In a 25-8 vote on May 22, the Board of Trustees approved the university’s recommendation to close seven commonwealth campuses—DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, and York—after the spring of the 2026-27 academic year, while continuing to invest in 13 other commonwealth campuses. 

After this change, Penn State will still have the largest statewide footprint of any university in the Big Ten and any land-grant institution in the country. Collectively, the campuses slated for closure represent 3.6% of Penn State students, 3.4% of the university’s faculty, and 2.2% of its total staff. 

Penn State will continue strategic, long-term investment in the 13 remaining commonwealth campus locations. The university’s statewide footprint also includes its online World Campus; the Penn State College of Medicine; Penn State Dickinson Law; the Pennsylvania College of Technology; and a Penn State Extension presence in all 67 counties.

“I know that change of this magnitude is tremendously difficult for our students and employees who learn and work on the campuses that will close,” said President Neeli Bendapudi. “We have and are continuing to develop extensive transition plans to support all members of the Penn State community directly affected by these changes.”

Every student who begins a degree at a closing campus will have the opportunity to complete their degree at Penn State. The two-year closure timeline at these campuses will allow students currently enrolled—and those enrolling for the fall 2025 semester—time to complete or make significant progress toward their degrees. With two academic years before closure, associate’s degree students will have the opportunity to complete their programs. Bachelor’s degree students can follow the university’s 2+2 Plan to begin at the campus where they initially enrolled and then transition to another campus at the end of the 2026-27 academic year. Campuses closing after the spring of 2027 will not accept new or transfer students beyond the fall 2025 semester.

Each impacted student will be offered personalized guidance and advising support so that they clearly understand degree completion options, timelines, and pathways to other Penn State campuses, including online options through Penn State World Campus for students who may not be able to transfer to other campuses. 

The university also will provide transition support for faculty and staff at the closing campuses. “For tenure-line faculty [those who are tenured as well as those in their probationary period] at closing campuses, the university will offer need-driven reassignments to remaining campuses, including commonwealth campuses and University Park,” said Tracy Langkilde, interim executive vice president and provost. “For non-tenure-line faculty and for our staff employees, we will offer priority hiring consideration for those applying to open roles across Penn State locations.”