Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth Campuses

The Pennsylvania State University is a geographically-dispersed public university with facilities located across Pennsylvania.[1] While the central administration of the university is located on its main campus at Penn State University Park, there are 20 Commonwealth Campuses in other locations within the state, which together enroll roughly 22,000 of Penn State's 87,000 students, or about 25 percent.[2]

Every Commonwealth Campus is considered part of the Pennsylvania State University, and graduates from the Commonwealth Campuses receive the same Penn State degree. As some majors are only available on certain campuses, students have the option to transfer to another Commonwealth Campus or University Park to complete their degree after two years at their original campus. The first two years of most Penn State majors can be completed on any campus.[3][4]

Administration

The 20 Commonwealth Campuses are overseen by the Penn State Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses. This office oversees Penn State Great Valley (a special-mission graduate school) and six academic colleges – five "campus colleges" (Abington, Altoona, Berks, Erie, Harrisburg) and the University College. The remaining 14 campuses comprise the University College.[5][6]

The position of VP for Commonwealth Campuses was established in 2005,[7] and is held by Renata S. Engel as of 2026. Each campus is headed by a chancellor or campus director, and the University College is headed by a dean. The chancellors of the five campus colleges report directly to the VP, while chancellors of the University College campuses report to the dean of University College, John Nauright.[8][9]

List of Commonwealth Campuses

Campuses in italics are slated for closure in 2027.

Campus Location Enrollment
(Fall 2025)[2]		 Established Athletics
Nickname Primary
affiliation		 Primary
conference
Penn State Abington[a] Abington 2,715 1950 Nittany Lions NCAA Division III United East (UEC)
Penn State Altoona Logan Township 2,280 1939 Nittany Lions NCAA Division III Allegheny Mountain (AMCC)
Penn State Beaver Monaca 475 1965 Nittany Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Berks Spring Township 1,716 1958 Nittany Lions NCAA Division III United East (UEC)
Penn State Brandywine[b] Media 1,078 1967 Nittany Lions NCAA Division III United East (UEC)
Penn State DuBois DuBois 375 1935 Nittany Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College Erie 3,296 1948 Lions NCAA Division III Allegheny Mountain (AMCC)
Penn State Fayette Uniontown 352 1934 Roaring Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Great Valley Malvern 173 1963 None
Penn State Greater Allegheny[c] McKeesport 308 1948 Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Harrisburg, The Capital College Middletown 4,442 1966 Lions NCAA Division III United East (UEC)
Penn State Hazleton Hazleton 504 1934 Nittany Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Lehigh Valley Center Valley 899 1912 Nittany Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Mont Alto Mont Alto 587 1903 Nittany Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State New Kensington New Kensington 386 1958 Nittany Lions Athletics suspended, formerly PSUAC
Penn State Schuylkill Schuylkill Haven 653 1934 Nittany Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Scranton[d] Dunmore 744 1923 Nittany Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Shenango[e] Sharon 264 1965 Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Penn State Wilkes-Barre Lehman 232 1916 Nittany Lions Athletics suspended, formerly PSUAC
Penn State York York 625 1926 Nittany Lions USCAA Penn State (PSUAC)
Notes
  1. ↑ Formerly known as Penn State Ogontz.
  2. ↑ Formerly known as Penn State Delaware County.
  3. ↑ Formerly known as Penn State McKeesport.
  4. ↑ Formerly known as Penn State Worthington Scranton.
  5. ↑ Formerly known as Penn State Shenango Valley.

Campus closures

In a message to the Penn State community on February 25, 2025, President Neeli Bendapudi stated: "We cannot continue with business as usual ... declining enrollments, demographic shifts and financial pressures ... require us to make difficult choices. ... It has become clear that we cannot sustain a viable Commonwealth Campus ecosystem without closing some campuses." She formed a working group to recommend a future for the Commonwealth Campuses.[10] The group published on May 13 a recommendation that seven Penn State Commonwealth Campuses – DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, and York – "close after a two-year wind down".[11]

On May 22, 2025, the Penn State Board of Trustees voted to close the seven campuses, citing declining enrollments and financial losses. They are slated to close at the end of the 2026–2027 academic year.[12] The closures resulted from a review of 12 campuses for possible closure. The dozen campuses reviewed included the seven chosen as well as Greater Allegheny, Beaver, Hazleton, Schuylkill, and Scranton, which will remain open.[11][13] When the list of seven campuses recommended for closure leaked on May 12,[14] the university released its 143-page report the next day.[11]

The report to the trustees cited "enrollment and financial decline ... and significant maintenance backlog" as justifications for the closures, adding that estimated future costs for the seven campuses included "$19 million in annual financial support, $21 million in annual overhead expenses, and more than $200 million in future facilities investment". It noted that the seven campuses "currently enroll 3.6% of Penn State's students and employ 3.4% of Penn State's faculty and 2.2% of Penn State's staff."[11] A Philadelphia Inquirer analysis of the campuses chosen for closure found that only Mont Alto offered housing, and its residential occupancy rate of 40% was the lowest of the all campuses offering residence halls. Enrollments at the seven had dropped between 51% and 68% from their peaks, and between 37% and 43% in the preceding decade. The seven campuses had lost a total of $19.3 million in that fiscal year. Looking at the 12 campuses reviewed, five of the seven which will close had the lowest fractions of students who were Pell Grant eligible, and five of seven also had the lowest share of "underrepresented groups".[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Penn State Campus Locations". Academics. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Student Enrollment". Data Digest. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Trustees ratify plan to reshape Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses for long-term success". News. The Pennsylvania State University. May 22, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  4. ↑ "First-Year Student Resources: 2 Plus 2 Plan". Undergraduate Admissions. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ "About the OVPCC". Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Campuses and Colleges". Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  7. ↑ Mahon, Bill; Kendig, Tysen (May 13, 2005). "Plan for administrative reorganization approved by Penn State Board of Trustees". Penn State Live. The Pennsylvania State University. Archived from the original on April 25, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  8. ↑ "OVPCC Staff". Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  9. ↑ "John Nauright named dean of Penn State's University College". News. The Pennsylvania State University. May 18, 2026. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  10. ↑ "A message from President Bendapudi on the Commonwealth Campuses". News. The Pennsylvania State University. February 25, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Penn State releases preliminary Commonwealth Campuses recommendation". News. The Pennsylvania State University. May 13, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  12. ↑ Miller, Trevor; Rian, Bossler (May 22, 2025). "'No point in waiting,' PSU trustees vote to close DuBois, 6 other campuses". WTAJ. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  13. ↑ Massey, Wyatt (May 23, 2025). "Penn State board backs plan to close 7 campuses, saying low enrollment, financials leave no other choice". Spotlight PA via WHTM. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  14. ↑ "University statement on Commonwealth Campus plans". News. The Pennsylvania State University. May 12, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  15. ↑ Snyder, Susan (May 21, 2025). "Penn State considered 12 campuses to close. Here's what they examined in choosing 7 to shut down". Inquirer.com. Retrieved August 25, 2026.

Further reading

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