What kind of school it is and where it stands
Penn State Schuylkill is a public, four-year institution. Its highest reported degree level is the bachelor’s degree: that is an institutional fact, not a promise that the specific program your child wants ends in that degree. Before assuming anything, verify the program.
One curious detail worth clarifying up front: in the 2021 Carnegie Classification, the school appears outside the classified universe. That does not mean it is worse. Carnegie simply did not assign it a category there. It does not, however, save you from asking admissions what accreditation it has and exactly what degree it awards, and from verifying that name yourself on the Department of Education website. No classification replaces that call.
It also has none of three possible designations: it is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of those three labels; Schuylkill is not among them. That does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly what cultural centers and student organizations exist today, and better yet, speak with someone who already studies there.
The campus is in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, in Schuylkill County. The surrounding setting is a town near an urban area, but not within one. If your family does not live nearby, this is your first signal to calculate separately where your child would live and how your child would get to campus every day. The census code locates the school’s address; it does not locate your family or measure your commute.
A small community and what that means
This is where size begins to tell the story. Penn State Schuylkill had 650 students enrolled in the official fall count, all of them undergraduates—there is no graduate enrollment at this campus. Compared with the 519 selective-admission, public four-year schools in this census that report the figure, it is among the smallest: at least nine out of ten of those schools have more students.
Being small does not make it better or worse. But it does change the question you should ask: whether the courses in your child’s program are offered every semester or only once a year. How long it takes to finish depends on that.
Of those 650 students, 10 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino—a small minority, although slightly above the midpoint of its comparable schools on this same measure. Adults ages 25 to 64 are also a minority: 6 out of every 100. And there are more women than men: 64 out of every 100 students are women. If there are few Latino students on the campus you are considering, that does not remove it from the list, but it is worth asking during your visit what specifically exists for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish. And keep in mind that this comparison with other schools does not account for where in the country each one is located, which matters here.
How the academic year works and how varied the offerings are
The school uses a semester calendar: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The school stated that it accepts credit for AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, courses for adults, work experience, portfolios, licenses, and military 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.
Here is a hard truth worth stating plainly: saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam. It does not tell you what score is required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits will count toward your child’s specific program. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for its degree offerings: in the reported year, the school awarded 68 bachelor’s degrees across 6 program families. The family with the most degrees was homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, and related protective services, with 26 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year—a notable but not overwhelming share. Compared with similar schools, Penn State Schuylkill falls in the quarter with the fewest program families represented in its bachelor’s-degree detail. With counts this small, the number can shift considerably from one year to the next; ask for the last three years of data for the exact program your child is interested in instead of relying on a snapshot of a single year.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 12 to 1, a low ratio compared with similar schools—it falls in the bottom quarter of that group. But be careful: this figure does not tell you the actual size of first-year classes. It is an institutional average, not a classroom measure.
The institution also reports offering study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, and a full program that can be completed entirely during evenings or weekends.
Getting in: what the application requires and how likely a yes is
Here is one of the most important facts for any family building a college list: Penn State Schuylkill does not have open admission. It reviews several components before saying yes. Of the nine considerations evaluated in this report, it marked three as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether that exam is required and what qualifies for an exemption—it is one of those things families discover late, when it complicates everything.
There are other optional components that it will consider if you submit them: the academic course plan requested by the university and the personal essay. The application fee is $65.
And now the figure that probably interests you most: out of every 100 people who applied for admission in the 2023 cycle, 91 received an offer. This is a school that does admit applicants, on the high side compared with similar schools—seven out of ten schools in that group admitted an equal or smaller percentage. But being likely to get in does not make what follows easy. That number does not tell you how much it will cost, how many students finish, or whether the specific program your child wants has its own screening process within the school. Those three questions must be asked separately.
Here is a fact worth sitting down to consider: out of every 100 admitted students, only 21 enrolled. Of every five young people who received a yes, about one ended up attending. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose. What it does tell you is this: receiving the letter is not the same as deciding to attend. And what others decided does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your own letter showing the net price—that is what the year will actually cost—and decide with that number in hand whether this school stays on your list.
The SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. Among those who enrolled, only 16 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score—a sample so small (25 students) that the ranges reported by IPEDS (between 510 and 590 in reading and writing, and between 480 and 590 in mathematics) should not be read as a threshold or a guarantee.
One transfer figure is worth keeping in mind: among the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 30 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing here—a high proportion compared with similar schools. The report does not say why any of them left, and there is something here that almost no one notices: someone who transfers does not count as a graduate of this school, even if that person finishes the degree elsewhere. Remember that when you compare graduation rates later in this article.
The published price: two figures and a large gap
For the 2023–24 school year, the reported total cost of attendance—tuition, housing, food, books, and other estimated expenses—was $30,518 for students paying the Pennsylvania resident rate and living on campus, and $40,456 for those paying the out-of-state rate. It is a budget used to calculate aid, not a bill that will arrive exactly as shown.
| Item | In-state rate | Out-of-state rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $15,180 | $25,118 |
| Housing and food | $8,710 | $8,710 |
| Books and supplies | $1,840 | $1,840 |
| Total cost of attendance | $30,518 | $40,456 |
The difference between the two rates is $9,938 per year. Before comparing prices with another school, find out what requirements this institution uses to classify someone as a resident and when they take effect—they are not the same everywhere. Compared with similar schools, this cost at the in-state rate falls above the group’s midpoint. It is an expensive school for what it is, especially if your child would pay the out-of-state rate.
