Enrollment drops at Penn State's closing branch campuses in Western Pennsylvania

While overall enrollment at Penn State’s main campus remains steady, universitywide enrollment this fall decreased by 1.6% over last year, and dropped 5.7% overall at branch campuses.

According to Penn State data released this week, 386 students are enrolled at Penn State New Kensington this fall.

That’s a 10.6% decrease from last fall, when 432 students were enrolled, according to the university.

The campus is set to close after the Spring 2027 semester.

At the Eberly campus in Fayette — which also will close after the Spring 2027 semester — enrollment decreased 13.5%, from 407 students to 352, according to the university.

Penn State trustees earlier this year decided to close those two campuses, as well as five others across the state, as a result of declining enrollment, finances and the limited potential for growth.

The Western Pennsylvania branch campuses that will remain open, Beaver and Greater Allegheny, also reported dips in enrollment.

Beaver’s enrollment dropped 4.2%, from 496 students to 475; and Greater Allegheny dropped 12.7%, from 353 students to 308, according to Penn State.

Overall commonwealth campus enrollment decreased from 23,469 last fall to 22,104.

Penn State Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos said in a statement the university is committed to reimagining and supporting the branch campuses.

“Our Commonwealth Campuses continue to serve as a crucial access point to Penn State,” Sotiropoulos said. “More than 78% of students at a Commonwealth Campus are Pennsylvania residents, 20% are from underrepresented backgrounds and more than 38% are first-generation college students.

“Through targeted recruiting strategies and other initiatives designed to promote enrollment, we will continue to provide a Penn State education and experience to students across the commonwealth.”

Total enrollment at Penn State’s University Park this fall stands at 49,274, just a 0.4% decrease from last year’s 49,471, according to Penn State.

A record-high 42,822 residential, undergraduate students are enrolled at University Park this fall, according to Penn State, which includes the campus’ third-largest-ever incoming class of 9,148 students.

Penn State officials said that jump reflects efforts to gradually increase enrollment at University Park to meet demand.

“Penn State continues to attract a record number of prospective undergraduate students, with a 10% increase in applications for an all-time high of 145,654,” officials said in a statement.

Penn State also reported steady graduation and retention rates, and a 5.8% increase in first-year underrepresented minority student enrollment over last year.

More than 28% of first-year undergrad students across Penn State’s campuses are the first in their family to attend college, according to the university’s numbers.

Penn State’s online option, World Campus, saw a 0.8% enrollment bump to 13,883 students this fall, up from 13,774 last year.

University officials noted they’re not immune to challenges that colleges nationwide are facing. They pointed to a 3.2% decrease, or 420 students, in graduate student enrollment, where 75% are international.