We Are Penn State Abington

We are home to about 3,100 students and more than 320 faculty.

student and professor hugging on commencement stage

We provide affordable, high-quality degree programs to a diverse student body. We are the future of public higher education.

We are uniquely positioned as a proving ground for higher education innovation and combine academic learning with transformative life experiences.

Committed to advancing our community through both the success of our students and the solutions derived from our research, Penn State Abington educates graduates who reflect and understand the diversity of our region.

We Are Diverse

Abington is Penn State’s most diverse campus. We are becoming a majority minority college that is positioned to serve as a scalable model for urban public institutions of higher education across the United States as the nation’s demographics continue to change.

 

Leveraging our location on 45 wooded acres in suburban Philadelphia and just 5 miles north of the city Penn State Abington is a unique crossroads of race, ethnicity, gender, class and generations:

Students talking on bench
  • 50 percent of our 3,100 students identify as minorities
  • More than 40 percent are the first generation in their families to pursue a bachelor's degree
  • 76 percent receive financial aid
  • 11 percent of our student population comes to campus from 17 states and 29 countries
  • 25 percent of our students are adult learners
  • 53 percent of our students are female

We Are a Wise Investment

Penn State Abington offers 25 baccalaureate degrees ranging from the arts and sciences to professional undergraduate programs. Abington combines the resources of a large university with the environment of a small, four-year college, allowing students to earn a Penn State degree without having to leave the Greater Philadelphia region.

Source: Penn State Abington Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education

We Are Hands-On

student in lab coat working with their professor
 

Penn State Abington students learn by doing, and our innovations in teaching and learning are designed to increase student engagement, persistence, and success:

  • Active learning
  • Community service
  • Engaged scholarship
  • Global programs (study abroad)
  • Hybrid and accelerated courses
  • Internships
  • Project-based work
  • Undergraduate research

We Are Philadelphia—and Beyond

As a campus embedded in the local community, Penn State Abington is nimble and responsive to the needs and demands of our area. Working with our local, regional and national partners, Penn State Abington is the future of higher education—opening doors, creating transformative experiences and impacting the world.

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  • Abington Center for Civic Engagement and Social Scholarship (ACCESS): We make the expertise and skills of faculty and students available to the community, nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals.
  • Abington Innovation Center: Our community-focused makerspace and collaborative workspace is perfect for ideation, prototyping, and more.
  • Office of Career and Professional Development: We connect businesses and organizations to a pipeline of student and graduate talent through internships, professional forums, and our biannual career expo.
  • Center for Intercultural Leadership and Communication (CILC): We offer customized programs to help promote corporate social responsibility in our increasingly diverse communities.
  • Office of Continuing Education: We deliver courses in business and management, health care, information science, and more, helping working professionals and adult students to reach their educational, professional, and personal goals.
  • LaunchBox: A community resource offering the skills and expertise of Penn State Abington students and faculty toward the development of business plans, marketing, and more to local innovators and entrepreneurs.
  • Youth and Teen Programs: We offer a wide variety of summer camps for elementary, middle, and high school students that are designed to be both educational and fun.

We Are Well-Known

We empower students to forge their own success as productive, responsible, and discerning citizens of a global society. Our graduates are the leaders who have and will continue to transform Greater Philadelphia and beyond:

Louis DAmbrosio
 
  • Leonard Abramson: Founder and former CEO, U.S. Healthcare
  • Mary Curtis Bok Zimbalist: Founder, Curtis Institute of Music (attended the Ogontz School for Young Ladies—the location of present-day Penn State Abington)
  • Louis D'Ambrosio (right): Chairman of the board, Sensus; former CEO, Sears Holdings Corp.
  • Amelia Earhart: American aviation pioneer, author, and first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (attended the Ogontz School for Young Ladies—the location of present-day Penn State Abington)
  • Albert Harris: First African-American captain in the Philadelphia Police Department
  • MaeAnna Hassell: Chief of staff for Maryland State Senator Ulysses Currie
  • Steven H. Korman: Founding partner, Korman Communities
  • Ira M. Lubert: Chairman and co-founder, Independence Capital Partners and Lubert Adler Partners, LP
  • Dr. Joel N. Myers: Founder, president, and chairman of the board, AccuWeather
  • Rod Norland: Pulitzer Prize winner and international correspondent at large and Kabul bureau chief, The New York Times
  • Lisa Nutter: President, Philadelphia Academies Inc.
Jacklin Rhoad speaking
  • Jacklin Rhoads (right): Director of Public Affairs and Marketing for Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
  • Joan A. Robbins: Emmy winner and president of talent relations, Entertainment Studios