🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $15,376/yr.

✅ Best for

  • Students drawn to Computer & Information Sciences or Visual & Performing Arts (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
615
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$24,400
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$24,400
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
81.8%
Accepts the majority
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$52,374
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$34,365
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,374
4-year completion
34%
Median debt (completers)
$27,000
Cost of attendance
$35,893
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
47%

💰 True ROI

8.5× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$61,504
$15,376/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$82,068
vs sticker $143,572
10-yr earnings total
$523,740
$52,374/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.2 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, the average net price is $15,376/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$12,637/yr
Family income $30-48k
$11,292/yr
Family income $48-75k
$15,063/yr
Family income $75-110k
$19,420/yr
Family income $110k+
$20,871/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Harrisburg University of Science and Technology's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology →

Opens on Harrisburg University of Science and Technology's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Harrisburg University of Science and Technology actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Computer & Information Sciences
29 degrees · 34.5%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
2. Visual & Performing Arts
27 degrees · 32.1%
Typical career outcomes
Graphic Designer $59k Art Director $106k Multimedia Artist / Animator $99k Musician / Singer $39k
Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.
3. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
13 degrees · 15.5%
Typical career outcomes
Project Manager $99k Management Analyst $99k Research Analyst $79k
Often paired with another field (data + biology, design + tech). Outcomes match the second discipline.
4. Business, Management, & Marketing
9 degrees · 10.7%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
5. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
6 degrees · 7.1%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 19 $47,944 $74,043
Natural Sciences. Bachelor's Degree 27 $22,252 $38,323

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

CS degrees (annual)
107
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology vs. another college

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