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- Year Established: 1855
- Location: 201 Old Main University Park, PA 16802- 1589
- Number of Campuses: 24 campuses
- Classification: Flagship/ public land-grant service related research University
- Total Number of Enrollees: 43,424*
Introduction to the University
“Making life Better” is the maxim of Pennsylvania State University also known as University Park or Penn State Main Campus. PSU’s humble beginning from an ordinary agricultural college into a world-class learning and research institution has contributed to the local region and the nation tremendously. This University claims a threefold mission that aims to improve life of the people of Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality programs in teaching, research, and service.
As a note in achieving its tripartite mission, the university boasts the biggest student-run charity in the world, the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (also known as THON), and has one of the top intercollegiate athletic programs in the United States.
Learners who are looking for an overall institution that provides total growth — mentally, physically and socially should put PSU at the top of their list.
According to a study released by The Wall Street Journal in September 2010, 479 Corporate Recruiters from companies across the United States ranked Penn State as No. 1 among 100 universities - including numerous Ivy League Schools.
Among all universities worldwide, Penn State ranked 43rd in 2010 according to the Academic Ranking of the World (ARWU). Also, the school tied for 47th nationally for Best National Universities in the U.S., as recognized by the U.S. News and World Report for “America’s Best Colleges for 2011”.
With 24 campuses scattered statewide, PSU educational system offers more than 160 majors whose enrollment totaled an estimate of 94,300 across its 24 campuses in 2009-2010.
At present, Penn State has grown into a world-class learning and research institution whose instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional, continuing and distance learning informed by scholarship and research.
A Brief Look into the History of Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus
Pennsylvania State University was originally conceptualized in the early 1850’s starting off as an agricultural school. To fully understand the humble beginning of Penn State, these are some of the most significant dates in the University’s history.
- 1855 - Penn State was founded as a degree-granting institution by act P.L. 46, No. 50 of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania.1862 - The school’s name was changed to Agricultural College of Pennsylvania.
- 1863 - By virtue of Morill Land-Grant Act, Penn State was chosen by Pennsylvania to be the state’s sole land-grant college.
- 1875 - The enrollment is falling. Only 64 undergraduates as the school’s curriculum drifted from the purely agricultural studies into a more classical education system.
- 1876 - The school’s name was once again changed into Pennsylvania State College.
- 1906 - Penn State focused on undergraduate instruction and expansion until mid-century.
- 1930 - President Ralph Hetzel’s administration produced a chain of branch campuses throughout Pennsylvania for students who could not afford to leave home and attend college due to Depression-era economics.
- 1936 - Enrollment surpassed 5,000 making the Commonwealth campus the largest source of baccalaureate degrees.
- 1950 - Penn State won an honor for research in dairy science, building insulation, diesel engines, and other specialized fields.
- 1953 - President Milton Eisenhower changed the school’s name into The Pennsylvania State University and established a campus post office designated at University Park.
- 1989 - The Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport became an affiliate of the University.
- 1997 - Penn State and the Dickinson School of Law joined ranks.
- 2000 - Penn State’s recent World Campus graduated its first students using the Internet as the medium of instruction.
How the Educational System Works
Pennsylvania State University Park is the flagship campus of the entire Pennsylvania State University educational system.
With 24 campuses scattered throughout the state of Pennsylvania, PSU educational system is made up of the following schools and colleges.
Penn State Campuses
- Penn State Abington
- Penn State Altoona
- Penn State Beaver
- Penn State Berks
- Penn State Brandywine
- Penn State DuBois
- Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
- Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus
- Penn State Greater Allegheny
- Penn State Harrisburg
- Penn State Hazleton
- Penn State Lehigh Valley
- Penn State Mont Alto
- Penn State New Kensington
- Penn State Schuylkill
- Penn State Shenango
- Penn State Wilkes-Barre
- Penn State Worthington Scranton
- Penn State York
Special-mission units
- Penn State Great Valley
- School of Graduate Professional Studies
- Penn State Hershey Medical Center
- Pennsylvania College of Technology
- Penn State World Campus
- Division of Undergraduate Studies
Colleges
- College of Agricultural Sciences
- College of Arts and Architecture
- Smeal College of Business
- College of Communications
- College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Health and Human Development
- College of Information Sciences and Technology
- School of International Affairs
- School of Law
- College of the Liberal Arts
- College of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- Eberly College of Science
- Graduate School
- Schreyer Honors College
Program Listings
The entire Pennsylvania State University system offers over 160 undergraduate majors. The university also offers Master’s and Doctorate degrees substantial to those who wants to pursue a higher degree of education. Below is a list of some of the Baccalaureate and Associate Degrees Pennsylvania State University offers:
- Accounting
- Acting
- Actuarial Science
- Adult and Continuing Education Administration
- Advertising
- Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
- African-American/Black Studies
- Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations
- Agricultural and Extension Education Services
- Agricultural Business and Management, Other
- Agricultural Mechanization, General
- Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering
- Agriculture, General
- Agronomy and Crop Science
- Animal Sciences, General
- Animal Sciences, Other
- Anthropology
- Applied Economics
- Archeology
- Architectural Engineering
- Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation
- Art Teacher Education
- Art/Art Studies, General
- Astronomy
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
- Biochemistry
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
- Biological and Physical Sciences
- Biology Technician/Biotechnology Laboratory Technician
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering
