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 399 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 399 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 317 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 268 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 187 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 99 reviews)); "Good work environment in the lab" ((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 324 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 170 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 72 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 27 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 24 reviews))

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Penn State

Penn State Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) reviews

4.1

66% would recommend to a friend

(399 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

82% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Career opportunities

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

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 399 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

399 reviews

5.0

Sep 29, 2025

Great institution

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great academics, good location, affordable for graduate students

Cons

none that I can think of right now

5.0

Sep 25, 2025

Best Part time experience

Graduate research assistant (engineering)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I worked in a lab, and everyone was really helpful in making me feel welcome. The work hours were long, but that's just research for you. I learned a lot about instruments and got trained and certified on them over the summer. Weekly review meetings were necessary for me to ask for help since I am too shy to reach out.

Cons

Not a con but a personal thing, the lights here have motion sensors so every once in a while it gets dark and I have to frantically shake my hands or clap.

5.0

Sep 17, 2025

Great working enviroment

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good connection and developing opportunities. Flexible working schedule. Good benefits, including insurance, mental health consulting, and so on.

Cons

A relatively low salary compared to other universities.

Viewing 22 - 24 of 399 Reviews

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Penn State

Penn State Graduate Research Assistant (Engineering) reviews

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Great institution

Best Part time experience

Great working enviroment

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