Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,421 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 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?

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 3.8 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 (70) , Graduate Assistant (68) , Intern (53) , Postdoctoral Scholar (48) , Assistant Professor (46) , Student Worker (44) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (44) , Postdoctoral Fellow (41) , 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 320 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 270 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 180 reviews)); "Good work environment and lots of learning." ((in 98 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 93 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 329 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 167 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 74 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 27 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 Penn State locations have received the highest employee ratings?

Allentown , Malvern , Philadelphia , New York , Reading , Middletown , Erie , Scranton , Penn State University , State College

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Penn State

Penn State reviews

4.2

77% would recommend to a friend

(4,977 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

73% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Culture & values

4.0

Work/Life balance

3.8

Career opportunities

3.6

Senior management

3.6

Compensation and benefits

Penn State has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,977 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

3.0

Apr 16, 2010

Grad Student Research Assistant

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Working as a research assistant is a great way to get your tuition paid for and make a little bit of money.

Cons

This is obviously just a temporary situation until you finish your degree, not a career. It would probably be difficult to live on this pay alone.

3.0

Mar 31, 2010

PSU

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are a variety of different areas one could explore depending on what field you are into. It is a tight knit community.

Cons

In that position I did not have accesss to health care benefits. Also the salary was not very substantial enough.

4.0

Mar 12, 2010

Penn State takes care of its people.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits and work/life is fantastic. Jobs are relatively secure. Lots of opportunities to contribute and get involved, as well as collaborate

Cons

Being a large university, there is quite a bit of bureaucracy. You have to try hard to create change--but it is possible.

Viewing 4969 - 4971 of 4,977 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State