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 393 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 393 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) , Learning Assistant (39) , PhD Student (39) , 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 264 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 200 reviews)); "Good work environment in the lab" ((in 100 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 100 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 325 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 174 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 72 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 25 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 22 reviews))

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Penn State

Penn State Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) reviews

4.1

65% would recommend to a friend

(393 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

82% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Career opportunities

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 393 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

393 reviews

4.0

Mar 24, 2025

Enjoyable Engineering Doctorate

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Received a graduate research assistantship for an Engineering PhD at Penn State. The stipend was very competitive for a graduate program, and the cost of living in State College is affordable with the stipend. Access to high end laboratory equipment. Beautiful campus, most of the engineering buildings have been recently remodeled or are in the process of being remodeled.

Cons

Your experience depends on your advisor(s) and how well you befriend your cohort. Choose an advisor you are compatible with and you will have a great time. Choose someone you are not compatible with, and you will have to change advisors or stick it out and not have a great time.

5.0

Mar 23, 2025

Great

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

awesome experience overall.. great support system

Cons

nothing in particular- benefit can be increased

5.0

Mar 23, 2025

Good salary for grad students

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good salary for grad students

Cons

Not really anything on the top of my head.

Viewing 34 - 36 of 393 Reviews

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Penn State

Penn State Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Enjoyable Engineering Doctorate

Great

Good salary for grad students

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