Is Penn State a good company to work for as a Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering)?

Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) professionals working at Penn State have rated their employer with 4.1 out of 5 stars in 399 Glassdoor reviews. This is a lower than average score with the overall rating of Penn State employees being 4.2 out of 5 stars. Search open Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) Jobs at Penn State now and start preparing for your job interview by browsing frequently asked Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) interview questions at Penn State .

Does Penn State pay Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) employees well?

Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) professionals rate their compensation and benefits at Penn State with 3.5 out of 5 stars based on 399 anonymously submitted employee reviews. This is 2.8% worse than the company average rating for salary and benefits. Find out more about Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) salaries at Penn State.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penn State?

Graduate Research Assistant (392) , 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?

"The benefits are good and the reputation of PSU is somehow still fairly positive throughout the world." ((in 314 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 261 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 197 reviews)); "Good work environment and lots of learning." ((in 97 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 95 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 330 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 178 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 71 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 27 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 23 reviews))

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Penn State Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) reviews

4.1

66% would recommend to a friend

(399 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

82% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Career opportunities

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Culture & values

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Senior management

3.2

Work/Life balance

Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) employees have rated Penn State with 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 399 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) professionals have an excellent working experience there. Penn State is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) professionals compared to other employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

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Reviews by job title

399 reviews

4.0

Feb 3, 2026

PhD

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You receive a PhD diploma at the end

Cons

You work 50+ hours in the lab or office

4.0

Jan 30, 2026

Work status

Graduate research/teaching assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Teaching assistant in Penn state often gives to Phd students as their funding covers in every semester

Cons

Penn state are cutting positions in teaching assistants to save budget, so the work becomes harder

5.0

Dec 16, 2025

Great people to work with!

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The institution really cares about diversity and the mentors really care about the graduate students. Healthy working environments with clear expectations and a great work-life balance.

Cons

Location. State College can feel dreary during the winter and post comp life for PhD students can be quite lonely if they're not going to the lab daily.

Viewing 10 - 12 of 399 Reviews

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Penn State reviews Penn State Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) reviews

Penn State

Penn State Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

PhD

Work status

Great people to work with!

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