Physics at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College

Erie, PA · Bachelor's Degree · about 2 graduates a year

$43,461
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$81,763
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$76,786
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#44 of 107
Rank by pay
#36 of 107
Rank, wage-adjusted
$23,299
Median federal debt

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates in physics earn 6% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 28% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Compares for Physics

All 107 colleges reporting physics earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA$131,025$115,381#2$54,773
2Cornell University Ithaca, NY$118,649$112,929#3$50,933
3University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN$110,029$118,041#1—
4University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC$103,477$111,046#4$62,647
5Oregon State University Corvallis, OR$103,167$103,775#7$48,169
6Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR$103,167$103,775#8$48,169
7Whitworth University Spokane, WA$99,842$91,833#15$65,316
8College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA$99,165$87,325#29—
9Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY$99,009$94,236#13—
10California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA$96,805$88,086#22—
…
41Appalachian State University Boone, NC$82,399$88,426#21—
42Illinois State University Normal, IL$81,949$80,514#42—
43Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY$81,840$77,895#49$60,348
44Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Erie, PA$81,763$83,154#36$43,461
45Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA$81,763$83,154#37$43,461
46Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington Abington, PA$81,763$83,154#38$43,461
47Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ$81,696$83,944#33$30,503

Other Majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Engineering$112,269$85,446#66 of 189
Industrial Engineering$104,758$78,975#20 of 94
Computer Science$101,854$72,884#156 of 349
Finance and Financial Management Services$96,714$68,552#72 of 452
Management Information Systems and Services$95,935$66,169#27 of 166
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$93,277$74,958#212 of 258
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$91,032$77,955#321 of 966
Accounting and Related Services$88,192$63,425#133 of 796
Mechanical Engineering$87,997$69,772#237 of 318
Polymer/Plastics Engineering$87,636$68,438#5 of 6
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians—$81,472—
Economics$81,228$55,418#170 of 368
Marketing$79,343$50,729#74 of 516
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians$79,342$64,874#44 of 61
Mathematics$77,336$59,629#100 of 309
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$73,308$58,140#84 of 126
Business Administration, Management and Operations$72,218$51,562#311 of 1176
Biological and Physical Sciences$69,102$35,639#6 of 33
Political Science and Government$68,918$41,201#132 of 565
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication$66,876$39,030#12 of 158
Chemistry$65,230$47,009#117 of 209
Biology$64,910$33,417#183 of 841
Nutrition Sciences$63,010$25,673#19 of 53
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$60,193$37,330#62 of 265
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$58,195$37,834#123 of 476
Communication and Media Studies$55,505$34,181#282 of 660
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$53,362$45,795#135 of 680
History$52,871$28,803#184 of 459
English Language and Literature$50,299$29,848#237 of 576
Psychology$49,543$32,408#536 of 1027

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College physics graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $43,461 one year after graduating and $81,763 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College rank for physics?

Among 107 colleges reporting earnings for physics graduates, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College ranks #44 by median pay four years after graduation, and #36 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is physics at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College worth it?

Its graduates earn 6% more than the national median for physics ($76,786), and the median federal debt at graduation is $23,299.

← All data for Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.