"Happy Valley Syndrome" is real - Anonymous employee Penn State Employee Review

4.0
2 Mar 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- For a large university, it did feel quite close-knit at the Department and even College level. - It was a great place to build skills, experience, and knowledge due to the size of campus and the resources available. - The pay and benefits were good for academia, with plenty of opportunity - The rural location in Central PA is a pleasant place to live and get away

Cons

- Expensive parking unless you are willing to walk long distances - Competition between departments can sap attention and effort away from more useful pursuits

Explore other reviews about Penn State

5.0
27 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They were very flexible with hours and it was a fun place to work. There was lots of downtime to do other things while on the clock, and an e-bike to get around campus quickly.

Cons

Toward the end they got pretty strict about keeping your computer on a certain tab to take online tickets, and you could get in trouble for not doing it. It’s tedious work overall.

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