Penn State Berks Tuition & Cost

  • 5/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Reading, PA
  • 4.0 1 review
#12 Best Public Universities in Pennsylvania

How Much Does It Cost to Attend?

In State Pennsylvania Resident Sticker Price

$37,250

Out of State Resident Sticker Price

$48,236

Breakdown

In State Costs for Penn State Berks
  • Tuition $15,972
  • Books and Supplies $1,200
  • Other Fees $584
  • Room and Board $14,474
  • Budget for Other Expenses $5,020
  • Total One Year Cost $37,250

In-State Tuition

In-state tuition at Penn State Berks for undergraduate students residing in Pennsylvania is $15,972. Room and board charges total $14,474 per year. Students will also need to budget for books and supplies, which typically amount to $1,200 annually. Other administrative or academic fees are $584 for the year. Additionally, students should plan an estimated $5,020 for other miscellaneous expenses throughout the year. In sum, residents attending Penn State Berks full time should expect a total annual cost of $37,250.

Out-of-State Tuition

Undergraduate tuition at Penn State Berks is $26,958 for out-of-state students. Additionally, out-of-state students are charged $14,474 for room and board, $1,200 for textbooks and educational resources, plus fees of $584. Students are advised to budget $5,020 for other expenses. When these costs are combined, annual out-of-state charges total $48,236. This figure is 29.5% higher than what Pennsylvania residents pay.

Housing Costs

On campus room and board is provided by the school at a cost of $14,474 per academic year. Students electing to live off campus elsewhere in Reading should budget at least this amount.

Books and Supplies

The estimated annual cost for books and educational supplies is $1,200.

Other Living Expenses

If living on-campus, students should budget for $5,020 in additional living expenses. Off-campus students should budget for $5,020 in other miscellaneous living expenses.

All price data is sourced from the IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025.

Net Price

The average reported annual net price for Penn State Berks for students receiving grants or scholarship aid was $23,721* in 2023/2024. Net price includes tuition and required fees, books and supplies, and average cost for room and board and other expenses.

Average Net Price 2023/2024

$23,721

Below is the average net price by student family income.

Net Price by Income Penn State Berks
Family Income Net Price Paid
$0 to $30,000$16,429
$30,001 to $48,000$15,862
$48,001 to $75,000$23,583
$75,001 to $110,000$25,465
$110,000+$29,541

The net price provides a more realistic estimate of the true cost of attending Penn State Berks, once common grants and scholarships have been taken into account. It's important to note that your net price will fluctuate based on factors such as family income, assets and individual financial need. Net price is the out-of-pocket total cost that students end up paying or financing though student loans.

*Reported Average Annual Net Price for students receiving grant or scholarship aid reported to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2023/2024. Financial aid is only available to those who qualify. Consult this school's net price calculator for further understanding of your potential net price.

Note that for colleges with no reported on-campus room and board, the average net price has been increased to account for living expenses. This number may not only reflect the net price paid to the school for tuition.

Financial Aid

69% of full-time undergrad Penn State Berks received financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, fellowships from the institution or from Federal, State or local government agencies. This aid averaged $9,405 per student during the 2023/2024 school year. Grant and scholarship aid does not need to be paid back.

Pell Grants

30 percent of students received aid in the form of Pell Grants from the U.S. Federal Government. The average Pell Grant awarded for 2023/2024 was $5,628. To apply for a Pell Grant to attend Penn State Berks, the first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Student Loans

54% of students received Federal Student Loans averaging $5,188 and 15% of undergrads took out private student loans averaging $20,388.

Financial Aid Penn State Berks
Type Avg./Student Students Receiving
Total Grant and Scholarship Aid $9,405 69%
Institutional Grants and Scholarships $5,904 64%
Pell Grants $5,628 30%
Other Federal Grants $2,825 4%
State and Local Grants $4,781 18%
Federal Student Loans $5,188 54%
Other Student Loans $20,388 15%

Data Source, IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2023/2024

Financial Aid Mix - $37,250 In-State Total Cost

CollegeSimply has modeled example payment coverage for the annual in-state tuition and living expenses of $37,250. Breakdown is based on average grant aid and federal loan aid which will vary based on your family income.

