Paying for Penn State
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$41,790 ($20,644)
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$45,574 ($26,034)
On-campus Living Costs
$19,494
Off-campus Living Costs
$20,294
Undergraduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$1,717 ($836)
Graduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$1,875 ($1,061)
The 2025 tuition & fees of Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus are $20,644 for Pennsylvania residents and $41,790 for out-of-state students. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $26,034 for Pennsylvania residents and $45,574 for out-of-state students.
Compared to Public, 4-Years Colleges in Pennsylvania, both undergraduate and graduate tuition & fees are very expensive.
Compared to similar schools in rankings such as University of Utah and University of Massachusetts-Amherst, tuition & fees of Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is average where the average tuition & fees of the schools are $34,211.
The average living cost of the school is $19,494 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $20,294.
*Data Source: 2024-2025 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 6/05/2025)
2025 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the Penn State's 2025 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2025 Tuition & fees
The 2025 undergraduate tuition & fees at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus are $20,644 for Pennsylvania residents and $41,790 for out-of-state students. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 3.99% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition & fees are $26,034 for Pennsylvania residents and $45,574 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 3.98% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Residents | Out-of-State | Pennsylvania Residents | Out-of-State | |
| 2021 | $18,450 | $35,514 | $23,498 | $39,232 |
| 2022 | $18,898 | $36,476 | $23,719 | $39,778 |
| 2023 | $19,835 | $38,651 | $25,015 | $42,151 |
| 2024 | $20,234 | $40,188 | $25,518 | $43,828 |
| 2025 | $20,644 | $41,790 | $26,034 | $45,574 |
Living Costs
The 2025 average on-campus living costs is $19,494 including room & board and other living expenses (a student lives in on-campus housing such as dormitory and school-owned apartment). For students living in off-campus housing, the average living cost is $20,294.
The living cost at the school has increased by 9.41% from last year.
The following table and chart show the living costs changes over the last 5 years.
| Year | On-Campus | Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room & Board | Other Expenses | Room & Board | Other Expenses | |
| 2021 | $12,318 | $4,788 | $12,318 | $4,788 |
| 2022 | $12,744 | $4,788 | $12,744 | $4,788 |
| 2023 | $12,984 | $4,788 | $12,984 | $4,788 |
| 2024 | $13,030 | $4,788 | $13,448 | $4,788 |
| 2025 | $14,474 | $5,020 | $15,274 | $5,020 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2025 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $1,200 at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus. The books & supplies cost has decreased by 0.65% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,840 |
| 2022 | $1,840 |
| 2023 | $1,840 |
| 2024 | $1,840 |
| 2025 | $1,200 |
Tuition Per Credit Hour
The 2025 undergraduate tuition per credit hour at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is $836 for Pennsylvania residents and $1,717 for out-of-state students. The undergraduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 4.00% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition per credit hour is $1,061 for Pennsylvania residents and $1,875 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 3.99% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition per credit hour and its trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Residents | Out-of-State | Pennsylvania Residents | Out-of-State | |
| 2021 | $619 | $1,017 | $936 | $1,592 |
| 2022 | $632 | $1,045 | $962 | $1,635 |
| 2023 | $804 | $1,588 | $1,019 | $1,733 |
| 2024 | $820 | $1,651 | $1,040 | $1,803 |
| 2025 | $836 | $1,717 | $1,061 | $1,875 |