Statement of Accreditation Status
Pennsylvania State University, The
- CEO: Dr. Neeli Bendapudi, President and CEO
- Accreditation Liaison Officer: Dr. Lance Kennedy-Phillips
- Commission Staff Liaison: Terence Peavy, Vice President
- Carnegie Classification: Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large » Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production
- Control: Public
- Phase: Accredited
- Status: Accreditation Reaffirmed
- Accreditation Granted: 1921
- Last Reaffirmation: June 27, 2024
- Next Self-Study Evaluation: 2031-2032
- January 30, 2026
Staff acted on behalf of the Commission to note the substantive change site visit occurred on November 17, 2025, to the Penn State Rehabilitation and Human Services Prison Education Program, 301 Institution Drive, Bellefonte, PA 16823 and the information provided in the substantive change request was verified. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2031-2032. - June 27, 2024
To acknowledge receipt of the supplemental information report requested by the Commission action of January 18, 2024. - June 27, 2024
To acknowledge receipt of the self-study report. To note the on-site evaluation visit by the Commission's representatives to the main campus at The Pennsylvania University at 201 Old Main Building, University Park, PA 16802 on March 24-27, 2024. To note the following additional locations were visited: (1) PO Box 7009, Tulpehocken Road, Reading, PA 19610; (2) 4701 College Drive, Erie, PA 16563; (3) 4000 University Drive, McKeesport, PA 15132; (4) 777 West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057; (5) 76 University Drive, Hazelton, PA 18202; (6) 150 South College Street, Carlisle, PA 17013; and (7) 2809 Saucon Valley Road, Center Valley, PA 18034. To note the self-study site visit to the Prison Education Program additional location at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Benner, 30l Institution Drive, Bellefonte, PA l6823. To reaffirm accreditation. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2031-2032. - April 25, 2024
To acknowledge receipt of the substantive change request. To note the institution's decision to close the additional location at 1101 Kitty Hawk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19112 that ceased operations effective December 14, 2022. To remove the additional location from the institution's scope of accreditation. To note that the Commission reserves the right to rescind this action if any developments reveal additional information that might have affected the Commission's decision. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2023-2024. - March 14, 2024
To acknowledge receipt of the supplemental information report requested by the Commission action of October 31, 2023. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2023-2024. - January 18, 2024
Staff acted on behalf of the Commission to request a supplemental information report, due February 15, 2024, addressing the action taken by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education's (ACOTE) and providing additional information on Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience, Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience, and Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Assessment. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2023-2024. - November 16, 2023
To acknowledge receipt of the supplemental information report requested by the Commission action of April 27, 2023. To note the follow-up team visit by the Commission representatives to the main campus at 201 Old Main Building, University Park, PA 16802 on September 14-15, 2023. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2023-2024. - November 16, 2023
To note that the Commission liaison guidance visit occurred on June 13, 2023. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2023-2024. - October 31, 2023
Staff acted on behalf of the Commission to request a supplemental information report, due November 30, 2023, that provides additional information on Standard II: Ethics and Integrity and Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2023-2024. - October 26, 2023
To acknowledge receipt of the substantive change request. To include the prison education program (PEP) at the additional location at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Benner, 301 Institution Drive, Bellefonte, PA 16823 within the institution's scope of accreditation. To note the Commission has evaluated and approved the following PEP educational program to be offered at the location: Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation and Human Services - Prison Education Program. To note that the Commission reserves the right to rescind this action if any developments reveal additional information that might have affected the Commission's decision and/or the requested substantive change is not implemented within one calendar year from the date of this action.To require immediate notification of the date that instruction commenced at the additional location by emailing [email protected]. To require the institution to submit a supplemental information report, due April 1, 2026, providing: (1) an update on the implementation of the prison education program (PEP); (2) submission of the best interest determination required by federal regulation, including the methodology used by the oversight entity; and (3) the data indicators used in the best interest determination. To direct a substantive change site visit as soon as practicable but no later than six months after the date that instruction commences at the location. To note that the Commission may rescind this action if instruction does not commence within one calendar year from the date of this action. The next evaluation visit is scheduled for 2023-2024.