Grants 29%
Loans 16%
Out of Pocket 55%

Grants and Scholarships

29% - $9,405

Money granted to you by the U.S. Department of Education, Penn State Berks or other organizations. These are not loans and do not need to be repaid.

Federal Student Loans

16% - $5,188

Low interest student loans funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This amount will need to be repaid.

Out of Pocket Cost

55% - $17,637

Covered by family savings, work or private student loans which you will have to repay.

Student Loans

To gauge a more realistic picture of what it really could cost you out of pocket to go to Penn State Berks, we've modeled a ten year student loan with an original principal value of $94,884. The loan balance of $94,884 is a four year multiple of the $23,721 average net price. This is a estimate of what you could owe upon graduation if you were to qualify for average financial aid and what a degree really may cost. Should you not qualify for financial aid, you may owe significantly more when you graduate. Based on these assumptions, a monthly repayment of $1,078 could be required to pay off your student loan. The total of all payments including interest would sum $129,402.53.

Please note that financial aid is not guaranteed and is only available for qualifying students. Federal Student Loans are not grants and must be repaid with interest. The current Stafford loan interest rate is 6.52%.

Example student loan for Penn State Berks
Example Loan $94,884
Stafford Loan Interest Rate 6.52%
Time to Pay Off Student Loan 10 years
Example Monthly Payment $1,078.35
Total Interest Paid $34,518.53
Sum of All Loan Payments $129,402.53

Student Loan Affordability

In order to afford student loan payments and still meet all your other costs of living, it is recommended not to borrow more than you can pay back using 10% of your monthly income earned after graduation. If you're considering attending Penn State Berks, should consider if it will be realistic to make the post graduation loan payments based on your expected salary.

Using the 10% of salary threshold, an annual income of $129,402.53 would be needed to afford a $1,078.35 monthly payment in the example $94,884.00 loan modeled above. This assumes a repayment over 10 years. You can change the terms of this example loan using the student loan calculator below. View statistics about Penn State Berks student loan debt and graduate salaries under student outcomes.

Projected 4 Year Degree Price

4 Year Sticker Price

$149,000
Projected degree price by year for Penn State Berks
Year Pennsylvania Residents Non Residents
1 $37,250 $48,236
2 $38,171 $49,429
3 $39,116 $50,652
4 $40,083 $51,905

Based on published tuition prices, we estimate the current cost of a 4 year bachelor's degree and living expenses at Penn State Berks to be $149,000 - assuming graduation in normal time. The estimation assumes a 2.5% annual increase over the next 4 years which has been the recent trend for this school.

Tuition Details

Credit Hour Cost and Price per Class

Credit Hour and Class Costs at Penn State Berks
Price Per Credit 3 Credit Class 4 Credit Class
Pennsylvania Residents $641 $1,923 $2,564
Out of State Residents $1,099 $3,297 $4,396

Estimated cost for a class at Penn State Berks based on published credit hour prices. Note that not all schools allow single class enrollment. These prices should be used for comparison purposes as to how much it may cost to take a class at Penn State Berks versus other colleges.

Tuition Payment Plans Available

Penn State Berks Payment Plans
Tuition Payment Plan Yes
Prepaid Tuition Plan Yes
Alternative Tuition Plan Yes
Guaranteed Tuition Plan No

Tuition History

Historical in-state and out-of-state tuition and price increases for Penn State Berks.

Tuition history for Penn State Berks
Year In-State Out-of-state Annual Increase
2023 $15,388 $26,112 0%
2022 $15,388 $25,854 8.3%
2020 $14,214 $23,924 0%
2019 $14,214 $23,924 0%
2018 $14,214 $23,466 0%
2017 $14,214 $22,716 2.5%
2016 $13,868 $21,874 1.5%
2015 $13,658 $21,392 0%
2014 $13,658 $20,890 2.4%
2013 $13,338 $20,400

Plan and Calculate Costs

College Savings Calculator

Plan and Save for College

Discover how much will you need to start saving now to afford Penn State Berks in the future.

Student Loan Calculator

Estimate Loan Payments

Modify the loan assumptions to fit your financial situation and likely tuition price. Then calculate your payoff and loan payments for a Penn State Berks student loan.

Prepayment Option

Costs for Similar Colleges

Explore costs at colleges similar to Penn State Berks

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=214704.

Last updated: August 2026