Penn State is on a 7,958-acre campus in the small town setting of University Park, Pennsylvania, not far from Harrisburg.
There are many activities and organizations for Penn State students to join – including band, chorus, theater groups, a campus newspaper, a radio station and more.
Interested in Greek life? Penn State has fraternities and sororities.
Penn State students' favorite campus traditions are Homecoming, Four Diamonds Dance Marathon and Parent's Weekend.
This table offers information on housing at Penn State.
Housing Options | Offered? | Details |
---|---|---|
On-Campus Housing | Yes | Required for freshman |
Guaranteed Housing | Yes | Guaranteed for freshman |
Co-ed Housing Available | Yes | |
Housing for Students with Disabilities | Yes | |
Percentage of Students Living On-Campus | –– | 25% |
Spots Available in On-Campus Housing | –– | |
Number of Students Living On-Campus | –– | |
Percentage of Students Living Off-Campus | –– | 75% |
Penn State offers housing for students. Students are required to live on campus through freshman year. First year students are guaranteed on-campus housing.
Most Penn State students live off campus. In 2022, 25% of undergrads at Penn State lived in some kind of on-campus housing and 75% of students lived off-campus or commuted to Penn State. First year students are not allowed to park a car on campus.
Penn State offers coed housing and housing for students with disabilities.
At Penn State there are a variety of athletic options for students interested in joining a sports program.
Intercollegiate sports are the highest tier of college sports and can be very competitive. Intercollegiate teams are regulated by the NCAA, funded by the university, and compete against teams from other universities. The division of a sports team depends on the size of the university, funding, and competition level. An intercollegiate school team will be Division I, II or III, with Division I being the highest level.
Club sports are not regulated by the NCAA and are a great option for students not interested in trying out for an intercollegiate team. Club sports are usually student run but can also be funded by the university.
Intramural sports are the most casual and informal. Intramural sports are often free and require very little time commitment.
Let's take a look at the athletic options available at Penn State:
Sport | Men's Intramural | Women's Intramural | Men's Division | Women's Division | Men's Scholarships | Women's Scholarships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basketball | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Fencing | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Golf | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Gymnastics | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Lacrosse | Club Teams | Club Teams | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Soccer | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Swimming And Diving | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Tennis | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Track And Field | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Volleyball | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Cross Country Running | √ | √ | NCAA Division 1 | NCAA Division 1 | √ | √ |
Ice Hockey | √ | √ | Intercollegiate Club Teams | Intercollegiate Club Teams | √ | √ |
College is like a home away from home. Whether you're walking to class or coming back from late-night studying (or partying!), it's important to feel safe on campus.
Penn State - University Park is patroled 24 hours a day by trained security. The Penn State campus has emergency telephones or alarms for students to use anytime of day or night. The school also has student security patrols.
Penn State offers late-night transportation or safety escorts for students. Dorms can only be accessed with secure key cards so that students can feel confident that they are safe in on-campus housing.
Visiting colleges is one of the best ways to get a sense of the campus and student body. If you'd like to visit Penn State, take Route 322 to University Park, PA. If you need to fly, book your flight to University Park airport.
While you're planning, check out other schools in Pennsylvania you may want to visit too. Click the heart at the top of each school's page to save it to your college list.
Want to visit but can't make the trip? Explore Penn State's campus without leaving home by taking a virtual campus tour
Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.
Join the conversation about about Penn State in the College Confidential forums.
47%
Women53%
Men97%
Full Time3%
Part Time66%
In State34%
Out-of-State65%
10%
8%
7%
4%
4%
2%
0.08%
0.07%
Undergraduate Students
40,600
Graduate Students
6,960
Non-Resident / International Students
4,063
Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved
Total Enrollment
Campus Setting
Acceptance Rate
Tuition and Fees
In State
Out-of-State
Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline
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