- Distance Education
Approved to offer programs by this delivery method - Correspondence Education
Not approved for this delivery method
Approved Credential Levels
The following represents credential levels included in the scope of the institution’s accreditation:
- Postsecondary award (< 1 year) Included within the scope
- Postsecondary award (1-2 years) Included within the scope
- Associate's Degree or Equivalent Included within the scope
- Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent Included within the scope
- Post-baccalaureate Certificate Included within the scope
- Master's Degree or Equivalent Included within the scope
- Doctor's Degree - Professional Practice Included within the scope
- Doctor's Degree- Research/Scholarship Included within the scope
- Main Campus
Pennsylvania State University, The
201 Old Main Building
University Park, PA 16802 - Additional Location
Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies
30 E. Swedesford Road
Malvern, PA 19355-1488 - Additional Location
Penn State Abington
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001 - Additional Location
Penn State Altoona
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601 - Additional Location
Penn State Beaver
100 University Drive
Monaca, PA 15061 - Additional Location
Penn State Berks
PO Box 7009 Tulpehocken Road
Reading, PA 19610 - Additional Location
Penn State Brandywine
25 Yearsley Mill Road
Media, PA 19063 - Additional Location
Penn State College of Medicine
The Milton S. Hershey Med. Center PO Box 850, 500 University Dr
Hershey, PA 17033
Opened: 01/08/2021 - Additional Location
Penn State Dickinson Law
150 South College Street
Carlisle, PA 17013
Opened: 08/31/2020 - Additional Location
Penn State DuBois
1 College Place
DuBois, PA 15801 - Additional Location
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
4701 College Drive
Erie, PA 16563 - Additional Location
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus
2201 University Drive
Lemont Furnace, PA 15456 - Additional Location
Penn State Greater Allegheny
4000 University Drive
McKeesport, PA 15132 - Additional Location
Penn State Harrisburg
777 West Harrisburg Pike
Middletown, PA 17057 - Additional Location
Penn State Hazleton
76 University Drive
Hazleton, PA 18202 - Additional Location
Penn State Lehigh Valley
2809 Saucon Valley Road
Center Valley, PA 18034 - Additional Location
Penn State Mont Alto
1 Campus Drive
Mont Alto, PA 17237 - Additional Location
Penn State New Kensington
3550 Seventh Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068 - Additional Location
Penn State Rehabilitation and Human Services Prison Education Program
301 Institution Drive
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Opened: 01/12/2026 - Additional Location
Penn State Schuylkill
200 University Drive
Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972 - Additional Location
Penn State Scranton
120 Ridge View Drive
Dunmore, PA 18512 - Additional Location
Penn State Shenango
147 Shenango Avenue
Sharon, PA 16146 - Additional Location
Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Old Route 115 PO Box PSU
Lehman, PA 18627 - Additional Location
Penn State York
1031 Edgecomb Avenue
York, PA 17403-3326 - Other Instructional Site
Cranberry Township (RLA)
850 Cranberry Woods Drive Suite 2236
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 - Other Instructional Site
Hershey Medical Center
500 University Drive
Hershey, PA 17033 - Other Instructional Site
HMC Institute for Healthcare Professions
860 Thurston Road
Meadville, PA 16335 - Other Instructional Site
Shady Grove
1565 Buchanan Drive
Shady Grove, PA 17256 - Other Instructional Site
Shaver's Creek
3400 Discovery Road
Petersburg, PA 16669 - Other Instructional Site
St. Vincent Health Center
232 W. 25th St.
Erie, PA 16544 - Other Instructional Site
West Chester
700 S. High Street
West Chester, PA 19383
The following are links to sites that are not maintained by the MSCHE. These are provided as additional external resources about each institution that the MSCHE accredits.
