PA State-Affiliated University Enrollment Numbers Released

PENNSYLVANIA — As Penn State proceeds with plans to close many of its branch campuses due to declining enrollment, the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education on Tuesday announced its first system-wide student increase in more than a decade.

The system announced this fall's enrollment climbed to 83,000 students, a 0.6 increase. Additionally, student retention reached its highest point on record.

"We are proud that Pennsylvania students are choosing PASSHE universities. Our innovative efforts are helping students to enroll, succeed and complete their degrees as we continue evolving to best serve the needs of Pennsylvania," Cynthia Shapira, chair of the system's board of governors, said in a statement.

The enrollment highlights:

• Cheyney University - New freshman enrollment rose 144 percent.

• Commonwealth University – Graduate enrollment increased by 7 percent and is up 25 percent since the integration of Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield in 2022.
• East Stroudsburg University – Achieved its fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth and strengthened its retention rate this academic year by three percentage points.
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) – Posted a record-breaking retention rate for first-time, full-time students, increasing by nearly three percentage points.
• Kutztown University – New freshman enrollment rose by 9.5 percent and the university achieved its highest retention rate of the century.
• Millersville University – Graduate enrollment increased by 8.5 percent.
• PennWest University – Continued strong growth in online enrollment, with an 8 percent increase this fall.
• Shippensburg University – Overall enrollment rose by 2.6 percent.
• Slippery Rock University – Posted its largest single-year enrollment increase in nine years, growing by 2.75 percent.
• West Chester University – Continues to lead in new student enrollment with more than 3,000 first-year students and 1,040 transfer students among 17,400 total.

The enrollment increase announcement comes five months after Penn State announced it was closing a number of branch campuses because of enrollment decreases.

Penn State earlier this year announced plans to shutter the Dubois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York campuses They are among the dozen of the 20 branch campuses that initially were studied for closure along with Beaver, Greater Allegheny, Hazleton, Schuykill and Scranton.

Penn State trustees in May voted to close the seven branch campuses after the spring of the 2026-27 academic year. The board voted after a months-long study by administrators on which branches should be shuttered.

The university will continue to operate 13 branch campuses.