Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Erie, Pennsylvania
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
20% gap between the two groups
29% gap between the two groups
9% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $16,092 |
| $30k–$48k | $17,884 |
| $48k–$75k | $20,539 |
| $75k–$110k | $26,914 |
| $110k+ | $29,692 |
How Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College compares
This college against the Pennsylvania and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Certificate | $76,227 | — | +1,172% | Strong return |
| Computer Science | Associate's | $114,896 | $27,000 | +1,086% | Strong return |
| Computer Engineering | Associate's | $110,493 | $26,471 | +1,015% | Strong return |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Associate's | $105,563 | $25,000 | +940% | Strong return |
| Industrial Engineering | Associate's | $103,650 | $24,250 | +912% | Strong return |
| Polymer/Plastics Engineering | Associate's | $102,241 | $27,000 | +871% | Strong return |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Associate's | $94,003 | $26,000 | +736% | Strong return |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Associate's | $85,955 | — | +734% | Strong return |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Associate's | $93,111 | $26,000 | +721% | Strong return |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's | $90,902 | $23,250 | +697% | Strong return |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Certificate | $69,334 | $16,500 | +696% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Certificate | $133,019 | $41,000 | +678% | Strong return |
| Mechanical Engineering | Associate's | $90,200 | $26,723 | +668% | Strong return |
| Economics | Associate's | $87,517 | $24,500 | +633% | Strong return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's | $87,152 | $25,218 | +623% | Strong return |
| Mathematics | Associate's | $85,203 | $23,875 | +595% | Strong return |
| Marketing | Associate's | $82,708 | $24,947 | +548% | Strong return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Certificate | $111,177 | $20,500 | +526% | Strong return |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Associate's | $79,352 | $27,000 | +483% | Strong return |
| International Business | Associate's | $71,236 | — | +434% | Strong return |
| Chemistry | Associate's | $70,919 | $27,000 | +340% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's | $70,131 | $24,973 | +332% | Strong return |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Associate's | $70,075 | $25,000 | +331% | Strong return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $69,838 | $25,000 | +327% | Strong return |
| Biology, General | Associate's | $68,771 | $25,717 | +306% | Strong return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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