Penn State-Schuylkill has been recommended to remain open.
In a report titled “Future State Recommendation: Commonwealth Campus Ecosystem”, Margo DelliCarpini, the vice president for Commonwealth Campuses; Tracy Langkilde, the interim executive vice president and Provost; and Michael Wade Smith, senior vice president and chief of staff; recommend to Penn State University President Neeli Bendapudi that Schuylkill Campus remain open.
PSU-Hazleton has also been recommended to stay open.
Bendapudi has shared this report with the Board of Trustees, which holds the final vote on which Commonwealth Campuses to keep open and which to close. That vote is expected on Thursday.
Seven Commonwealth campuses have been recommended for closure: DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, and York.
The report’s rationale for keeping Schuylkill Campus open reads:
Penn State Schuylkill is recommended for continued investment due to its steady recent (3-year) growth and operational stability within a challenging demographic environment.
Although the region’s population is currently in decline and is projected to remain so for decades, the campus is one of the only in the entire ecosystem that has seen three consecutive years of enrollment growth. The rate of enrollment decline in the last decade (12%) is significantly less than most of the campuses under consideration and the campus net loss as a percentage of net revenue is significantly lower than many of the campuses under review.
While the county itself is not experiencing population growth, Penn State Schuylkill draws students from a multi-county region, including nearby Berks and Lebanon Counties, which continue to send significant numbers of students to Commonwealth Campuses. Penn State Schuylkill’s geographic position and compact campus make it an important access point for students who might not otherwise pursue a Penn State degree. Given its proximity to Penn State Berks and Penn State Hazleton, it will be important to consider how best to navigate growth without negatively impacting the others’ enrollments in similar markets.
Operationally, Penn State Schuylkill’s recent enrollments are stable and well-managed. Current residential housing occupancy remains healthy (~70%), helping to oHset fixed costs and enhance student engagement. The academic leadership at Penn State Schuylkill has shown strong alignment with Penn State’s goals. Faculty and staH have been responsive to enrollment pressures and proactive in identifying regional programmatic opportunities. The campus has leaned into its strengths in first-generation student support and community engagement—both of which contribute to robust retention and completion rates.
Penn State Schuylkill presents a strong case for continued investment. With targeted support, Penn State Schuylkill can continue to deliver high-quality education to a broad regional population while contributing to the overall goals of the Commonwealth Campus strategy.
The report also breaks down the data on Schuylkill Campus. It shows that PSU-Schuylkill operates in the red annually. In Financial Year 2024, PSU-Schuylkill operated with a $1.2 million deficit.
However, increasing enrollment in recent years combined with several factors apparently made the local campus attractive for keeping it open:
- Newly remodeled nursing suite
- Penn State-owned housing added in 2022
- A radiological sciences program with 2- and 3-year tracks. Only PSU-New Kensington (recommended for closure) has this program.
- A Co-op program that started in 2020
- Dual-enrollment program that offers college credits for about 100 high school students in Schuylkill County
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