Penn State University Park Campus

Penn State University Park Campus in January 2019
Type	Public
Established	1855
President	Neeli Bendapudi
Administrative staff	2,787 full-time[1]
Students	49,274 (Fall 2025)[2]
Undergraduates	42,822 (Fall 2025)[2]
Postgraduates	6,001 (Fall 2025)[2]
Other students	Law School: 451 (Fall 2025)[2]
Location	State College andCollege Township , Pennsylvania 40°48′24″N77°52′49″W / 40.80667°N 77.88028°W /40.80667; -77.88028
Campus	College town
Nickname	Nittany Lions
Affiliations	Big Ten Conference andIndependent
Mascot	Nittany Lion
Website	psu.edu/academics/campuses/university-park

Penn State University Park, also referred to asUniversity Park, is the main campus ofPennsylvania State University, located in bothState College andCollege Township, both inCentre County, Pennsylvania, United States. The campus post office was designated "University Park, Pennsylvania" in 1953 by Penn State presidentMilton Eisenhower after it was upgraded to university status. University Park is the name of the campus located in State College and serves as a postal address, but campus is primarily located in State College, Pennsylvania.

The school that later became Penn State University was founded as a degree-granting institution on February 22, 1855, by act P.L. 46, No. 50 of theGeneral Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as theFarmers' High School of Pennsylvania.Centre County, Pennsylvania, became the home of the new school whenJames Irvin ofBellefonte, Pennsylvania, donated 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land – the first of 10,101 acres (4,088 ha) the school would eventually acquire. In 1862, the school's name was changed to theAgricultural College of Pennsylvania, and with the passage of theMorrill Land-Grant Acts, Pennsylvania selected the school in 1863 to be the state's soleland-grant college. The school's name changed to thePennsylvania State College in 1874; enrollment fell to 64 undergraduates the following year as the school tried to balance purelyagricultural studies with a more classic education.

In 1953, the university sought a name change for the town called State College to reflect the new status of the school as a university. As the name change referendum failed to pass, the resolution ended with a new postal address to be called "University Park".

Media originating from University Park includeOnward State, the world's most-read student-run news website;WKPS, a student run radio station; and theDaily Collegian, a student-run newspaper at the university.

Within the campus, astudent government is a set of elected positions by the student body to represent the students with relations with the university. It is divided between undergraduate and graduate students.

Special interest groups representing minorities also exist within the campus and have an influence on university policies enacted by the university.

• Beaver Stadium, the second-largest stadium in theWestern Hemisphere and the home ofPenn State Nittany Lions football
• Bryce Jordan Center, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State basketball and s other indoor sports and entertainment events
• Eisenhower Auditorium, home to a variety of academic, business, and entertainment events
• HUB–Robeson Center, commonly referred to as "The Hub"
• Jeffrey Field, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State soccer and lacrosse teams
• McCoy Natatorium, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State varsity swim teams recreation facilities
• Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, home of theState College Spikes and Penn State Men's baseball teams
• Nittany Lion Shrine, statue of the university’s mascot
• Old Main, Penn State's first building of major significance, completed in 1863
• Palmer Museum of Art, visual arts facility and cultural resource for Penn State and local community
• Pavilion Theatre , intimate 300-seat flexible arena performance theatre
• Pegula Ice Arena, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State varsity hockey teams
• Penn State All-Sports Museum, an on-campus museum honoring Penn State Nittany Lion athletes
• Penn State Creamery, the world's largest university creamery
• Penn State Ice Pavilion, former home of the Men's and Women's Penn State varsity hockey teams
• Playhouse Theatre, home of Penn State's University Resident Theatre Company (URTC)
• Rec Hall, field house and home to Penn State Men's and Women's gymnastics, volleyball, and wrestling teams
• Schwab Auditorium, home to a variety of academic, business, and entertainment events

ThePenn State Nittany Lions have won 56NCAA teamnational championships, as well as 36 national team titles in current and former NCAA sports that were not bestowed by the NCAA.

Not shown in the table above, Penn State women's and coed fencing teams have won 16 national championships, and the men's and women's gymnastics teams have won 15 national titles, includingNCAA,AIAW, andAAU titles. University teams have also won national titles in men's boxing and cross country and women's bowling, field hockey, lacrosse, rifle, and soccer.

• Pennsylvania State University campus
• 1953 establishments in Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania State University campuses
• Populated places established in 1953
• Unincorporated communities in Centre County, Pennsylvania
• Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania

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