Public Associate Strong 80/100

Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania

About Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology

Thinking about Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology, a college in Pennsylvania where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 171 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
96.2%
Graduation
76.3%
Net Price
$9,857
Median Earnings (10yr)
$41,677
Enrollment
171
Student : Faculty
10:1

Accreditor Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
Academic Calendar Differs by Program

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
80/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 95
Value 58
Affordability 65
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology admits 96.2% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
96.2%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 5.1 pts since 2019
89.8%201985.9%202078%202182.6%202294.9%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $9,857 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$9,857
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
56%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
51%
Borrowing to attend

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $8,203
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $10,518
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,640
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $15,817

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$4,500
25% percentile
$9,454
Median percentile
$9,500
75% percentile
$17,200
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $7,750 ↓ $1,704
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $3,954
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $3,954
Independent students $9,500 —
Female students $9,500 —
Male students $5,500 ↓ $3,954
Pell recipients: 17.9% (1,694 students)No Pell: 12.7% (1,202 students)Dependent students: 12.7% (1,202 students)Independent students: 22.0% (2,077 students)Female students: 22.0% (2,077 students)Male students: 12.7% (1,202 students)Overall Median$9,454
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,750, less than completers ($9,454), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

76% of students who start here finish within six years, and 85% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
76%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
85%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $41,677 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$41,677
Earning > $25K
71%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$40,000$40,500$41,000$41,500$42,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 12.2 pts across 6 years
60.1%1yr66.3%3yr72.5%5yr72.3%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 72% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 171 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 55% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
171
Part-Time
19%
First-Generation
55%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 95.9% 164
Hispanic 1.2% 2
Asian 1.2% 2
International 1.2% 2
Black 0.6% 1
White: 95.9% (164 students)Hispanic: 1.2% (2 students)Asian: 1.2% (2 students)International: 1.2% (2 students)Black: 0.6% (1 students)Total171

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Fringe Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
40% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Differs by Program scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Engineering Tech graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology offers a varied set of programs: 11 distinct programs across 5 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

4 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$16,111
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$56,405
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

20 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Instructors 20 100% $56,405

Pros & Cons of Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Strong six-year graduation rate
  • Strong first-year retention
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for: Based on the data, Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology

The questions families ask most about Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology hard to get into?
Not especially. Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 96.2%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology?
96.2% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology cost?
Budget around $9,857 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $41,677 a year against a net price of $9,857, about 4.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology known for?
Mostly Practical Nursing, Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, Cosmetology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology graduates earn?
About $41,677 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology accredited?
Yes. Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
How many students attend Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology?
171 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology?
76% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology located?
Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology is located in Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology offer?
11 different programs, most commonly Practical Nursing, Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, Cosmetology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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