 A front view of the Franco Administrative Building | |
Former names | List
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|---|---|
| Type | Publicsatellite campus |
| Established | 1927; 98 years ago (1927) (predecessor) July 1, 1958; 67 years ago (1958-07-01) (Penn State system) |
Parent institution | Pennsylvania State University |
| Chancellor | Radha Pyati |
| President | Neeli Bendapudi |
Academic staff | 206 full-time and adjunct |
| Students | 1,716 (Fall 2025)[1] |
| Undergraduates | 1,709 (Fall 2025)[1] |
| Postgraduates | 7 (Fall 2025)[1] |
| Location | ,, U.S. |
| Campus | Suburban 258 acres |
| Colors | Navy Blue and White |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division III -UEC |
| Mascot | Nittany Lion |
| Website | berks.psu.edu |
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Penn State Berks is acommonwealth campus ofPennsylvania State University located inSpring Township inBerks County,Pennsylvania.[2]
The school traces its origins to 1927 and the establishment of a training school for workers for the Textile Machine Works, a major company in the region's textile industry. This school, which was known as the "Educational Department of Textile Machine Works" from 1927 to 1933 and then was the "Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute" from 1933 to 1958, was established with the aid of the then-Pennsylvania State College. WPI occupied the original Sacred Heart Church building on Hill Road, where the McDonald's Restaurant now stands, from 1930 to 1958. WPI, which is considered the first official predecessor to Penn State Berks, closed in 1958 with the down-turn of the textile industry at large in theReading area.[3]
Nonetheless, WPI's founders offered the school's campus to Penn State, who incorporated the school into thePenn State system as the "Wyomissing Center of The Pennsylvania State University". The newly-rebranded school, part of Penn State's nascent commonwealth campus system, officially opened its doors on July 1, 1958.
The Berks campus has experienced many changes since then. Its name changed for a first time in 1964, becoming the "Penn State Berks Center". It then moved to its presentSpring Township location in 1972, when it also adopted its current name, "Penn State Berks", for the first time. Dormitories were first added in 1990 with additional dorms in 2001, which made Berks a commuter as well as a residential campus.[4]
Student enrollment at Penn State Berks has increased steadily since 1972, when approximately 500 students attended. Today, there are an estimated 2,800 students enrolled. The campus currently has 15 buildings on 241 acres (1 km2) of land. There are 100 full-time and 70 part-time faculty members.[5]
While being a commonwealth campus of the stateland-grant university, since 1997 it has offered baccalaureate degrees independently from ThePennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park campus in partnership with a neighboring campus under the title of Berks andLehigh Valley College. During this partnership period, the school was renamed "Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College".
Under a university-ordered reconstruction in 2005, only eight years later, the school was split back up into two institutions. With Penn State Lehigh Valley becoming a separate campus, the Spring Township campus reverted to its previous name, "Penn State Berks". At this time, Penn State Berks became a stand-alone college in the Penn State system andPenn State Lehigh Valley became a part of the University College system.
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 60% | ||
| Hispanic | 15% | ||
| Asian | 9% | ||
| Black | 8% | ||
| International student | 3% | ||
| Two or more races | 3% | ||
| Unknown | 2% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 30% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 70% | ||
Penn State Berks has over 50 active clubs.[7] All student organizations are overseen by theStudent Government Association, which requires that all clubs complete 24 hours of community service per semester in return for providing funds.
| The Woods | The Village |
|---|---|
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Penn State Berks features a large library, modern laboratories, and computer facilities. Recreational areas include basketball courts, outdoor sand and grass volleyball courts, baseball & softball fields, and an artificial turf soccer pitch.
Penn State Berks is home to the Beaver Athletics and Wellness Center. The Center was renovated in 2022 and includes a performance gymnasium, auxiliary gymnasium, dance studio, workout gym, and classrooms. The Center also features an exercise physiology laboratory and a biomechanics laboratory operated by theDepartment of Kinesiology.
Penn State Berks, known athletically as the Nittany Lions, compete at theNCAADivision III level; which is also a member of theUnited East Conference. Prior to the 2021-2022 academic year, the United East Conference was branded as the North Eastern Atlantic Conference (NEAC).
Penn State–Berks fields 8 varsity sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.
All titles in theUnited East Conference (then "North Eastern Athletic Conference", NEAC):
Penn State–Berks also fields a number of competitive club sports that have no affiliation with the NCAA or United East. Club programs include:bowling,Ice hockey,lacrosse,rugby union,track and field, andequestrianism
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40°21′30″N75°58′16″W / 40.358318°N 75.971167°W /40.358318; -75.971167
