If your child has this school on the list, it is worth sitting down with these data before he does. Not to decide for him, but to enter the conversation knowing what to ask. That is what we will do here: walk through what Penn State Hazleton really is, according to its own official report, without embellishing it or obscuring it.
Where This School Stands
Penn State Hazleton is a public, four-year university located in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, within Luzerne County and the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Its census designation places it in a suburb: inside the urbanized area but outside the principal city's center. What living there feels like is something you can learn only by driving the route on a weekday at the time your child would have class. A map never shows the real traffic.
The highest credential level this institution reports offering is the bachelor's degree. Within the federal classification system, that places it among institutions that award bachelor's degrees or higher. This is an institutional fact, not a map of academic programs: it does not confirm that the specific program your child wants is offered here or that it leads to exactly that credential. That must be asked program by program.
One detail is worth clarifying at the outset because it sometimes creates unnecessary confusion: Penn State Hazleton does not appear in the Carnegie Classification 2021—the system that categorizes types of universities. That does not say whether it is good or bad. It means that catalog did not assign it a label. Before paying for the first semester at any school, it is wise to ask admissions directly what accreditation it has and exactly what credential it awards. No external classification can replace that call.
It is also not listed as a historically Black college or university, tribal college or university, or land-grant institution. The federal directory's university count is 3,012, with 138 carrying at least one of those three designations; Hazleton is not among them. That does not indicate which communities it serves or how your child will feel there. You find that out by seeing which organizations and cultural centers exist today and talking with someone who already studies there.
A Small Campus and What That Means
Here is one of the traits that most defines this school: it is small. The official fall enrollment count was 510, all undergraduates—there was no graduate enrollment in that count. Within the same census, the comparison group of selective-admission, public four-year schools numbered 519; Hazleton is among the smallest, with at least nine out of ten of those schools enrolling more students.
Being small is neither bad nor good in itself. But it does change one very specific question your family should ask: whether the courses in your child's program are offered every semester or only once a year. On a large campus, that almost never matters. On one with an enrollment of 510, it can make the difference between graduating on time and not doing so.
Within that small community, the reported Hispanic or Latino share of the undergraduate student body was 22 out of 100 in fall 2023. Compared with similar schools, that places it in the highest quarter for Hispanic or Latino representation among its peers. They are not the majority, but their presence is not unusual either. The limitation of this comparison is worth stating: peers are grouped by school type, not by state, so it does not account for Pennsylvania's own demographic composition. And this is a figure for the entire school, not for any particular academic program.
There are also more men than women—women account for 43 out of 100—and students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, accounting for just 9 out of 100. Overall, this is a young, full-time campus: total enrollment was 510, and the number who were first-time, full-time, credential-seeking undergraduates was 199. Where those entering students came from—how far they were from home—is something IPEDS did not report for this school in this cycle. The information is not there, and it should not be invented.
How the Academic Year Works
The calendar here is semester-based: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. That provides structure and evenly spaced dates, which helps with planning.
Penn State Hazleton reported accepting credit from AP exams as well as what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—learning acquired through independent study, work, a portfolio, prior licenses, military training, or other avenues. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is the hard truth behind that list: the fact that the school reports these options does not mean your child will automatically receive credit for them. It does not say what AP scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward a specific program. Request a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling. Do not budget for savings in time or money until you have it in hand.
As for what can be studied: in the reported year, the school awarded a total of 47 bachelor's degrees, while its field-of-study-family count was just 9. Business and administration accounted for nearly half of those degrees—22 out of 47. Within a comparison group numbering 514 similar schools, Hazleton falls in the quarter with the fewest fields of study represented in its bachelor's-degree detail. With numbers this small, a single year's count can change considerably: ask for the last three years of data for the exact program your child is considering instead of relying on a snapshot of one cycle.
The ratio of students to instructional staff, both measured in full-time equivalents, is 11 to 1—low compared with its peers: three out of four similar schools report a higher ratio. This is an aggregate figure for the entire school; by itself, it does not confirm the actual size of a first-year class.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, and a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends.
Getting In: What They Require and How Likely Admission Is
Penn State Hazleton does not have open admission—there are materials it reviews before saying yes. Of the considerations measured by this report, three are required: the high school record, high school GPA, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Two others, although not required, are considered if submitted: the college-preparatory program of study and the personal essay.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English exam applies and what would qualify for an exemption. This is the kind of thing families discover late if they do not ask in time. The published application fee is $65.
Now for the figure that probably matters most to you: in the 2023 admission cycle, an applicant pool numbering 100 produced 91 offers of admission. Within a comparison group numbering 519 similar selective public schools, that puts Hazleton on the more accessible side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, accept an equal or smaller percentage. In other words, this is one of the schools that does say yes. But ease of entry says nothing about cost, how many students finish, or whether the specific program your child wants has its own screening process within the university. Those three questions must be asked separately.
Within an admitted-student pool numbering 100, enrollment was only 31. The count of admitted applicants who instead chose somewhere else, acceptance letter in hand, was 69. Compared with similar schools, that 31 is on the high side—at most similar schools, a smaller proportion of admitted students enroll. This number does not measure how good the school is; it measures what other families decided after receiving the letter. When your child's arrives, place it next to the others and compare net price, academic program, and distance before the deposit deadline.
The SAT and ACT are not required here. The SAT-score-submission share among enrolled students was only 26 out of 100; among those who submitted scores, the middle half scored between 540 and 650 in reading and writing and between 520 and 670 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who had already enrolled, not everyone who applied—they are neither minimums nor guarantees of anything.
