Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 87.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 38/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology earns a CampusROI score of 38 (Below Benchmark tier). The school is a STEM-focused private nonprofit with sticker tuition of $24,400 and net price of $15,376 - a substantial 37% discount. Earnings of $30,700 at six years and $52,374 at ten years show a strong wage growth curve, and the earnings premium subscore of 63 (raw 0.282) is the school's brightest signal: graduates do earn meaningfully more than baseline. However, the school struggles on two fronts: completion (33.9%, subscore 14) and debt-to-earnings (0.879, subscore 9). The 11.6-year payback period is respectable, but the 59.4% three-year repayment rate (subscore 17) and 36.8% seven-year rate suggest borrowers fall behind over time. Harrisburg University enrolls just 615 students with a 47.3% Pell rate, indicating it serves a heavily lower-income population. The school's STEM focus produces strong wage outcomes for those who complete; the challenge is that two-thirds of entering students don't finish.
How Harrisburg University of Science and Technology scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score38/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate33.9% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $24,400/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $24,400/yr |
| Average net price | $15,376/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $61,504 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,374 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 11.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 33.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 615 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $24,400/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $15,376/year, or roughly $61,504 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $12,637/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,871/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,700) and comes to 0.88, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $12,637 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,292 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,063 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,420 |
| $110,001+ | $20,871 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $12,637 per year, totaling about $50,548 over four years. Notably, the $30,001-48,000 bracket pays LESS ($11,292) - a mild inversion suggesting the school's neediest students don't receive the deepest discount. With $30,700 in early earnings and 0.879 debt-to-earnings, low-income students who complete the CS track can make the math work; those in other majors face structural repayment stress.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-75,000) pay $15,063 per year - roughly $60,000 over four years. With $52,374 in ten-year median earnings, middle-bracket students see a workable but tight ROI, especially if they complete the computer science track where year-one earnings hit $47,944. The biggest risk is non-completion: two-thirds of students don't finish.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $20,871 per year - $83,484 over four years. Harrisburg University's value proposition is strongest for lower-income students who benefit most from the institutional discount.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $74,043 | C |
| Natural Sciences | $38,323 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer Science is Harrisburg University's flagship program, producing 28 graduates per year with year-one earnings of $47,944 climbing to $74,043 at year four. Median debt of $29,750 yields a 0.621 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade. The 55% wage growth from year one to four is healthy and typical of CS career trajectories. For students who complete this track, the program math finally works - the debt is heavy but the wage premium is real.
Natural Sciences
Natural Sciences produces 13 graduates per year with year-one earnings of just $22,252 and four-year earnings of $38,323 - a weak trajectory. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 1.213 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. The major's outcomes signal students typically need graduate school to reach competitive lab/research wages, and the early-career data reflects those still transitioning. Prospective students should plan on continuing education or pivot to the CS track for stronger immediate outcomes.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 54.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 59.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 44.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 36.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Harrisburg University of Science and Technology’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 87.4% |
| Enrollment | 615 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 47.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,125 |
Harrisburg University admits 87.4% of applicants, putting it in open-access territory for prepared STEM applicants. SAT and ACT mid-range data are not reported in current Scorecard data. The combination of 87.4% admit rate with 33.9% completion is the school's structural challenge: it admits broadly but loses two-thirds of entering students. Prepared students who finish do see strong earnings outcomes, but the school's screening function is not effectively identifying who can complete a STEM curriculum.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (this school) | 38 | $15,376 | $52,374 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Alverno College | 39 | $22,540 | $53,145 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Houghton University | 38 | $20,519 | $46,721 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
Who Thrives Here
Harrisburg University fits students who want a STEM-focused private education at small-college scale (615 students) in the Pennsylvania state capital. The 47.3% Pell rate signals a heavily lower-income population, and the school's adult-learner-friendly schedules attract working students. Strong-fit students are those committed to computer science or biotechnology paths with the academic preparation to handle technical coursework. The 33.9% completion rate is a warning: students without strong math/science preparation face high risk of leaving without a credential.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology scores 38/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,376 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $52,374 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 11.6 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: its 33.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.88 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 59.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.88. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology: Common Questions
Is Harrisburg University of Science and Technology worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology scores 38/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,376 a year after aid against $52,374 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 11.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Harrisburg University of Science and Technology cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $15,376 a year, or roughly $61,504 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Harrisburg University of Science and Technology graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,374 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,574 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Harrisburg University of Science and Technology?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 11.6 years for Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Harrisburg University of Science and Technology graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $30,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.88. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology?
The six-year graduation rate is 33.9%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.