovation that goes against "the way of doing things". Oh and don't dare have an opinion and have any kind of marginalized identity.

5.0

Mar 31, 2021

PSU might be the right place for you

Student aid coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture in the office, exciting place to be and work. Solid benefits package even when opting out of the state system for employees.

Cons

High volume office requires a quick learning curve and limits opportunities outside of direct daily responsibilities for additional professional development somewhat.

4.0

Mar 4, 2021

Mission-driven university with room to grow

Manager of instructional design

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everybody you encounter at Penn State is passionate about meeting the needs of students and enabling learning. People work together to accomplish shared goals and advance teaching and learning practices.

Cons

Some functional areas exhibit very fixed thinking regarding policies and practices that unintentionally stifle innovation.

Viewing 103 - 105 of 4,977 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State