Where This School Stands
Penn State Beaver is in Monaca, within Beaver County, in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is downtown: its census code places it in a suburb, within the urbanized area but outside the principal urban core. You can only know what living there feels like by going to see it. If your child is thinking about living at home, do yourself a favor: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of their classes. A map never tells you how much traffic there is at 8 on a Tuesday morning.
It is a public four-year institution. The highest level it reports offering is the bachelor’s degree, and that is how the federal system classifies it: a degree-granting school, primarily offering bachelor’s degrees or higher. That is an institutional fact, not a promise about your child’s specific major. If your child wants something very specific, you need to confirm that the program exists and what credential it leads to.
One administrative detail worth remembering: always ask how much they charge an in-state resident and how much they charge someone from out of state, and which of those two figures they are quoting to you. You will see why that matters when we get to the price.
As for the Carnegie Classification—the system commonly used to describe the “type” of college—Penn State Beaver appears outside the classified universe in 2021. That does not say whether it is better or worse. It says Carnegie did not assign it a classification. Before paying for the first semester, you should still ask admissions what accreditation the school has and exactly what degree it awards, and verify that name yourself on the Department of Education’s website. No classification saves you from making that call.
It also does not appear under any of three specific designations: it is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this directory, 138 have at least one of the three designations. Penn State Beaver’s absence from that list does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations currently exist, and confirm that by speaking with someone who already studies there.
A Small Community, and What That Means
Size matters here because size changes everything else.
Penn State Beaver had 504 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is a small school: among the 519 selective-admission public four-year schools in this census that report enrollment, at least nine out of ten have more students. All 504 are undergraduates; there is no graduate enrollment in the count. Of those students, 486 are estimated as full-time equivalents, and 165 are first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students.
What does it mean to attend a small school? Neither better nor worse. It means you need to ask something very specific: whether the courses in your child’s major are offered every semester or only once a year. That determines how long it takes to finish.
As for who makes up that community: 7 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and its position compared with similar schools is below the midpoint of the group. Adults ages 25 to 64 are also a minority, only 5 out of every 100. There are more men than women: out of every 100 students, 44 are women. The federal report does not provide information for this school in this cycle about where entering students came from.
Having few Latino students does not make a school bad, just as having many would not make it good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled today. If your child will be one of the few, ask which student groups and support services exist, and speak with someone who is already there before deciding. The number is for the entire school; your child’s individual experience may look different.
How the Academic Year Works and What Counts as Credit
The calendar is semester-based: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. Nothing unusual there.
What is worth examining closely is which prior credit the school accepts, because it could save you real money. Penn State Beaver indicated that it accepts credit from AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience: independent study, noncredit adult courses, work experience, portfolios, licenses, prior certifications, and military or professional opportunities. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program and reports accepting credit for military training.
But saying that it accepts AP does not mean it will award credit for every exam at every score. It does not say how many points are required or whether those credits count toward your child’s exact major. Ask for the transfer-credit evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not include the savings in your budget until you have that evaluation in hand.
As for what students can study: in the most recent reported year, the school awarded 83 bachelor’s degrees across 8 program families. The largest family was business and management, with 28 out of every 100 degrees—a notable share, but not a monopoly. Compared with similar schools, Penn State Beaver is in the quartile with the fewest program families represented in its bachelor’s-degree detail. With numbers this small, the count can change considerably from one year to the next: ask for the past three years of data for the exact program that interests your child instead of relying on a snapshot from a single year.
The ratio of students to instructional staff, both measured as full-time equivalents, is 11 to 1—low compared with similar schools, placing it in the group’s lowest quartile. But be careful: that aggregate ratio does not tell you the actual size of a classroom or how it was calculated. It is one piece of the puzzle, not a picture of your child’s classroom.
The institution also reports two structured academic opportunities: study abroad and cocurricular undergraduate research.
Getting In: What They Require and What Actually Happens
Let’s start with what is required. Penn State Beaver does not have open admissions: it reviews application materials before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marked three as required: the high school transcript, the high school GPA, and the English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. The recommended course plan and personal essay are not required, but the school does consider them if you submit them.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English exam applies and what qualifies for an exemption. This is one of those things people discover late, when it has already become urgent.
The application fee is $65.
Now for the part that almost always surprises people: out of every 100 who applied in 2023, 92 received an offer of admission. It is one of the schools that does accept applicants—compared with peers, it is on the more accessible side. Only 125 out of 1,603 applicants did not receive an offer.
But being likely to get in does not make what follows easy. And here is a number that deserves your full attention: out of every 100 admitted students, only 11 enrolled. It is one of the lowest enrollment rates among similar schools—nine out of ten schools in that group are above it. Put another way: of every nine young people who receive a yes from this school, about one ultimately attends. The others already had a place here and chose another path.
Do not read that as a stain on the school. The federal record does not say why each person made their decision. What it does tell you is this: what others did does not predict what the school will offer you. Wait for your letter with the net price—what the year will actually cost—before deciding whether this school stays on or comes off the list.
As for standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If you submit them, they are considered; if you do not, the application proceeds just the same. Among enrolled students, 24 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, with the middle half between 520 and 660 in reading and writing and between 530 and 660 in math. Those ranges apply to students who enrolled and submitted scores—not to all applicants, and they do not prove that the score affected any admissions decision.
