Program Payoff

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, Pennsylvania. 68 certificate and associate programs, public. 68 of them report what graduates earn; for the rest, the figure below is what the occupation pays in Pennsylvania.

ProgramCredentialMedian debtGraduates earnThe occupation pays
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree $50,439 (12) $76,070
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Associate's degree $48,432 (17) $107,920
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree $48,432 (23) $76,070
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree $16,500 $45,696 (18) $49,800
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate's degree $12,625 $45,249 (43) $107,920
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services Undergraduate certificate $43,798 (13) $46,690
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Undergraduate certificate $17,273 $42,841 (76) $44,590
Nursing Assistants
Information Science/Studies Associate's degree $21,000 $42,682 (51) $126,550
Software Developers
Business/Commerce, General Associate's degree $17,701 $40,821 (96) $103,130
General and Operations Managers
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Associate's degree $14,000 $37,671 (269) $43,920
Medical Assistants
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate's degree $16,500 $30,771 (86) $65,400
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Associate's degree $22,250 $20,886 (51) $44,050
Social and Human Service Assistants
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management Associate's degree $11,234 (12) $61,480
Conservation Scientists
Accounting and Related Services Undergraduate certificate $26,499 not published $79,000
Accountants and Auditors
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services Associate's degree not published $46,690
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other Undergraduate certificate $24,000 not published
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management Undergraduate certificate $26,000 not published $100,150
Project Management Specialists
Engineering, General Undergraduate certificate $27,000 not published $164,690
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Finance and Financial Management Services Undergraduate certificate $25,965 not published $103,130
General and Operations Managers
Journalism Undergraduate certificate $20,500 not published $63,460
Editors
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Undergraduate certificate $12,652 not published $65,400
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
Management Information Systems and Services Undergraduate certificate $26,000 not published $163,910
Computer and Information Systems Managers
Real Estate Undergraduate certificate $25,000 not published $65,680
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering Undergraduate certificate not published $164,690
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Area Studies Undergraduate certificate not published $96,010
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Undergraduate certificate not published $137,900
Natural Sciences Managers
Biological and Physical Sciences Undergraduate certificate not published $78,800
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Business Administration, Management and Operations Undergraduate certificate not published $103,130
General and Operations Managers
Business/Commerce, General Undergraduate certificate not published $103,130
General and Operations Managers
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology Undergraduate certificate not published $70,450
Human Resources Specialists
Computer Software and Media Applications Undergraduate certificate not published $126,550
Software Developers
Computer and Information Sciences, General Undergraduate certificate not published $126,550
Software Developers
Criminal Justice and Corrections Associate's degree not published $37,050
Security Guards
Data Processing Undergraduate certificate not published $107,230
Computer Occupations, All Other
Education, Other Undergraduate certificate not published $74,910
Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Educational Administration and Supervision Undergraduate certificate not published $118,710
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary
Engineering, Other Undergraduate certificate not published $164,690
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Engineering-Related Fields Undergraduate certificate not published $99,560
Industrial Engineers
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree not published $70,820
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Fine and Studio Arts Undergraduate certificate not published $78,800
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Forestry Associate's degree not published $61,480
Conservation Scientists
Geography and Cartography Undergraduate certificate not published $131,600
Managers, All Other
Geography and Environmental Studies Undergraduate certificate not published $137,900
Natural Sciences Managers
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Undergraduate certificate not published $137,900
Natural Sciences Managers
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs Undergraduate certificate not published
Hospitality Administration/Management Undergraduate certificate not published $80,590
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Undergraduate certificate not published $44,050
Social and Human Service Assistants
Human Resources Management and Services Undergraduate certificate not published $70,450
Human Resources Specialists
Human Resources Management and Services Associate's degree not published $70,450
Human Resources Specialists
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians Undergraduate certificate not published $52,900
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Information Science/Studies Undergraduate certificate not published $126,550
Software Developers
Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies Undergraduate certificate not published $97,640
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other
International/Globalization Studies Undergraduate certificate not published $48,710
Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other
Leisure and Recreational Activities Undergraduate certificate not published
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Undergraduate certificate not published $103,130
General and Operations Managers
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians Undergraduate certificate not published $49,800
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Natural Resources and Conservation, Other Undergraduate certificate not published
Non-Professional Legal Studies Undergraduate certificate not published $63,370
Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Plant Sciences Undergraduate certificate not published $61,480
Conservation Scientists
Psychology, General Undergraduate certificate not published $131,600
Managers, All Other
Psychology, Other Undergraduate certificate not published $131,600
Managers, All Other
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Undergraduate certificate not published $71,350
Training and Development Specialists
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Undergraduate certificate not published $96,430
Registered Nurses
Religion/Religious Studies Undergraduate certificate not published $76,600
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Undergraduate certificate not published $78,800
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Security Science and Technology Undergraduate certificate not published $79,000
Accountants and Auditors
Sociology Undergraduate certificate not published $131,600
Managers, All Other
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Associate's degree not published $78,800
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

"Graduates earn" is the median two years after completing, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10; the number in brackets is how many graduates it covers. A dash means the Department has not published a figure — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates — and never that the figure is zero. "The occupation pays" is the state median for the occupation the program leads to, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, and describes everyone in that job rather than graduates of this school.