Much more than a financial decision, we now must move forward with a structure that is sustainable — one that allows our strongest campuses, where we can provide our students with the best opportunities for success and engagement, to thrive while we make difficult but necessary decisions about others.

Penn State has no plans to close other campuses. The multi-year process of determining the composition of the Commonwealth Campus ecosystem was thorough, and will allow the University to move forward with a structure that is sustainable and allows our strongest campuses — where we can provide our students with the best opportunities for success and engagement — to thrive long into the future.

Penn State is severely underfunded compared to our peers. On a per-Pennsylvania-undergraduate-student basis, we receive about half the amount of funding per student. Even after we close our campuses, that will not close the financial gap.

Cost savings are not the only driver behind any changes being considered to Penn State’s operations across the Commonwealth. Everything we do is to benefit the student experience and improve the quality of education. What helps to achieve this goal is additional state investment.

All campuses will continue to operate, at a minimum, through the 2026-2027 academic year, and we are excited to support our current students and welcome our new students to every campus this fall. To navigate changes ahead, Penn State has launched multiple workstreams on critical issues related to forthcoming transitions, with workstream leaders engaging with faculty, staff, and students.

The decision to close some campuses was made to create a sustainable model for our remaining campuses to grow and thrive for years to come. We will be investing in these campuses to increase their enrollments, and part of that is making sure that we have relevant academic offerings at each of our campuses that relate to student demand and workforce needs, especially in local areas across the state.

Regardless of the decision surrounding the campuses, demand for the University Park campus has continued to grow. We are meeting that demand by increasing enrollment in the first-year class at University Park, with the goal of moving toward 10,000 first-year students across the next several admissions cycles. This is not new, but part of the vision shared by University leadership as part of the road map for Penn State’s future. To increase capacity at University Park, we are looking closely at the investments that will need to be made, from physical infrastructure to additional faculty and staff, to accommodate a larger student body.

While details are still being determined, we are committed to minimizing the impact of any forthcoming changes on our people to the greatest extent possible.

As part of its work, Penn State has launched multiple workstreams on critical issues related to forthcoming transitions with workstream leaders engaging subject matter experts and shared governance bodies representing faculty, staff and students for support to shape solutions.

The workstreams include:

• Student transition and retention
• Faculty transitions
• Staff transitions
• Facilities and finance
• Regulatory issues, accreditation and data
• Alumni, community and donor engagement
• Communications
• Research and external funding
• Cross-functional engagement and mapping

While specific details related to implementation are still being determined, we are committed to minimizing the impact on our people to the greatest extent possible. Penn State’s leaders are grateful to our campus faculty and staff, and for their hard work and dedication in service to our students. Though these changes are necessary for the long-term health of our Commonwealth Campus ecosystem, we know this news is deeply personal for all members of the affected communities.

All Commonwealth Campus locations will remain open through the end of the spring 2027 semester. Penn State will work to support impacted Commonwealth Campus faculty and staff throughout this transition. To support these efforts, University leaders have established a series of workstreams to help guide this process in collaboration with campus communities.

Penn State stands firm in its commitment to honoring tenure and respecting non-tenure-line contracts. For tenure-line faculty (those who are tenured as well as those in their probationary period) at closing campuses, we will offer need-driven reassignments to remaining campuses, including Commonwealth Campuses and University Park. For impacted non-tenure-line and staff employees, the University will offer priority hiring consideration for those applying to open roles across all Penn State locations. The University will do all it can to support employees who want to continue their careers at Penn State.

Additional information for our employees is available at this link.

University leaders know these campus sites are valued in the communities they have served for so many years and understand the potential impact the decisions to close these seven campuses will have in the coming years. While many decisions still must be made about the future of these locations and their facilities, Penn State is committed to having local communities included in decision-making regarding the future of these facilities and land.

