Overview
Pennsylvania State University is one of the larger schools in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is listed as a research school, but balances sports, academia, and social opportunities in a lot of different rankings. It has a solid acceptance rate, despite some hard elements for students to go through in order to get accepted. A low student to teacher ratio, and a great deal of attention paid to research, graduate degrees, and more makes this one of the larger schools in the United States. With more than 45,000 students, it’s one of larger scope in many ways.
Academics
Despite being listed as a research school, on average less than 7,000 of the 45,000 plus students are in graduate programs. However, the most popular degrees for undergraduates showcases attention to some high level academics. The most popular undergraduate degrees include information science, psychology, marketing, kinesiology, medicine, journalism, and general finance. The median salaries for these all rise upwards of six figures.
Social Life
Small college towns are a mixed bag, but when looking over at Penn State, you’re going to find that it’s listed among one of the more rowdy schools for students. Due in large part to the small community setting amidst a high ratio of students, the school is definitely geared towards social butterflies. However, that’s not to say that the focus on scholastics isn’t there. Wallflowers will find hope in the academic research elements that Penn State has to offer.
Campus
The campus is large, and sprawling located in a small community. University Park should give prospective students an indication about the size and scope of the area, as well as an idea of the main focus of the town. The school takes up a lot of the area, and is definitely one that balances academics and sports, although attention is paid more to undergraduate studies than sports compared to other schools in the state. That is not to say that it’s not a big part of the school, as a lot of media attention and focus goes to the school’s Division 1 Football program.
Final Review
Overall, Pennsylvania State University is geared towards individuals that want that traditional college experience in the Northeastern part of the United States. The large campus in a small town is something that has been idealized in literature, movies, and pop culture. Many may find that the football program can outshine a lot of the other elements of the school’s offerings, but it’s definitely a good option for those that want a mixed bag from their collegiate career.
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