One Community Impacting Many

As Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant institution and its largest public university, Penn State is a shared public asset that provides opportunity and enriches the quality of life for residents of the Commonwealth and beyond.

Our combined efforts and talents as well as our scale make Penn State an instrument for change and impact. Not only are we educating Pennsylvanians from all walks of life, we’re also fueling the state’s economy, serving our communities, and solving universal problems.

Visual representation of numerous impact stories

Featured Stories of Impact

Penn Staters are imagining, inventing and collaborating our way to a better world.

Educating Pennsylvanians

As one university with the resources of twenty-five campus locations—including a medical college, two law schools, a school of graduate professional studies, and an online World Campus—we're setting students up for greater career potential and empowering them to positively impact the world. Our unique educational model makes a Penn State degree accessible to students from all backgrounds, from first-generation students to adult learners.

Photos highlighting numerous Impact stories

Creating a Diverse STEM Workforce

As workforce demands for science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) fields grow rapidly, Penn State is prioritizing STEM education with the EnvironMentors program. Connecting underrepresented high school students with undergraduate students and faculty, the program champions collaboration on impactful research and inspiring interest in STEM careers.

Read about the EnvironMentors program.

Impacting the Pennsylvania Economy

By leveraging our size and research strengths, Penn State drives job creation, economic development, and student career success while contributing more the $11.6 billion annually to the state’s economy. Through the Invent Penn State initiative, the University has made a $30 million investment in economic development that supports entrepreneurs in their communities through partnerships with Penn State campuses.

Photo of Tom Starbaugh in downtown State College

Sustaining Communities Through Small Business

As the director of Penn State Law’s Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic, Tom Sharbaugh is helping support the Pennsylvania economy by providing small businesses and entrepreneurs free legal expertise and resources.

Read more about the Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic.

$11.6B

Contributed to the Pennsylvania economy annually.

67

Pennsylvania counties served by Penn State Extension.

21

Innovation hubs supporting economic growth across Pennsylvania.

Serving Communities Across the State

We serve Pennsylvania’s communities through partnerships that include county extension offices, philanthropy, and a teaching hospital. Through Penn State Extension offices—located in all sixty-seven Pennsylvania counties—residents have access to practical training and advice based on University research. Penn State Health’s comprehensive health network provides residents with high-quality care and treatment at locations throughout the state.

Helping the Wine Industry Thrive

Every glass of wine tells a story, and Penn State’s Grape and Wine Team—a group of viticulturists, plant pathologists, entomologists, enologists, sensory scientists and marketing specialists—works to create success stories for more than 300 independent wineries throughout Pennsylvania.

Read more about Penn State's impact on the Pennsylvania wine industry.

Solving Universal Problems

As a research enterprise grounded in an interdisciplinary spirit, Penn State’s breadth of expertise allows us to tackle the most pressing issues for the Commonwealth and beyond. Twelve disciplines—from psychology to atmospheric science and materials engineering—rank nationally in the top ten for research expenditures.

Beyond Smart Materials

With a rising global population and increased urbanization, the coming decades present a host of challenges for our environmental infrastructure. Penn State’s Living Materials team is working across continents to engineer adaptive, self-powering, living materials that respond to their environment.

Read about living materials.

Close-up of hands interacting with sustainability map

A Sustainable Future is Essential

At every college and on every campus, Penn State faculty are researching innovative ways to tackle the world’s most pressing issues.

Learn more about sustainability.