Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College — College Profile

About

Situated on a beautiful 854-acre arboretum campus overlooking Lake Erie, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is highly regarded for combining the prestige and resources of a major research institution with the supportive, close-knit environment of a smaller college. The school is particularly renowned for its premier School of Engineering—which features one of the nation’s few plastics engineering technology programs—and the AACSB-accredited Black School of Business. Outside the classroom, students enjoy a vibrant campus culture defined by over 140 student organizations, NCAA Division III athletics, and a collaborative, welcoming community. A key differentiator for Behrend is its "Open Lab" learning model, anchored by the on-campus Knowledge Park, which connects students directly with industry partners for high-impact undergraduate research and hands-on internship opportunities.

Wikipedia:Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, officially Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College and often shortened to Penn State Behrend, is a public satellite campus of Penn State University and is located near Erie, Pennsylvania. It is among the largest of Penn State's commonwealth campuses, with about 4,400 students enrolled in Behrend programs on campus and online. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in four academic schools: The Sam and Irene Black School of Business, the School of Engineering, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of Science, which includes the Nursing Program. Penn State Behrend also offers five master's degrees, as well as a range of continuing education trainings through its Community and Workforce Programs.

Location

Erie, PA, 16563-0001 · Suburb campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

BUF · Buffalo

85 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$15,972$26,958

Housing & food (on campus)$14,474$14,474

Books & supplies$1,200$1,200

Cost of attendance$34,081$45,067 est.

Average net price$24,558Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$26,958

In-state: $15,972

Housing & food (on campus)$14,474

Books & supplies$1,200

Cost of attendance$45,067 est.

In-state: $34,081

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $24,558

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$16,092

$30–48k

$17,884

$48–75k

$20,539

$75–110k

$26,914

$110k+

$29,692

Your family's actual price → Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

45%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

32%

Back for yr 2

83%

Transferred

24%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

46% graduated · 41% transferred · 13% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$55,620

10 yrs after entry$63,435

Debt

Median at graduation$25,000

Monthly payment$265

Middle 50% owe$8.8k–$27k

90th percentile$34,000

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

97%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1228

R 560–650 · M 560–660

SAT middle 50%: 1120–1310

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body

Gender

Men 62%Women 38%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

12 : 1

Pell grant

29%

First-gen

29%

Family income

$61,924

Independent

20%

Veterans

Age at entry

21.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

75%

Hispanic

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Bowling
Women's
Cross Country
Men's · Women's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field (Indoor)
Men's · Women's
Track and Field (Outdoor)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Men's · Women's
Water Polo
Men's · Women's
Wrestling
Men's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$55,620

After 10 yrs

$63,435

Mechanical Engineering67

Finance and Financial Management Services43

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing39

Biology, General37

Psychology, General37

Polymer/Plastics Engineering36

Marketing36

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods34

Computer Science33

Computer Engineering33

Management Information Systems and Services28

Accounting and Related Services27

Business Administration, Management and Operations23

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering21

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians20

Communication and Media Studies18

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$82M

Full-time faculty

78%

Faculty salary

$10,333/mo

Teaching spend

$4,725

per student

Federal loans

55%

Classification

Research activity

Research college or university