Penn State board backs plan to close 7 campuses, saying low enrollment, financials leave no other choice

[Deminpenn]

3. Branch campuses used to just be 2 year pit stops

before students went to University Park. Students could get the basic freshman and sophomore courses in, then continue their major at UP. The only exceptions were Behrend in Erie and, iirc, Mount Alto which offered 4 year degrees.

That worked fine, saved students money by allowing them to live at home and commute. The curriculum was also consistent among the branches. But then Penn State decided to offer 4 year degrees at all the branches which of course required more course offering, more professors and more expense. PSU tried to be everything to everyone. That was the big mistake that has led to the new branch closures.

Here in western PA, the campuses that are closing are in close proximity to each other and enrolling only a couple hundred students. For example, the Shenango campus is only about 20 miles from PSU Beaver and will be an easy commute.

I will say, as an alum, that Penn State got too smug and arrogant about itself and that's why it's in a financial bind now.