One fact is worth keeping in mind before falling in love with this school because of how accessible it seems: for the full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, the number transferring to another school without completing here within the expected time was 38 out of 100. Within a comparison group numbering 395 similar schools, that places Hazleton among those that see the most students leave: at least nine out of ten comparable schools retain a larger share of those who do not graduate along the way. The data do not say why they leave—the reason varies from family to family—but this is important to remember: someone who transfers is not counted as a graduate here, even if that person finishes a degree elsewhere.
The Price: Two Numbers, Not One
At Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton, consider the first-time, full-time, credential-seeking population that received Title IV federal aid and paid in-state or in-district tuition. Within the subset whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the student count was 27 and the average net price was $15,278. Within the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, the student count was 15 and the average net price was $18,473; for family income above $110,000, the student count was 27 and the average was $26,468. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, whose student count was 27, and the average for the highest-income band, whose student count was 27, is $11,190. Among first-year students who received any grant aid, the average was $19,920.
The same-type-and-control comparison group in this census, limited to schools reporting this figure with the same time coverage, numbered 519; Hazleton falls in the most expensive quarter for lower-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you should request the financial aid letter before deciding.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received Title IV federal aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district tuition rate. The overall average with grant aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that tuition rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
How Students Pay Here in Practice
Among degree-seeking students, grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid reached 88 out of 100; among recipients, the annual average was $11,418. Pell receipt was 48 out of 100; Pell is the federal aid program for low-income families. These are two different calculations—one is a percentage, the other an average—and they should not be multiplied by each other.
Now the other side: federal student-loan receipt among undergraduates was 65 out of 100 in the 2022-23 academic year. That is a majority, and compared with similar schools, Hazleton is among those with the highest shares of student borrowers—at least nine out of ten similar schools have a smaller share. Borrowers took out an average of $6,071 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of four years, the total would be around $24,284, not counting interest and excluding any loans the parents might sign for separately.
Financing with debt is common here. That does not determine whether your child will need it—that depends on the specific financial aid letter and what your family can cover. But if debt appears in that letter, request the estimated monthly payment before accepting it. The institution also reports an installment tuition-payment plan as an option for managing the expense.
Campus Life: What Is Available and What Must Be Confirmed
Hazleton does have institution-controlled housing, with a reported capacity of 337, 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 the plan selected. The existence of rooms does not guarantee that a bed will be available when your child needs one: request the annual price, application deadline, and whether space is guaranteed or there is a waiting list in writing.
There is an ROTC opportunity, although the report identifies only the Air Force branch; neither Army nor Navy is confirmed here. If your child is interested in another branch, it has not been ruled out, but it has not been confirmed either—ask about it by name.
In athletics, the school is affiliated with the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association), not the NCAA or the NAIA. The federal record does not confirm whether teams currently compete in each sport. If athletics are part of your child's plan, write directly to the coach and request the current schedule.
Regarding distance education, the share of undergraduates taking all their classes online is only 1 out of 100. The school reports that it does not offer any complete undergraduate program that can be finished entirely through distance education. This is, above all, an in-person campus.
Reported support services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, and a disability-services webpage.
Who Stays, Who Finishes
This is probably the part that calls for the most quiet reflection.
For the full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in fall 2022, the number still enrolled here or having already completed a degree one year later was 72 out of 100. Compared with similar schools, that places Hazleton slightly below the middle of the group. The remainder—28 out of 100—did not meet that criterion; the data do not say where they went or why.
The graduation figure is the one to read more slowly. In the full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, the starting student count was 176; the number holding a degree from this school six years later was only 25. That is 14 out of 100. At four years, the figure is only slightly lower: 11 out of 100. Within a comparison group numbering 518 similar schools, Hazleton is at the very bottom of that table: nine out of ten of those schools, or more, graduate a larger share of their cohort.
This does not mean that 86 out of 100 failed. Some transferred and finished at another university—as we saw, that kind of departure is high here—while others may have earned shorter credentials. The number does not explain each person's individual circumstances. But it is a figure that deserves a direct question to admissions: what happened with that cohort, what specific support exists to keep a student from stopping halfway, and why your child's list should include more than one option.
Taking a broader view over eight years, a cohort numbering 343 entered between 2015 and 2016—including both full-time and part-time students—and credential attainment from this school by the August 2023 cutoff was 29 out of 100. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 26 out of 100, five points below the figure for nonrecipients. Compared with similar schools, it is also at the very bottom of that table.
This number is not a verdict on your child. It is information about the entire school over eight years, with its full mix of students. Before making any commitment, request in writing how long the program of interest actually takes to complete, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the path takes longer.
Putting the Pieces Together
Penn State Hazleton is a small, public school that is relatively easy to enter and whose price rises considerably if your child is not a Pennsylvania resident. Financial aid reaches most students, but so does debt; and the graduation figures call for looking at the school with your eyes open, not closed.
None of this tells you whether it is the right school for your child. That depends on what he wants to study, what he has already built so far, and what your family can afford without taking on too much. What you can do with this information is enter the conversation with your child knowing what to ask: the actual equivalency of his AP credits, the financial aid letter with specific numbers, the curriculum for his specific program, and what really happened to the cohort that entered before he did.
That is your part of the journey. His—studying, deciding, making the effort—remains entirely his own.
The data in this article come from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton or the United States government.