One fact that is rarely discussed and carries substantial weight here: among the bachelor’s-degree-seeking class that entered in 2017, 38 out of every 100—70 people—transferred to another school without completing here within the expected time. It is one of the highest departure shares among comparable schools. Separately, in the fall of 2023, only 25 transfer students arrived from other institutions. The reason for each departure varies from family to family, and the report does not explain it. But there is something you need to know: a student who transfers and completes a degree elsewhere does not count as a Penn State Beaver graduate. Keep that in mind when we get to graduation rates, because it will matter there.
The Price: Two Numbers, and the Distance Between Them
At Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver, among 11 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $10,180. Among 12 students in the same population whose EFC family income was from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $14,073; among 30 students whose EFC family income was above $110,000, it was $24,301. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $14,121 between the average for the lowest-income band (11 students) and the average for the highest-income band (30 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $19,329.
$10,180 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
Because the price varies so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter sent to you is what matters.
Aid and Debt: Who Receives What
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students, 81 received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. The average amount of that aid, counting only those who received it, was $9,340 per year. Separately, 35 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need. A percentage and an average should not be multiplied by each other: one counts how many received the aid, while the other shows how much those who did receive it were awarded.
Now the debt. In 2022-23, 58 out of every 100 undergraduate students—more than half—received a federal student loan. Compared with similar schools, it is among those with the most student borrowers: nine out of ten peers had a lower share. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $5,966 that year.
Financing with debt is common here. If your child borrows a similar amount each year over the four years in the plan, the total comes to around $23,864, not counting interest. That number is decided before the first signature, not at the end. And be careful: that average includes only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt owed upon graduation—for that, you would need to add all four years, and that figure is not in this report.
The institution also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan as an option for managing the cost.
Campus Life, ROTC, Sports, and Course Format
Penn State Beaver does have institution-controlled housing, and it does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. The reported maximum housing capacity is 208 students. The existence of a room does not guarantee that a bed will be available for your child: ask in writing for this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child would join a waiting list.
There is an ROTC opportunity, with the Air Force branch explicitly marked. Army and Navy are not marked in this report—that does not mean participation is impossible; it means you need to ask directly and by name.
The school is affiliated with the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association), not with the NCAA or the NAIA. The federal question about participation in intercollegiate athletics does not apply to it in the record. If sports matter to your child, write directly to the coach: ask whether there is a place on the team, which division they compete in, and whether that sport offers athletic scholarships. Get the answer in writing.
As for distance education: it is offered at the undergraduate level, but only 1 out of every 100 students took all their classes that way; the other 99 took at least one class in person. The school reports that it does not have a complete program that can be finished entirely through distance education. Confirm the specific level and major if this matters to your family.
Among the services the institution reports are combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and their families, and a webpage for disability services.
Who Stays, Who Finishes, and How Long It Takes
We have reached the part that carries the most weight when making a decision.
Of the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 76 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled here or had already completed the bachelor’s degree one year later. That places the figure in the middle range compared with similar schools. But there is something this number does not separate: not returning is not the same as dropping out. In this figure, someone who transferred and is still studying elsewhere counts the same as someone who stopped studying altogether.
Now graduation. Of the 184 full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017, only 39 had a degree from this school six years later. That is 21 out of every 100. At four years, the figure was 17 out of every 100—only four points lower, which indicates that students who graduate here generally do not take much longer than expected. But compared with similar schools, Penn State Beaver is at the very bottom of that table: nine out of ten peers report a higher share of graduates within six years.
This is a number to read slowly. Out of every 100 who entered, 79 did not have a bachelor’s degree from this school six years later. Remember what we saw earlier: that remainder includes students who transferred and may have finished at another college—the data does not distinguish them. Even so, with a number like this, it is wise to ask directly what happened with that class, what specific support exists today, and to keep more than one option on your child’s list. This percentage is for the entire school; if your child is pursuing a particular major, ask for that department’s data.
There is one final measure, at eight years, that broadens the picture slightly. Of a cohort of 258 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including full-time and part-time students, first-time students, and students with prior experience—24 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school as of August 2023. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 21 out of every 100, five points below those who did not receive one. Compared with similar schools, it is also at the very bottom of the table.
This eight-year measure does not represent eight years of continuous study or tell you how much each person paid or gave up in earnings. Before signing anything, ask in writing how long it normally takes to complete the program your child wants, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the plan takes longer.
What You Now Know, and What Is Still Yours to Decide
You now know something real about Penn State Beaver: it is a small public school in a Pittsburgh suburb that accepts most of those who apply, but ultimately enrolls only about one out of every nine admitted students. You know that many students leave before graduating, and that among those who stay, few finish within the expected time compared with other similar schools.
None of those numbers tells you what will happen with your child. It is your child’s responsibility to study, explore, decide, and take ownership of their part of the journey. Your responsibility is different: understand the family’s finances, request the financial aid letter before ruling out or committing to any school, and ask the specific questions this article has already given you—about AP equivalencies, housing, the exact program for your child’s major, and what happened with the class that entered eight years ago.
This article has given you one of the three parts of the map: what the college actually is and offers, according to its own reports to the federal government. Only you have the other two—what your child wants and has built, and what your family can and is willing to pay. Put them together, and a plan emerges.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver or any government agency.