Admission rate: 94%

Average cost: $15,904 for Pennsylvania residents; $26,370 for non-residents

Number of undergrads: 3,500 collegewide, 69 in fall PET program

Graduation rate: 70%

Job assistance programs: Every student must complete a capstone research project. A majority of those projects are sponsored by industry; they often lead to internships or job offers at the sponsoring company. The college also hosts two large career fairs each year. This year, the fall career fair featured 160 companies. Behrend students also have access to the Nittany Lion Careers Network, an extensive online job board.
 

Worth noting

• The plastics processing lab for the Plastics Engineering Technology program at Penn State Behrend is the largest undergraduate educational facility of its type in the country, according to the school. Injection-molding machines and other equipment are updated regularly. In August 2022, a new machine – a Sodick, donated by Plustech – came online. That machine has a unique injection unit, with a plasticizing screw over a plunger.
• Behrend’s engineering programs emphasize industry partnerships, the school noted. Every graduate of Behrend’s School of Engineering must complete a capstone research project. Eighty percent of those projects are sponsored by business or industry partners. Last year’s projects included collaborations with Plastikos, iMFLUX, SPE IMD, and Gamma Sports, which worked with students to develop a cold-weather pickleball.
• At the Industry 4.0 Center of Excellence at Penn State Behrend, students and faculty members analyze and aggregate data to improve products and processes. Using integrated robotics technology, the center develops real-world applications of Industry 4.0 efficiencies.
• Another research focus is the upcycling of polyolefins. Faculty member Gamini Mendis is working with teams of students to capture and repurpose post-industrial and post-consumer plastic waste. Several institutional, industrial, and inter-university relationships are in place.