The Daily Populous Thursday May 15th, 2025 evening edition
Authored by pennlive.com and submitted by NeilPoonHandler

Penn State’s stunning recommendation to close seven of its 20 Commonwealth campuses simply reflects the larger decline of the state it calls home – Pennsylvania.

In a statistic-filled, 143-page report, the workgroup commissioned by university President Neeli Bendapudi says the proposed closures are directly linked to Pennsylvania’s projected precipitous population declines, especially in its rural counties.

“Pennsylvania is facing widespread population declines, with rural areas experiencing the most pronounced reductions. Forty-one of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties are facing significant population declines: rural counties are projected to lose 5.8% of their total population by 2050, while urban counties are projected to grow slightly (+4.1%),” the report states.

Among Pa.’s younger population, the decline is even more severe: Individuals aged 19 years and younger are projected to decrease by 6.8% from 2020 to 2050.

The report cites lower birth rates following the 2008 recession and reduced K-12 enrollment trends, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic’s “lingering effects on earlier grade retention” for what it calls Pennsylvania’s looming “demographic cliff.”

The Keystone State is among five states expected to account for three-fourths of the national decline in high school graduates, with a 17% reduction projected through 2043, the report says.

The bottom line: “For Penn State, this signals a shrinking pool,” the report concludes.

The resulting recommendations to shutter campuses in Dubois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York reflect a move away from geographically based campuses to a more regionalized approached based on educational missions, according to the report.

In many cases, precipitous enrollment declines over the last decade or longer earmarked these campuses for closure.

For example, headcount at Penn State DuBois plunged by 46%; Penn State Fayette fell by 64.3% below peak enrollment in 2006; Penn State Mont Alto dropped 51% since its peak enrollment in 2010; Penn State New Kensington remains one of the lowest enrollment campuses with fewer than 500 students; and Penn State Shenango, down by 46% over the decade, faces some of the state’s “most acute demographic and economic headwinds” in Mercer County.

Such enrollment plunges significantly eroded each campus’s financial sustainability and negatively impacted the student experience, the report states.

Two other campuses earmarked for closure -- Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Penn State York -- were done in by more robust campuses nearby.

The Wilkes-Barre campus is 23 miles from Penn State Scranton and 38 miles from Penn State Hazleton, which the report calls two larger and more vibrant location. And York is near Penn State Harrisburg — what the report calls “a significantly larger and more programmatically diverse campus with residential housing that is better positioned to serve the region moving forward.”

The university workgroup reviewed five other campuses for possible closure ‚ Beaver, Penn Greater Allegheny, Hazleton, Schuylkill and Scranton — but recommended they remain open and receive “focused investment to support long-term success.”

Penn State campuses in Harrisburg, Erie, Abington, Altoona, Berks, Brandywine and Lehigh Valley were never in danger.

The workgroup describes the overarching impact of all the recommendations this way: “They represent a shift from a model defined primarily by geographic distribution—where a campus was placed in a location in order to serve a local population—to one that prioritizes mission-aligned outcomes such as educational quality, regional relevance and financial sustainability. Geography still matters, but it is now one of many factors. This move from a location-based to a mission-based model allows the University to ensure that its presence across the Commonwealth is both impactful and viable for decades to come.”

Penn State’s board of trustees still must vote to approve the recommended campus closures for them to take effect.

Under the university’s timetable, none of the closures would occur before the end of the spring 2027 semester. Penn State is telling students currently enrolled at the campuses and those planning to enroll in the fall of 2025 that they will have the opportunity to complete their degree programs at those locations.

jassi007 on May 15th, 2025 at 14:13 UTC »

Almost no one here read the article or understands what it really means. Penn State is closing branch campuses, which cater almost entirely to local populations. No one from out of state dreams of going to Penn State Shenango on the border of Ohio, which is over an hour from any major population center. No one is moving to Sharon PA either. The population peaked in the 50's and is half of what it was then. It is #197 of cities by population in PA. Sure Penn States tuition is bonkers, blah blah. But declining rural populations and branch campuses in nowheresville are the reason for this.

redyellowblue5031 on May 15th, 2025 at 13:42 UTC »

Grew up and went to one of those satellite campuses. It was a great school and opportunity for the rural area I lived in. I’m grateful to have had it.

They’re right though about the demographics. I left PA because there was so little there as an adult. It never fully recovered (in my area) after coal dried up and then 08 hit. My county was old even when I was young.

It’ll always be home, but I didn’t have it in me to stay.

Ghostownhermit- on May 15th, 2025 at 13:21 UTC »

Have they tried increasing Pennsylvania?