Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine
Media, Pennsylvania · Public · 98.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 59/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine scores 59 (Below Average Value). The headline data: $15,208 in-state tuition, $22,585 net price, $25,000 median federal debt, and ten-year median earnings of $63,435. Debt-to-earnings of 0.573 and payback of 8.1 years are both healthy. Earnings premium of 31.5% and repayment rate of 79.3% are both strong. Brandywine's small 1,223-student campus offers tightly focused engineering, IT, and business programs that feed into greater Philadelphia and Penn State's broader pipeline. As of 2024-2025 Scorecard data, Brandywine is structurally better than its 59 score suggests once you adjust for the transfer dynamic.
How Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine 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.
- 6-year graduation rate26.0% - 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.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $15,208/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $25,392/yr |
| Average net price | $22,585/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $90,340 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $63,435 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $43,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 8.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 26.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,223 |
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: $15,208/year ($25,392/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $22,585/year, or roughly $90,340 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 $15,904/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,031/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($43,600) and comes to 0.57, 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 | $15,904 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,580 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,157 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,067 |
| $110,001+ | $29,031 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $15,904 net per year, and the $30K-$48K band pays slightly more at $16,580 - a small irregularity. Pell stacks on top of Penn State institutional aid, but the residual cost is meaningful given Brandywine's mostly commuter model. Strong value for in-state low-income students who plan to transfer up.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48K-$75K band pays $21,157 and the $75K-$110K band climbs to $25,067 - approaching the out-of-state tuition sticker.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110K pay $29,031 net per year - higher than the $25,392 out-of-state sticker would suggest is possible, indicating that aid is essentially zero and full cost-of-attendance applies.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $65,292 | C |
| Psychology | $49,543 | D |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $45,943 | D |
| Information Science | $91,671 | B |
| Communication and Media Studies | $55,505 | D |
| Biology | $64,910 | D |
| Engineering, General | $88,063 | B |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $120,729 | B+ |
| English Language and Literature | $50,299 | D |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $73,308 | B |
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
CIS posts $84,050 first-year earnings on $26,000 debt for a 0.309 D/E ratio and B+ grade - the strongest ROI on campus.
Information Science
Information Science produces 16 graduates with $66,209 first-year earnings, $26,000 debt, and a 0.393 D/E ratio (B grade). Solid, defensible value path.
Business Administration and Management
Business Admin is the largest single major with 44 graduates and $45,110 first-year earnings against $27,000 debt - a 0.599 D/E ratio earning a C grade. Outcomes clear debt service comfortably but lack the upside of the CS and engineering paths. Reasonable default for students wanting general business credentials.
Psychology
Psychology enrolls 20 graduates with $32,408 first-year earnings, $27,000 debt, and a 0.833 D/E ratio (D grade). The bachelor's-only psychology problem in concentrated form: debt nearly matches starting earnings. Students choosing this path need a clear graduate-school plan; treating the bachelor's as terminal produces years of payment stress.
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
Human Development enrolls 17 graduates with $34,030 first-year earnings, $28,000 debt, and a 0.823 D/E ratio (D grade). Similar to psychology - feeds social services and education-adjacent roles where the bachelor's caps earnings well below what the debt service requires. Weak ROI absent licensure or graduate study.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 76.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 79.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 74.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 79.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 98.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 530-660 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 550-650 |
| Enrollment | 1,223 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 33.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,857 |
Brandywine admits 98.1% of applicants - essentially open access, consistent with Penn State's branch-campus enrollment strategy.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine (this school) | 59 | $22,585 | $63,435 |
| Miami University-Middletown | 63 | $10,809 | $55,076 |
| Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus | 60 | $5,755 | $52,581 |
| Oklahoma Panhandle State University | 53 | $7,413 | $44,933 |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 51 | $18,134 | $56,148 |
| Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | 11 | $14,265 | $37,837 |
Who Thrives Here
With 33.7% Pell rate and 1,223 students, the campus is small and commuter-heavy.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $22,585 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $63,435 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 8.1 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: its 26.0% graduation rate.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $43,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine: Common Questions
Is Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine scores 59/100 on our ROI scale. At $22,585 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $63,435 ten years after entry, so it takes about 8.1 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine 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 $22,585 a year, or roughly $90,340 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 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $63,435 ten years after enrolling, roughly $21,635 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 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine?
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 8.1 years for Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $43,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine?
The six-year graduation rate is 26.0%. 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.