Why Penn State Altoona

At Penn State Altoona, achieve your educational, personal, and professional goals in a small campus setting located in a vibrant and growing region. Our campus presence in the city of Altoona spans from our 171-acre residential Ivyside campus to our dynamic downtown campus, which features labs to support programs like our rail transportation engineering degree as well as our communications, security technology, and nursing programs. Located just forty-five minutes from the University Park campus, you can also take advantage of the opportunities there including athletic events, concerts, career fairs, and more.

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Altoona Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology students demonstrate robotics creations as part of the annual Student Showcase.
Academics

Get a Degree Locally That’s Recognized Globally

Enroll in one of our twenty-one four-year degree offerings or take advantage of our 2+2 plan and begin nearly any of Penn State’s 275+ majors here before transitioning to another campus, like University Park. No matter which major matches your interest, you’ll be backed by the strength of the Penn State network, our top-ranked research enterprise, faculty experts, and more than 775,000 alumni worldwide ready to open doors to future opportunities.

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Start Planning Your Penn State Experience

Take the next steps toward a future at Penn State Altoona. Find admission requirements, tuition and financial aid, and other information to get you ready to apply.

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A Vibrant Community

At Penn State Altoona, you can find something to suit nearly any interest. With more than sixty student clubs and organizations—from the Ski and Snowboard Club to D6 Gaming and the Dance Team—to fifteen NCAA Division III athletic teams and service and leadership opportunities—including our Sheetz Fellows leadership program—you will benefit from a wealth of resources and opportunities to supplement your education.

Our Ivyside campus features four residence halls, an athletic complex and fields, and a reflecting pond. Attend hundreds of on-campus events, activities, concerts, art galleries, and more that take place throughout the year, or explore restaurants, boutiques, and coffee shops near our downtown campus.

Life at Penn State Altoona

A student works on a laptop, seated on the bed of a residence hall room on the Altoona campus.
Altoona Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology students demonstrate robotics creations in the Force Advanced Technology Center as part of the annual Student Showcase.
A faculty member teaches a course in communications to a classroom of students at Penn State Altoona.
Penn State Altoona students dive into the frozen waters of nearby Canoe Creek State Park as part of the annual Winter Plunge.
A Penn State Altoona student talks to recruiters during an on-campus career fair in the Slep Student Center.
Altoona kinesiology students use the treadmills in the Reliance Bank Fitness Loft of the Adler Athletic Complex as part of an exercise course.
Penn State Altoona students participate in new student orientation by singing along with the alma mater.
Graduates smile and laugh during a speaker’s address at a Penn State Altoona Commencement ceremony.