The real price: what each family pays based on income
At Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill, among 22 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 $13,752. Among 28 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $18,182; among 40 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $26,569. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $12,817 between the average for the lowest-income band (22 students) and the average for the highest-income band (40 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 $20,317.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this school falls in the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you should request the aid letter before deciding.
Because the price changes 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 aid letter you receive is what matters.
How it gets paid: grants, loans, and what is common here
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students, 83 received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid—a high proportion compared with similar schools—with an average of $11,315 among those who received it. Out of every 100, 39 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for students with demonstrated financial need.
Remember: the percentage and the average should not be multiplied by each other. One tells you how many received something; the other tells you how much those who received it got. When your aid letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters mix everything into a single column, which creates more confusion than clarity.
Here is the hard truth of this section: 67 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan, with an average of $6,197 per year among those who borrowed. This is one of the schools with the most student borrowers among its peers—at least nine out of ten similar schools had a lower proportion. If your child borrows a similar amount every year during the four years in the plan, the total comes to about $24,788, not including interest. And that figure covers only federal loans in the student’s name: it does not include anything parents might borrow through PLUS loans, bank debt, or credit cards. Financing through debt is common here. Calculate the full amount before anyone signs anything, and request the estimated monthly payment before accepting the letter.
The institution also offers a tuition installment plan if that helps your family’s budget.
Housing, ROTC, athletics, and campus support
Penn State Schuylkill does have institution-controlled housing, although it is not required for all first-time, full-time students. It also offers meal plans with a variable number of meals per week. IPEDS reports a maximum capacity of 304 students in institutional housing. The existence of housing does not guarantee a bed: request this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list, all in writing.
There is an ROTC opportunity in the Air Force branch; neither the Army nor the Navy is marked in this report. Being marked does not confirm that the program is conducted on this specific campus. If your child is interested, ask about it by name before building a plan around it.
The school is affiliated with national athletic associations—both NAIA and USCAA—although the federal record does not confirm whether it currently competes in intercollegiate athletics. If sports matter to your child, write directly to the coach, ask whether there is a place on the team, and whether that sport offers athletic scholarships.
As for instructional format: the school offers undergraduate distance education, but only 1 out of every 100 students took all their classes that way; the other 99 took at least one class in person. According to its own report, it does not offer a full program that can be completed entirely through distance education.
Among the services it reports are combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a student veterans organization, and a disability services web address. The fact that these services are reported says nothing about their quality or effectiveness; you find that out by asking directly.
Who stays and who finishes with a degree
Of the cohort that entered full time in the fall of 2022, 82 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already completed the bachelor’s degree the following year. That is a high proportion compared with similar schools. But this figure does not tell you two things: it includes only those who started out seeking a bachelor’s degree, no one else; and not returning is not the same as dropping out—someone who transferred to another university and is still studying elsewhere is counted the same as someone who stopped studying entirely.
And here is the hardest figure in this entire article, the one you need to read slowly before deciding: of the 148 students who began a bachelor’s degree in 2017, only 24 had earned a degree from this school six years later. That is 16 out of every 100. At four years, the figure is only 11 out of every 100—a small gap between the two time frames. Compared with similar schools, Penn State Schuylkill is at the very bottom of the table: nine out of ten similar schools report a higher proportion of graduates.
This does not mean that 84 out of every 100 “failed.” That remainder may include credentials requiring less than four years that were earned there, as well as degrees completed at another university after transferring—remember what we saw earlier: someone who transfers does not count as a graduate of this school, even if that person finishes elsewhere. The data do not explain why each person was left out of the numerator. What they do tell you clearly is this: ask directly what happened with that cohort, what concrete support exists to help students finish, and keep more than one option on your list.
One additional figure, measured over eight years and using a different cohort (289 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including part-time students and those with prior experience): 25 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 cutoff. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 23 out of every 100, just three points below the rest. Compared with similar schools, it is also at the very bottom of that table. This cutoff is a point in time, not a bill for eight years of study. Before signing anything, request in writing how long your child’s desired program takes to complete, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if completion takes longer than planned.
What you now know and what remains yours to decide
You now know one real piece of Penn State Schuylkill: a small public school with fairly accessible admission but a graduation rate that demands serious questions before committing four years and a significant part of the family budget. You know that the listed price and the real price almost never match, that student debt is common there, and that most admitted students choose not to enroll.
It is the university’s responsibility to admit students, offer aid, and answer your questions honestly. It is your child’s responsibility to decide what to study, make the effort, and take responsibility for their part of the journey. It is your responsibility to understand the family’s finances, request the actual aid letter before committing, and support this decision without carrying it alone or leaving your child to carry it alone.
If you live near Schuylkill County, this may be different than if you would have to move. If your child already knows what program to pursue, ask specifically about that program—how many degrees it awards each year, how long it takes to complete, and what happened with the cohort that entered wanting the same thing. If money is the main concern, the aid letter showing the net price is the document that truly matters, more than any figure published here.
This is one piece of the map, not the complete map. Combine it with what your child wants, what your child has built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. From that combination comes a plan that is truly yours.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help you understand it.