- Business/Commerce, General
- Business/Managerial Economics
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry, General
- Civil Engineering, General
- Classics and Languages, Literatures and Linguistics, General
- Communication Disorders, General
- Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
- Communication, Journalism and Related Programs, Other
- Comparative Literature
- Computer and Information Sciences, General
- Computer Engineering, General
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
- Dietitian Assistant
- East Asian Studies
- Economics, General
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
- Elementary Education and Teaching
- Engineering Science
- English Language and Literature, General
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
- Film/Cinema Studies
- Finance, General
- Food Science
- Foreign Language Teacher Education
- Forest Sciences and Biology
- Forestry Technology/Technician
- French Language and Literature
- Geography
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
- Geology/Earth Science, General
- German Language and Literature
- Graphic Design
- Health/Health Care Administration/Management
- History, General
- Horticultural Science
- Hospitality Administration/Management, Other
- Human Development and Family Studies, General
- Human Nutrition
- Industrial Engineering
- Information Science/Studies
- International Business/Trade/Commerce
- International Relations and Affairs
- Italian Language and Literature
- Japanese Language and Literature
- Jewish/Judaic Studies
- Journalism
- Kinesiology and Exercise Science
- Labor and Industrial Relations
- Landscape Architecture (BS, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD)
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping
- Latin American Studies
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
- Management Information Systems, General
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General
- Materials Science
- Mathematics, General
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- Mining and Mineral Engineering
- Music Performance, General
- Music Teacher Education
- Music, General
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other
- Natural Resources/Conservation, General
- Nuclear Engineering
- Nursing - Registered Nurse Training (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)
- Organizational Behavior Studies
- Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
- Petroleum Engineering
- Philosophy
- Physics, General
- Political Science and Government, General
- Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies
- Psychology, General
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other
- Religion/Religious Studies
- Russian Language and Literature
- Secondary Education and Teaching
- Sociology
- Soil Science and Agronomy, General
- Spanish Language and Literature
- Special Education and Teaching, General
- Statistics, General
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
- Toxicology
- Turf and Turfgrass Management
- Visual and Performing Arts, General
- Women's Studies
Please visit the university's official website to obtain the complete list of courses offered by Pennsylvania State University.
Advantages of Enrolling at Pennsylvania State University- Main Campus
There are several reasons students should consider enrolling at Penn State. Firstly, the university’s multi-campus feature provides a unique advantage to students enabling them to fit-in with their own personalities and geographical locations. With more than 800 club and organizations, Penn State offers numerous opportunities for students to become entrenched in a diverse campus life.
In terms of rankings in national and global surveys, the university is greatly competitive. Penn State’s educational system has prepared its graduates to job markets as evidenced by its number one ranking in a survey released by The Wall Street Journal in 2010 noted above.
Aside from being top-notch university for academic programs, Penn State is also highly recognized for its social scene, especially in relative to athletics/sports and the party scene. In fact, Penn State was recognized by the Princeton Review as the top party school in 2009. Penn State is also part of the Big Ten Conference, the oldest conference in college athletics in the United States. This school has a long and cherished history of collegiate football in particular.
According to Students Review, Penn State’s overall rating is B with 69% of students saying they would return to the university.
A Glimpse of the Weather when Studying at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania is a pleasant region to live and although the state lies entirely within the humid continental zone, you’ll experience diverse climate due to the multitude of geographic features found within the state. Summer is most likely to be hot and humid, while winters are cold with snow. More often than not, July is the warmest month with temperatures averaging at 80°F. January is the coldest month of the year. The entire state receives an average of 41 inches of rainfall annually. Western part of the state especially cities near Lake Erie can receive over 100 inches of snowfall every year. Some flooding normally occurs in March and April.
Is There Any Downside to Enrolling at Pennsylvania State University?
One disadvantage to studying at Penn State University is the fact that it is a highly competitive campus compared to other institutions in the state. You can expect a highly selectivity procedure for student admittance in regards to entrance exams. Penn State’s acceptance rate is only 51.6 percent. The highly competitive selection of applicants ensures the school maintains its top-tier rating within the nation.
A Final Word about the Quality of Education Offered at Pennsylvania State University
The university’s strategic location offers a great venue for both learning and socialization. Also, the student faculty ratio which is 17:1 is quite high.
Penn State is not just well-known for its research activities but boasts in its participation in athletic disciplines as evidenced by its ranking in the NACDA DIRECTOR’S CUP.
The university also produces notable graduates and houses the Graduate Program in Acoustics, the only acoustic program in the United States.
In addition, Penn State serves as the major non-governmental economic engine in Pennsylvania generating more than $6 billion annually, directly influencing the economy of the commonwealth and sustains 60,000 total jobs.
*Source
- penn.stateuniversity.com/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_Ranking_of_World_Universities
- colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-park-pa/penn-state-6965
- statecollege.com/penn-state-page/
- campusexplorer.com/colleges/FC5F8CC1/Pennsylvania/University-Park/Pennsylvania-State-University-Main-Campus/
- studentsreview.com/PA/Pennsylvania_State_University.html
- psu.edu/
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