Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,437 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months. 78% 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?

78% of Penn State employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penn State 4.1 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 (392) , Research Assistant (323) , Teaching Assistant (96) , 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?

"Great benefits and protected by the union is a plus" ((in 310 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 255 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 184 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 97 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((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 327 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 171 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 75 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))

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 , Lehigh Valley

Penn State reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,993 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (4,993 reviews)

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 4,993 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

3.0

Jul 23, 2025

Great People, Fun Work, Underpaid

Marketing communications specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

"A fantastic environment with exciting, inspiring work that constantly challenges you to grow and create. You’re given ample opportunities to share your ideas, see them come to life, and continue developing your own skills.

Cons

Simply put, the pay. If the compensation had been higher, it would have been a much harder decision to leave. However, it was relatively easy to find a similar role elsewhere that paid over twice as much.

5.0

Jul 22, 2025

Great

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good Environment and Friendly Staff

Cons

Nothing bad except sometimes less hours

4.0

Jul 22, 2025

PhD Candidate

Phd graduate student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

They provide good health insurance

Cons

The work life balance of a graduate student can be very poor

Viewing 448 - 450 of 4,993 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

Part-Time Assistant Programmer

Learning Analytics Applications Developer

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IT Applications Specialist - Part Time

IT Support Staff - Part-Time (Student)

Penn State

Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Great People, Fun Work, Underpaid

Great

PhD Candidate

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Jobs at Penn State