Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,426 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 55% 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 3.7 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 (42) , 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 308 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 262 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 186 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 100 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 93 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 333 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 175 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 72 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 26 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 20 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

77% would recommend to a friend

(4,982 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

55% 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 4,982 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

2.0

Dec 4, 2010

Penn State mistreats employees

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I found that Penn State offered employees a very flexible schedule, simple and easy ways to advance your position, and the payment was satisfactory.

Cons

My employers at Penn State were not understanding when it came to balancing work life/non-work life. I went on a leave of absence due to medical reasons and my excused absences were not "valid" apparently.

3.0

Apr 10, 2010

A very typical graduate school in the USA

Teaching assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Some departments (like gravity institute and materials/nanoscience) have world-class credentials, and therefore you will too if you finish your degree there. University's emphasis on bottom line means you need never shortchange your research by taking the extra time to teach a subject competently (don't worry, your students would rather be somewhere else as well). Unless you deliberately live far from campus, everything is within walking distance of everything else, or at most you'll have a 20-minute bus commute in the morning.

Cons

Godawful insurance benefits (foreign nationals can't even get those, and must purchase their own unsubsidized plan in order to be hired). 75-100 hour weeks during crunches, which last between 1 week and 1 year. Located in a midwestern college town: if you are single, there's not much to do, and if you have a family, you'll be afraid to take them more than a block from home.

3.0

Jun 16, 2009

Good job, ok co-workers, poor salary.

It specialist

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 217 - 219 of 4,982 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

General Maintenance I - Daniel Boone Cumberland

Morehead, KY

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Part Time Research Assistant

Part Time - SAFE-T System - Standardized Patient Role

Department of Landscape Architecture Part-Time Positions

Penn State

Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Penn State mistreats employees

A very typical graduate school in the USA

Good job, ok co-workers, poor salary.

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Jobs at Penn State