These campus locations have the potential to serve as regional economic zones and hubs for innovation, development and community engagement. While Penn State’s academic operations will wind down at these sites, University leaders are committed to partnering with local, state and federal officials — as well as local and regional business leaders, developers and community members — to reimagine what could come next. The future use of these locations may or may not involve Penn State directly, but we will play a convening role to help catalyze possibilities that benefit the surrounding regions.

The University is very appreciative of each gift and relationship with those who have offered their significant support to Penn State. Each gift is distinct based on individual agreements. The University is connecting directly with donors, their families and scholarship students.

Penn State LaunchBoxes have become integral parts of their local communities by delivering entrepreneurial resources, programming, consulting, coworking spaces and funding opportunities across the commonwealth. The Invent Penn State LaunchBox & Innovation Network is funded in part by economic development monies provided by the state. Assuming the Commonwealth, as well as donors and corporate and community partners, continue their support, the University plans to maintain its LaunchBox locations and the services they provide.

Penn State Extension is part of the College of Agricultural Sciences and funded in part by federal, state, and county governments. Though some Extension offices are located on or near Commonwealth Campuses, they do not rely on the Commonwealth Campuses for funding, staffing, or operations, and their services will continue regardless of any changes at a campus location.

Penn State remains committed to meeting the need for nurses across the Commonwealth. We are exploring where and how we can offer nursing programs to meet the needs of the local workforce and student interest.

There continues to be stable and strong enrollment in these associate programs, and Penn State is committed to continuing to offer them. Reports generated this past year as part of the University’s Academic Portfolio and Program Review will augment other data and information as we explore and identify other Penn State locations that have logical synergies with these programs. Regional interest and opportunities, career support and academic capability are being considered as we determine how to position these and other programs at Penn State for future success.

For the Associate Degree in Wildlife Technology we will follow the process identified by the North American Wildlife Technology Association, which accredits the program.

Other programs that are offered at only one of the Penn State campuses that have been slated for closure after spring of 2027 will be evaluated over the next year. These programs will be considered as part of Penn State’s overall portfolio, informed by data from our Academic Portfolio and Program Review, to determine how they align with student interest and local workforce needs, and whether the program will be relocated or closed, or whether specific content from the program should be considered as an option in an existing degree program or as part of a workforce development program.

In cases where the program has an academic partner in another part of the university, engagement and coordination will take place as part of the development of the plan.

Under 22 Pa. Code Chapter 34, institutions seeking to discontinue a branch campus must submit a formal application to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) by July 1 of the calendar year preceding the academic year in which the closure would take effect. This means that for a campus to close at the end of the spring 2027 semester, Penn State would be required to submit its application to PDE by July 1, 2026.

Penn State is fully aware of and committed to complying with this requirement. The University’s current timeline allows ample time for the development and submission of all required documentation before the July 1, 2026, deadline. No campus closures will occur before spring 2027, providing more than two years for careful planning and execution.

The secretary of education, a member (ex officio) of our Board of Trustees, through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, reviews and approves applications to discontinue branch campuses. Penn State will follow all applicable guidelines and submit the necessary materials in advance of any closure.

Penn State is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE requires institutions to provide early notification of any closures and to submit teach-out plans to ensure that affected students can complete their degrees. Additionally, MSCHE’s Substantive Change Policy requires prior approval for institutional changes such as the closure of campuses. Penn State has already begun consultation with Middle States and will continue coordinating closely with them throughout the process.

Yes. With no closures planned before the end of the spring 2027 semester, Penn State has built in a two-year transition period. This extended window ensures time for regulatory approval, accreditation coordination and — most importantly — careful support for students, faculty and staff during the transition.

Penn State will immediately begin the regulatory and accreditation processes outlined above. Stakeholders will continue to receive updates as these processes advance.

Penn State is committed to limiting the impact of potential Commonwealth Campus closures on its valued faculty and staff. To assist, the University is offering resources for employees and their families focused on finance and retirement; career transitions and opportunities; and mental health and wellness. Click here for more information and additional resources on the Penn State Human Resources website, which will be continually updated through the transition period.